If it feels "off" it probably is...

I have decided that threading heddles is the most difficult step in the weaving process.

Each thread goes though the eye in the center of the heddle. This is tedious and time consuming work. You also must sit at an awkward position which leaves you feeling stiff and need of a good stretch... which I do every couple of inches !

So far, I have worked on threading four separate warps. Two of them for Kate and the other two were my own.

I like doing things right the first time. Backtracking and fixing errors is extremely frustrating for me. Today I stopped myself part of the way though threading a towel warp. The way I was threading didn't feel right. After asking for some guidance I discovered I was continuing out the double threading I was to do on the selvage of the fabric though-out the entire width of the fabric . This would make a thicker ribbed effect on the finished project which was not the goal. So, I had to start from scratch and also dread re-threading what I accomplished last night which I now knew was completely wrong.

The best way to learn is from your mistakes. If it feels "off" it probably is.

My re-threaded heddles. 

I pressed and rolled my first fabric.  It is ready for a pattern and some sewing.   

Now to thread the other half of my heddles so hopefully I can get weaving later tomorrow! 

Done !

5 yards of hand woven fabric completed ! 

I was so happy when I took the fabric off the loom that I could not resist wrapping myself in it.  

My past couple of work/study projects have included threading a loom for a warped faced rug, winding spools of thread, and winding a linen warp for a rag rug.  

A linen warp.  This was very easy to wind since it was one color. (no stripes !)

This afternoon I started setting up my loom for my historical fabric project...

..and got though threading half in the evening.  

Visitng the Shelburne Museum

The Shelburne Museum is a museum of art, design, and Americana.  Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 38 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds.  I viewed Impressionist paintings, folk art , quilts and textiles, decorative arts, furniture, as well as a bunch of 17th- to 20th-century artifacts. 

http://shelburnemuseum.org/

I was particularly inspired by the overshot coverlets.  These coverlets were extremely popular in almost every community in the United States from the coloniel era until the late 19th century.

18th Century Stripes & Plaids

My dress fabric is in progress and now it is time to make a warp for a  some historical fabric reproductions ! My goal is to reproduce a histocial fabric from the 1700's that I can then make into period clothing.  I am refferncing swathces from the book Textiles in American 1650-1870.

These swatches are from 1737 but, the stripes and plaids pictured are seen though out the 18th century.  I will weave half of my fabric as stipes and the second half as a plaid so I'll get two txtiles in one warp.     

                         

After carfully inspecting and counting the threads I sketched up a plan for my fabric.  These simplistic looking fabrics have complicated warps.  My first warp had two colors.  This one will have three colored stripes of a different width each.  I am defintely challenging myself on this one !  

Beats

A beat in terms of weaving is when you pull back the beater bar / reed and "beat" in the threads you just shot though.  Consistent beats with the same amount of pressure in each pull back make even looking fabric.  Machine woven fabrics look smooth becasue there isn't room for human error.

I am loving the inconsistency in my handwoven textile.  You can really see the hand of the weaver making the fabric one of a kind and beautiful.  I am striving for consitancy which will come with practice but, for my first project I am enjoying seeing my progress woven in front of me as I pass, beat, change.

Time to Weave !

This afternoon I finshed threading my warp and started weaving.  It was tricky to pick a weft color.  Every time you shoot a new color through the shed you get a very different result.  I ended up going with purple becaue it felt right and looks funky paired with the orange.. a perfect combo for my tunic dress.

shooting colors through

w e a v i n g 

5 yards to go !

T H R E A D S

This morning I did some of the "work" end of my work/study apprenticing.  Kate had me weave cotton dishtowls.  I was doing a twill weave .  Finding a rythem in weaving is key.  Pass, beat, change, beat, pass and so on..  I'll try and post a video of myself weaving soon !

Cotton twill dishtowels 

The remainder if the day I went back to working on my own project.  I finished threading the heddles which was quite tedious.  Feeling ambitious, I knocked out the threading of the reed as well in the evening wrapping up a long day of threads at 9:30pm..

Threading the heddles

The finished reed