I have really been enjoying my days with no work to drive to. I have gotten a lot done, probably not as much as I wanted to get done...but life is like that.
Most of my time has been spent learning to use a felting machine, but I have been slowly getting the tea towels done. I found that I have (again) created more work for myself. I have been weaving on my December design towels, a great lace pattern with an outline of rayon boucle. I designed the towels to be a two towel set, one in red and one in green.
I finished weaving the red and cut the warp in back of the shafts to tie on the new green warp.
I started this because I thought I could get the tension even enough to just continue weaving. I'm still not sure about the evenness of the warp, but the time tying the knots is w*a*y too long. I only had a little time the other morning until I had to leave, so I checked it out. I tied about 45 knots in 30 minutes....so much longer than just rethreading the loom with the green yarn. Tying on like this may be good for a loom that is hard to reach the heddles, or on a pattern that is very complex (like the snowflake twill I did it on before), but for this simple of a pattern, it is a waste. I might be able to tie faster using Barry Conner's method of tying a weaver's knot, but I wanted to tighten the tension as I went, so I am using the slip knot method and it is too slow. Well, "live and learn." The towels are going to be lovely and they are for me, not for sales so the additional time is just pleasant "yarn fondling" time.
My sister found a stash of crocheted doilies that were done by her Grandmother-in-law and she wants to frame some of them for display. The maker seems to have liked the Pineapple design, and I know it was popular years ago. My sister brought them to our last "Sister Date" and had the black cloth to attach them to, but they were unwashed and had not been stretched. I knew that they would look better if that was done, so I offered to take care of them. (I enjoy doing it, it's fun to see a wrinkly looking little thing stretch out to a beautiful object.)
The biggest one ended up stretching out a lot, but I love the changes in it. Look how the lines between motifs move and cross. (It's hard to see on the pin board, but it will look great on a dark background and framed.) I think the design looks like a Compass Rose.
The smaller one is also the Pineapple type design, but the pineapples are bobbles instead of the chains on the first one. This one also had some stains and I am very glad they all washed out well.
These will both frame up well and will be a great remembrance for the family.
I love the pieces that I have framed up and also the fillet work that I use for a valance in my livingroom. Old pieces are a joy to use and to look at.
Most of my time has been spent learning to use a felting machine, but I have been slowly getting the tea towels done. I found that I have (again) created more work for myself. I have been weaving on my December design towels, a great lace pattern with an outline of rayon boucle. I designed the towels to be a two towel set, one in red and one in green.
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| Nice lace pattern in the loom |
I finished weaving the red and cut the warp in back of the shafts to tie on the new green warp.
 |
| Lease sticks put in the cross on red |
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| Green wound on the back beam with the cross |
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| Tying the two warps together |
My sister found a stash of crocheted doilies that were done by her Grandmother-in-law and she wants to frame some of them for display. The maker seems to have liked the Pineapple design, and I know it was popular years ago. My sister brought them to our last "Sister Date" and had the black cloth to attach them to, but they were unwashed and had not been stretched. I knew that they would look better if that was done, so I offered to take care of them. (I enjoy doing it, it's fun to see a wrinkly looking little thing stretch out to a beautiful object.)
The biggest one ended up stretching out a lot, but I love the changes in it. Look how the lines between motifs move and cross. (It's hard to see on the pin board, but it will look great on a dark background and framed.) I think the design looks like a Compass Rose.
 |
| Before wash and stretch |
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| After wash and stretch |
The smaller one is also the Pineapple type design, but the pineapples are bobbles instead of the chains on the first one. This one also had some stains and I am very glad they all washed out well.
 |
| Before wash and stretch |
 |
| After wash and stretch |
These will both frame up well and will be a great remembrance for the family.
I love the pieces that I have framed up and also the fillet work that I use for a valance in my livingroom. Old pieces are a joy to use and to look at.
I have come back to this post two or three times. It makes me remember the doilies in my aunts houses. And now I want to make one...huh, I didn't see that coming.
ReplyDeleteLol,off to find a pattern.