Thursday, August 30, 2012

A Little Overshot

Or, the title could be: A Lot of Overshot. I am weaving another coverlet. This time I put on an 11 yard sample warp and played with wefts and edges, rethreading, adding on more warp (which I weighted with jugs of water off the back beam), until I was satisfied with where the edge hit the repeat, and by that time, the 11 yard warp was done! And I had a few extra tea towels for family. These have too many mistakes to sell, so I sewed the hems on the machine, and will hand them out here and there.
Then I threaded a twelve yard warp (926 ends) and started on the coverlet. There are three panels, and the 12 yards should yield all 3 of those, plus the slightest bit of leeway.
I am trying to hit my goal of 6 repeats every day, and have, for the most part. I'm on the last panel, and hope to get the warp off the loom next week.




I am weaving it upsidedown, which I kind of like to do. Notice the adding machine tape? I use it to keep track of my beat. Each repeat is marked on the tape, and parts of the repeat are marked. This helps the three panels match (something I have not always had success with, so I'm hoping here). The tape is the full length of the panel. When I started with the first panel, the tape was blank. The first repeat I wove, trying to be very consistent with my beat, was then transferred to a small (5 inch) piece of tape. I used this only on the first panel, moving it up each time a repeat was finished. At the same time, each finished repeat was marked on the long tape.




The on-the-loom length of each panel is 118", so to keep the adding machine tape under control, I roll each end and secure with a paper clip. The clip on the leading edge is placed about 5" into "unwoven territory" and the weight of the clip holds it out of the way, but gives me enough slack to check my beat frequently.




In the meantime.............I have a wedding present to plan and make for the end of October. It will be a rug, but I want this one to be special, so those design ideas have been fluttering around in my head, and that warp will go on as soon as I get the coverlet off.
And, I have been asked again to contribute a piece of art to the Missouri Coalition for the Environment Art Show and Auction. They had a bad email address for me, so I only got this invitation last week. The show hangs Nov. 2 and they would like photos, etc. before then. SO, I'm working on that, too.
I have done this show a couple other times, and it's for a very good cause, and besides that, to be honest, I'm flattered they think my work is good enough. All I can say about the piece is it is nothing like my other pieces. I'll post a link when the online auction goes up.
Cabool Weaving Guild met last Monday. These are a VERY talented bunch of women and men. Hop on over to Ann's blog (she puts me to shame with her regular blogging) www.weavingforfun.blogspot.com to see some photos of the show and tell.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Back at it

I'm back at the loom after 3 weeks in CA visiting kids and grandkids.  What a good time!  And, I managed to miss 3 weeks of ridiculously hot and dry weather here in Missouri.  Still have said weather going on, but just knowing I missed 3 weeks of it makes me happy-faced.

I did not finish the sample overshot warp before I left.  On purpose.  I left the weaving partway through the last sample (which will be serving as a tea towel), with my treadling notes, shuttles, etc. all exactly as if I were leaving for a bathroom break.  Even so, when I sat down at the loom again, it took me a repeat to feel like I was back on top of the pattern.

I finished out the warp, pulled those towels off, wet finished, and made some decisions on how where to stop the edges for best piecing.  I'll be putting three pieces together for this coverlet, and I want a small seam, but enough seam to match the pattern easily.   I think I have it, but we'll see.  That's why I wove a sample warp, and rethreaded the edges 3 times within that warp.

I'm onto threading the 921 threads for the coverlet.  I'm through the reed and about 1/4 through the threading.  I'm hoping to get it completely beamed by the end of the weekend.  It is still at least 100 degrees in the afternoons, and my loom room is upstairs.  I have a window AC unit I can put into that room, but it's still sitting on the floor.

I had Radiant Barrier put into my attic within the last couple years, and the difference in the heat in the house is amazing.  I use climate sense cooling, by which I mean I open the house at night to let the cool night air in, and close it up in the morning.  When I get home from work a little after noon, it's still cool in the house.  I like living in natural air, so it suits me fine.

Still need to wind some 8/2 tencel for painting this fall.  I need to make some project and warp decisions before I wind warp.  I figure it can wait until I get this coverlet beamed, though.