Art as Inspiration for Weaving

At the request of a nearby weaving guild I developed a class about using favorite artwork and photos as inspiration for weaving designs. This was based on the show that I had at the Artery a few years ago and that was the subject of a Handwoven article. lisa-2This is the publicity photo we used for the show. Our model is wearing my Red Canna (Georgia O’Keefe) chenille shawl and Julia’s felt hat.

Participants in the class brought favorite photos or artwork to use as a basis for designing weaving projects and used…DSC_8455…colored pencils and…DSC_8458rayon chenille for their designs. Here are some of the plans:DSC_8450 DSC_8457 DSC_8453  DSC_8443 DSC_8439 DSC_8435 DSC_8433 DSC_8428Won’t it be fun to see these projects when they are finished?

 

A Few of the Week’s Accomplishments in the Shop

DSC_8093 Baby blankets still on the loom.DSC_8172 Baby blankets off the loom and finished. I put on a 21 yard warp and wove 14 blankets. DSC_8207 I hemmed some this time instead of leaving short fringe. I’ll be interested in seeing what buyers like best. The rest are shown on this page.

I taught several classes this week.DSC_8170 This is WWW (Weekly Weaving Workshop), sometimes known as Wednesday Weavers Workshop, or Warped Women Weaving, or….It could go on. It is a drop-in class and we usually discuss any questions that people bring up about anything weaving and yarn related. (Some people come for a therapy session with friends.) Last week I said that I’d teach how to read weaving drafts. Those are the “recipes” for weaving patterns. This week we’ll look at drafts for “color and weave” effects.DSC_8238On Friday I taught a rigid heddle weaving class. This is Tanda with her beautiful new scarf woven of Jaggerspun Zephyr yarn on her rigid heddle loom.

On Saturday and Sunday I taught a spinning class. I can’t believe I didn’t take photos. That was followed by an interview about Fibershed for a well-known (in the fiber world) magazine. You’ll hear more about that when it’s published.

When I’m working in the shop or at the computer all day, instead of in the barn, I try to make sure I go for a walk or a bike ride with Rusty. That’s good for both of us. I’d probably get more exercise if I didn’t take my camera because I always get distracted by the view…DSC_7522 DSC_7528…whether it’s close-up or…DSC_8250…in the distance.

 

What’s happening in the studio

I taught a v-shawl class last week.

The second day of the class was Sunday. On that day the weavers were ready to weave the “v” part of the shawl. These shawls are woven in 2 layers up to the “v” where the fronts join to create the back.

Here is what the shawls looked like when they came off the looms. (The fringes will be trimmed later.)

I think they are happy because they survived this class!

I’ve been doing my own work in the shop as well.

Red chenille scarves.

More chenille scarves.

These are samples of needlefelted ornaments that we will make this weekend at our Holiday Market Open House. These will also be available as kits.

 

 

 

Fun with Chenille

Lori and Kathi both came for a weaving class last month. They both had some prior weaving experience so warped the looms using twill and point twill threadings to weave samplers. This is a great way to experiment with weave structure and color.

Lori and Kathi came back for a chenille class and Mary joined them.

Great job, ladies! I posted this photo on the Meridian Jacobs Facebook page last night and you already have rave reviews!

New Weavers

I taught a Learn To Weave class this weekend and we welcome 3 more weavers to the community!

I don’t make everyone use the same yarns. Kat used Jaggerspun MaineLine wool, Jan chose Jaggerspun Superlamb washable wool (as a sample for a baby blanket) and Sandy wove a scarf of Jacob wool. Great projects!

Custom weaving projects

Here’s a look at what I am doing in the weaving studio.

These are the yarns for a wedding shawl for a friend’s daughter. This will be a random mixed warp in a lacy light weight shawl.

My son’s girlfriend chose these colors for her chenille scarf.

Llama rug that I finally got off the loom awhile ago. I think that most people don’t usually wash rugs, but it still has a llama smell so I plan to wash it. I’ve been waiting for a hot day so it will dry outside.

This is the roll of 3 full-sized blankets woven in double width broken twill. I have cut them off the loom and now need to crochet edges on all of them.

Learn to Weave class

I had back-to-back classes last weekend. The day after my v-shawl class I taught a Learn to Weave class. Here are the projects on the looms:

Mary chose 4 bright colors of Jaggerspun Lambspun wool and wove a sampler that looks good enough to wear as a scarf.

Susan wove a twill scarf using natural colored wool.

Dona wanted to weave a wall hanging of green fields, spring flowers, and sheep. She was very creative in her choice and placement of weft yarns and weave structure to depict parts of the landscape. She will embellish the piece with a few flower buttons and wooden sheep.

A very successful class and a fun weekend!

V-Shawl Class

I taught a v-shawl class last week. It’s always fun to see the variety in these shawls. The v-shawl is warped for double weave. The fronts of the shawl are woven with two shuttles and the back is woven by cutting one pair of warp threads at a time and weaving them in as weft.

Tina chose natural colored Rambouillet and Jacob yarns.

Jackie used brown Rambouillet and a space-dyed yarn for accent.

Marilyn used softball cotton in natural and tan with accents of ribbon and a novelty yarn.

Yolanda has space-dyed wool yarn with a blue stripe.

These are the shawls right off the loom so there has been no finishing of fringes.


The back view shows the designs that you get from the warp stripes.