75th Anniversary Events
As some of you know this year has been the 75th Anniversary of the OVWSG. One of the events has been a monthly destash for guild members. This is beneficial for members on so many levels. Those with too much can clear out, while those who want to experiment can have the opportunity to try new products. I’m in the later group. One of our most talented weavers was clearing out a huge quantity of singles from a very reputable firm, in colours that I loved. I pounced on them.
The intention is make a rouana or serape. I’m starting with a piece that is 45″ wide by 90″ long and will work on finishing edges after it is woven and fulled. The piece will get thicker and narrower, I hope.
The pattern is a basic twill in one inch stripes, very simple and hopefully showing the great colours.
The loom I’m using is not my own. We are very fortunate to have access to rental equipment at our Guild and for a very reasonable cost we can use the equipment there. So I opted to rent one of the Guild’s looms for three months. This will force me to leave the house to finish this project. Setting some goals and discipline is a good thing in the winter, right?
Warping the loom is slow going because I lost the cross on one section. This is very disappointing and will be problematic as the threads are wound onto the back of the loom. It’s not insurmountable, just annoying.
I am going to have to be very careful here, but I think I fixed the problem on the next few sections with some small innovations.
The bamboo skewers are wrapped on either side of the cross and I can pick the threads from alternate sides to stop them from getting tangled. This was a real time and sanity saver. Dressing a loom is a series of steps. Each one needs to be done with an element of care and thought. From the initial calculations and colour selection, to fiber choices and use of end product, then threading the pattern, tie-up, treadling, and finally weaving. It all takes a bit of thought some more than others. So for now I have left the colour selection and fiber choice to a very talented member of the Guild, the pattern is mine, the end product will be a rouana or serape in a twill. It has been measured and threaded through the reed, next it must be threaded through all the heddles, tied onto the back beam, wound on, tied onto the front beam and I’ll be ready to go.
But I’m getting ahead of myself, next step, will be threading through heddles, all 450 or so. Heddles are those silver wires on the right. Wish me luck. I have three months to finish this, so I’m good.
10 thoughts on “75th Anniversary Events”
Love the colour combo! Seeing the photos of the bundles of yarn we take our hats off to you – but it’s going to look fabulous 🙂
I’d love to take credit for the colour combo but it really goes to Carl Stewart, one of our most talented and generous weavers. He participated in a de-stash and I bought his cast offs – I was very, very lucky.
This looks as if it’s going to be an interesting series of posts Bernadette. These, pre weaving, steps are what I find interesting about weaving so I’ll be sitting on your shoulder while you’re working. It’s only when we get to throwing the shuttle that I’ll drop off to sleep after about 3 or 4 inches.
I do like your colour combinations, what do you propose to use for the weft?
Awaiting part 2.
Ann
So many people find the pre-weaving part boring, but I’m starting to enjoy it more and more. It’s like building the foundation of the project and I can see it coming together slowly but surely. The weft will be the same colours but not necessarily in the same configuration. I can do it as an even plaid of one inch squares, but that might be a bit boring. The other option is to increase the number of threads by one to make rectangles of colour. This would go on until I reach the half way mark and then I’d start decreasing the threads in the blocks. My grand-son is interested in this as a serape, so I have a taker.
That’s a big job, and I can see how things can get lost. 450 Reeds 😱 That’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to rent the loom. No stressful moves of furniture to fit a beast into your home. What a great Guild you have! It’s easy to see how they’ve made it 75 years. 🎉
Capi
I applaud your efforts and I am sure it will be beautiful when completed. I have never set up a oom, so these steps seem so confusing to me. I’m glad you enjoy the process 😀
I love those colours. I am in awe of your skill in weaving and all the problem solving involved. I have never done this, only watched and it does have a magical aura.
Ah yes, that magical aura…it was a bit blue when I found a whopper of a mistake once I got back to warping the threads through the eyes of the heddles. I’ll take a picture and keep it for the next post. The fix is going to be miserable, but I’ll fix it, cause that’s what I do.
It looks great Bernadette. Can’t wait to see it progress on the loom.
It is all on hold until after the Ex and Sale is done and dusted, then a period of recuperation…then back to fixing mistakes. Maybe in a week, but I’ll be taking pictures and hopefully will have a final post of this adventure.