Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Looming

LouAnn suggested that I take photos of the sheets before I cut them into strips so I can remember what they looked like when I compare them with what they wove up into. Yeah, that was a bad sentence.
They are right in the middle here and not contri-
buting a thing. The orange is pushing the colors away, so I'm thinking these are going to live in inventory, kinda like purgatory, only not. I'm planning to do a set with this sheet and the solid red and that's all. I think it will be hot.
This is the set I'm weaving now and they've already been paid for - I just need to finish and deliver. I appreciate Theresa's "go bold or go home advice." She was right.
Drum roll please - this is what was in the box. Eighteen pounds of cotton from Benita in Illinois. She said she had Scott stand on the box so she could seal it. She apologized in an email that some were in pieces and a lot were pink. I didn't see a problem on either score. Pieces are the rag rug tradition, though I did rip some of them to true them up. Pink is great in rugs as it's light but not not dirty looking.
I washed and ironed them all today, and as I did, I found myself discover-
ing potential color arrangements. I'm a stickler for prewash after reading the Finish American rug weavers book. Some of them didn't prewash everything and it's obvious. No thanks - not with all the work that goes into a set of placemats or a rug. I'm a hobbyist, not a production weaver.
And there they are, ready to work with. We're leaving Sunday and I didn't want to leave our house-sitter with a mountain of fabrics in the dining room, nor did I want to come home to that mountain. I have enough warp for another round of placemats using my dummy warp, and then I'm going to order more carpet warp. After that, I'm moving placemats to Maudie Mae since she's only 23" wide, thus freeing up Miss Millie. I hate to say goodbye to that dummy warp - it's been a good friend.
This is the little Gem Gilmore loom that Jeanie has loaned me for the Robin Spady workshop. It's such a sweet little thing. I need to get the required warp on it between now, my Washington trip and the workshop. No pressure.

4 comments:

LA said...

WOW! How exciting to get that wonderful box of fabric! I know that Benita is glad to have it out of her way...and you're thankful to have it for your weaving! I know that you are looking forward to your workshop!

Benita said...

18 pounds? I knew that box was crammed rather full. I can't wait to see that they become. Sure beats them sitting on my shelves collecting dust.

Theresa said...

Oh that IS a sweet little loom. I eyed them when I was looking for something small for the prayer flags, but just couldn't make myself get a jack loom. Love the box of fabrics! You must love to iron. I would have tried hanging them folded out on the line to dry before resorting to an iron. :)
Have a wonderful trip, some day maybe you will pass through our little town.

Leigh said...

I have been so bad about blog visits. And look at everything I've been missing. Your weaving is beautiful, your selvedges so perfect! We've just begun (finally) to work on our kitchen remodel, so I'm thinking about rag weaving for rugs, place mats, and cushions. What could be more perfect?