March Showcase

Guess Where?

In March, our showcase features Edith House's"Guess Where?" Click on the thumbnail for a larger version. This month, as in last month, we showcase an 8-shaft work.

Edith won the Complex Weavers Award for this at the Williston, VT, USA Vermont Weavers Guild Annual Show

She writes: "A couple of years ago, I took a workshop taught by Laurie Autio, called "Weave Where You Live; Weaving From Topography". What a fascinating idea! I had been experimenting with four-end straight threading networks on my eight-shaft loom for a while. I found it difficult to come up with an interesting curve as a starting point for a threading. By making a graph of the differences in elevation on a section of a map, then deriving a curve from the graph, some "different" curves emerged. I started with a map of the area around my home, which is a bit hilly, came up with a curve which I digitized to eight units high, plotted the threading on the network and reversed it in the center. Threads used were 8/2 Tencel for weft and warp sett at 27 epi. The warp was threaded in an eight-shaft straight twill on a four-end network.

"Using a computer program, I began trying different tie- ups and treadlings. I found a tie-up that seemed to work well. I tried many treadlings. One of my criteria was that maximum float length be not more than three for either warp or weft. This led to a good deal of tweaking and adjustment to make sure that both sides of the cloth were checked for float length. I have woven many scarves on this threading, using twenty different treadlings and many colors, but this one, woven as drawn in, and using colors that might be found on a map, is one of my favorites."

Used by permission.
This is the one hundred-seventeenth item in our showcase of what members are doing.
For more information, see Edith House's article in the February, 2012 issue of Complex Weavers Journal, page 7.

February Showcase

More Twills for my Kitchen

In February, our showcase features Esperanza Banting's "More Twills for my Kitchen". Click on the thumbnail for a larger version. Click on Draft to download the WIF.

Esperanza writes: "I tied onto the dummy warp of my 2009 sample for this year's [2010] exchange. I used a simpler treadling pattern though and also sampled with more than one color in the warp.

"I decided to use three colors in the warp, and to choose from the threads in my stash. I therefore had to study the placement of the color changes in the threading to come up with a somewhat pleasing and balanced design.

"The samples for this exchange are in the earth tone colors of ivory, beige and khaki for both warp and weft. This produced colored blocks in the design. My other samples also showed that weaving with only one weft color generated stripes.

"Using 8/2 cotton and this threading I wove kitchen towels that are functional (absorbent), and they also make my kitchen not so ordinary.

"Warp: 8/2 unmercerized cotton; ivory, beige, khaki; 20 epi
sleyed 2/dent in a 10 dent reed
Weft: 8/2 unmercerized cotton, ivory, beige khaki, 20 ppi
Finishing: Machine wash in hot water, machine dry
Shrinkage: 16% in width, 14% in length"

Used by permission.
This is the one hundred-sixteenth item in our showcase of what members are doing.
For more information, see Esperanza Banting's article in the June, 2011 issue of Complex Weavers Journal, page 36. This was part of a study for the Study Group: Sample Exchange - The Old-Fashioned Way.
The webmistress apologizes for not having a Showcase for December 2011. She was occupied by a move most of the way across the country and by some health problems.

January Showcase

Beiderwand Swirls

In January, our showcase features Judith Yamamoto's "Beiderwand Swirls". Click on the thumbnail for a larger version. Click on Thick and thin draft to download the WIF.

Judith writes: "I first met beiderwand about 20 years ago in Else Regensteiner's study group. Since then, I hadn't touched it, so the Anderson/Gordon/Towner book provided a good review of the basics. But the real inspiration was Bonnie Inouye's article, which was circulated among the Sixteens Study Group via email in February /March.

"In Else's group we'd thought in terms of block designs, which are, well, blocky. Bonnie inspired me to try curves. What fun! I developed a number of designs on the computer before settling on the one used in this sample.

"The weaving was a royal pain, but that had nothing to do with the structure. My loom simply misbehaved: unwanted shafts rising randomly required a lot of unweaving and reweaving. The issue of differential tension between the two warps was the subject of much email discussion among the Sixteens. I beamed both together with no extra weighting and had no trouble. Of course, it was only a three yard warp, perhaps a contributing factor!

"The fabric is rather heavy; it might make good upholstery or perhaps panels for a jacket. Recently a local weaving friend suggested it would make a lovely evening bag. (Good idea, except I'm not into evening bags.) I'd like to try this in different yarns to see what other effects could be had: smaller images? different color blends? a more supple fabric? "

Used by permission.
This is the one hundred-fifteenth item in our showcase of what members are doing.
For more information, see Judith Yamamoto's article in the February, 2011 issue of Complex Weavers Journal, page 25. This was part of a study for the Sixteens Study Group.