Kelly

Tote Bag Weave Along, Lesson 9

If you missed lesson 8, you can find it here.

We’re really making progress now, sewing up the bag and getting close to finishing!

The lines that we pinned across the two bottom corners can now be sewn.

Sew straight across the corner, removing pins as you go and remembering to backstitch at each end for strong stitching. Repeat on the opposite corner.

Cut off the excess fabric on the corner and either zigzag or serge the raw edge.

Now do the same with your prepared lining.

Take the bag and turn it the right way out, taking care to push out the corners with your fingers as you go.

At the top of the bag, measure in approximately 3.5″ from one side and mark with a pin. Do the same from the other side.

Place your bag handles with the raw edges meeting up with the top edge of the bag and lining up with the pins. Ensure your handles are not twisted. Pin the handles in place. Do the same on the other side of the bag for the opposite strap. Take the bag to the sewing machine and straight stitch across the top of all the straps, remembering to backstitch and remove pins as you go. This makes your handles stronger and keeps them in place while you move onto the next part of the bag.

Put the main bag inside the lining. The lining should still be turned inside out – that way, the bag and the lining will have right sides facing when you put them together. Line up the side seams and make sure that the handles are tucked in, out of the way. Pin all around the top of the bag, keeping those side seams matched as much as possible.

You can view this entire lesson for free right here:

The next post will be the last lesson where we finish off sewing the bag.

I hope to see you then, and as always, leave me a comment if you have any questions!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Clasped Warp Quechquemitl Wrap – New Class!

by Kelly 6 Comments

What on earth is a quechquemitl anyway?!

Well, it’s a traditional Mexican upper body garment for women and it’s the inspiration behind my new class.

From what I understand, it is pronounced something like “kech- ka – mil” (please do correct me if I’m mistaken!)

I started researching the quechquemitl because I wanted to find a flattering and easy garment to make with my clasped warp fabric. The clasped warp technique gives a striking appearance to the fabric, and I wanted to utilise that and put it on show.

I started (as all projects should!) with some gorgeous yarn. Tencel and bamboo are both soft and light with an amazing sheen. Perfect for this project!

These fibres made a supple and drapey fabric, and the simple yet contrasting colours make the piece really special.

There are two ways to wear this wrap – in a poncho fashion as pictured above or you can swivel it around so that horizontal lines run across the body. Either way is totally beautiful!

This is a low sew project, so great for those who are dipping their toes in the world of sewing.

This class is available now at my Online Weaving School. You can make a single purchase, or, if you’re already a member you can simply login and enjoy.

Happy Weaving!

8 shaft Strickler sampler

by Kelly 2 Comments

If you follow me on Instagram you will have been viewing the progress I’ve made on my 8 shaft sampler.

*This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you click and purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I didn’t have any specific plan for this sampler other than to explore some 8 shaft drafts on a rose path threading from Carol Strickler’s 8 Shaft Pattern Book.

If you’re not familiar with rose path threading, it is a point twill variation and can be used for both 8 and 4 shaft patterns. An example of rose path threading for 4 shafts would be 1,2,3,4,1,4,3,2,1 and for 8 shafts 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,1,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1.

Something I really love about having an 8 shaft loom is the range of patterns or motifs that can be woven. I wanted to explore:

Which combinations of yarns would be most effective for the designs I wanted to weave.
How many different patterns I could weave on 8 shafts by changing my tie up often.

Once you have threaded a multi shaft loom, there is no going back, no changing the order of threading (unless you want to go back and start again and no one wants to do that!) By changing the tie up though, you can vary the combinations of shafts as you’re weaving, therefore changing the pattern without having to change the threading.

By “tie up” I’m talking about attaching my treadles to various shafts with texsolv cording. Different types of looms have different ways to tie up the treadles and one thing I love about my Louet David is how simple it is to tie up. This means that if I want to change the tie up to alter the pattern, it doesn’t take long and isn’t hard to do.

My loom is a sinking shed loom, so I was aware that the actual pattern would be woven on the underside. I didn’t mind that (in other words, I couldn’t be bothered messing around with the treadling to make sure the pattern would weave the right way up). Interestingly, I discovered that I often preferred the weaving on the underside to the right side anyway.

I started with 8/2 unmercerised cotton for the warp in white and warped at 20 ends per inch. I made my warp around 10 inches wide on the loom, as I like to have plenty of space to see my pattern. A narrow warp doesn’t always give enough pattern repetitions to give a good representation.

Beginning on page 30 of the book, I randomly picked motifs to weave according to the number of treadles required. My loom has 10 treadles, so 8 were tied up for the pattern weft and 2 were tied up for tabby.

I initially started weaving with some dk weight cotton (pink) and Bambu 7 (blue) and changed to 8/2 Cottolin (grey). For these designs I used tabby throughout (which means that following every pattern weft row is a row of plain weave) in an 8/2 mercerised cotton in a very light blue which looks mostly like white in these photos.

I wasn’t too thrilled with the initial results but it showed me something valuable. For the designs to have more impact I needed to use a heavier weight of yarn for the pattern weft and to choose my colours with intention. I wanted bold, not “meh” designs!

I switched the tie up and the yarn, and presto! Much better result this time. I alternated between a variegated orange/pink and teal fingering weight hand dyed wool, keeping my pale blue 8/2 cotton tabby. The top design is a burgundy dk/light worsted wool. I find both sides of this design equally pleasing. Between the hand dyed and burgundy you can see that the design looks slightly different – this is as a result of changing the treadling around but keeping the same tie up. So many variations are possible! If you’re looking for this design in the book, it is number 132 on page 32.

For this design I once again changed the tie up and swapped to a black fingering weight wool. This design is number 133 on page 32. The red design is number 128 and was worked in a dk/light worsted weight cotton. You can see how different this one looks on each side! I also tried it in a lighter weight and colour of cotton, which sort of just shrunk into the background.

This design is one of my favourites – number 139 on page 33. I changed treadling and yarn again for this one, using dk/light worsted weight wool (I had figured out by now that a heavier weight wool gave the kind of effect I liked).

I finished up with design 120 on page 31. The Strickler design looks like little trees, but mine are upside down and look more like balloons, which I find quite cute. I experimented with my tabby yarn by using a hand dyed, variegated tencel against the blue wool. I quite liked the effect (you can see the rainbow-ish colours in the middle of the panel.

This was a really fun project. I loved having something on the loom that had no particular commitment and didn’t need finishing quickly – it was purely for my own enjoyment and learning. That’s the kind of weaving I like!

I may just keep this as a sample or I may cut it up and use it for a small project. For now, I like the way it looks just hanging off my studio shelf.

If you are intrigued by multi shaft or floor loom weaving, I have a very popular class for beginners, the Introduction to Floor Loom Weaving. It takes you through all the step by step basics of getting started on your loom and weaving a beautiful cowl project. There is also a follow up class to go onto afterwards. You can even purchase the two classes together for a special price.

If you take out a Yearly Membership or Monthly Membership to my Online Weaving School, the floor loom classes are included.

I hope you found this post interesting and inspiring!

If you have any questions about this post or my Online Weaving School, please leave me a comment below.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Tote Bag Weave Along, Lesson 8

by Kelly 2 Comments

In the last post, we laid out, pinned and prepared all of the pieces of bag to sew together.

Now that we’ve pinned our 2 main bag panels together, we can take them to the sewing machine. With a straight, medium stitch, sew around 3 sides of the panels, leaving the top part that we didn’t pin open. Remove your pins as you go. When I’m sewing at the machine, I use my magnetic pin bowl to be able take pins out of the fabric quickly and pop them onto the bowl, where I know they’re not going to go anywhere. It has the added bonus of helping you find any pins that you may drop on the floor, especially on carpet. I just push the magnetic bowl around on the floor until it finds the pin, it’s very handy!

*This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I’ve said it before, but it’s an even more poignant point for bag sewing, which needs to be sturdy. It is a total false economy to sew with cheap thread that is just going to break – either when you’re sewing or very soon afterwards. Use a good quality, “sew all” thread such as Gutermann.

When you have sewn around all three sides you will have what looks like a very big pocket!

Now we sew the lining fabric panels together in the same way EXCEPT that we leave the 6″ gap along the bottom edge. This is really important, as you won’t be able to turn your lining to the inside of your bag without it.

To sew the bag straps or handles, sew down one long side where the 2 edges join. You can also sew down the folded side if you like symmetry, but it’s not essential.

Take all of your pieces to the ironing board and press them on a steam setting. The level of heat to use will depend on what yarn you have used – you don’t want to scorch anything. If you’re worried about scorching, use a lower setting and/or a presser cloth. (This can be as simple as an old sheet or pillow case).

This part is best explained in the video, but to give you an overview, you put a finger into the corner of your inside out bag. Pinch the seams together so that the side and bottom seams are sandwiched together.

Hold a measuring tape against this seam from the top point.

Measure 2 inches along and place a pin horizontally across the pinched corner.

Place other pins horizontally across the corner at the 2″ mark, flattening the 2 layers of fabric together. You will end up with your corner in a triangular shape. Repeat to the other corner at the bottom of the bag. Now repeat the corner treatments on your lining fabric.

You can find all of this lesson in video format here:

Thanks for joining me today, as always, leave a comment about this lesson if you have any questions.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How do I find the right class for me?

by Kelly 20 Comments

Currently there are over 60 classes available on my Online Weaving School. That is a lot of classes!

With all of that information, it can be a little tricky for new visitors to navigate the space according to their weaving level.

This little tutorial will show you how easy it is to find a class to suit you!

I have categorised each class into one of three categories:

Suitable for beginners
Suitable for weavers with some experience
Suitable for advanced

*One disclaimer. These categories are general terms that I put together to help you find your way around my classes. They are not set in stone. And please, don’t be put off trying a class just because it’s marked as advanced. Different weavers learn in a variety of ways and at differing rates. If you’re interested in a class, have a look at it before you determine that it’s not for you.

OK, on your homepage at the top left you will see “Category: All”, with a little green upside down triangle next to “All”.

Click on the upside down triangle and a drop down menu will appear.

There are lots of different categories apart from the three I already mentioned. These are in alphabetical order and just there to further help you find classes.

Scroll down until you reach categories beginning with “S”.

Select the option that you think would be the best fit for your level by clicking on it. I selected “Suitable for beginners”.

You will be taken to a new screen showing you all of the classes that come under the category you collected. From here, you can find out more about any of these classes by simply clicking on the thumbnail.

If you want to check out another category, you simply go back up to the top, click on the upside down triangle next to “Category: All” again and repeat the steps already described.

One of the reasons I chose Teachable as a hosting platform is that I felt it was very straightforward and easy to navigate. However, I have made an additional resource for you, to help make site navigation crystal clear – giving you the best learning experience. This free mini class covers these topics:

Site overview/how to navigate

Your avatar

Managing your profile

Managing your subscriptions

How to access/purchase classes

You can access the Teachable Tutorial by clicking here.

I hope this helps you, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment under this post. I’m always open to suggestions for how I can improve my school, so I welcome your thoughts on this as well.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

1000 sales giveaway!

by Kelly

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DEBORAH!

My little Etsy shop recently reached 1000 sales, isn’t that just amazing!?

To celebrate, I’m having a fun giveaway.

The winner will receive a Garden Path Scarf Kit in “Deep Lavender”, which includes the pattern and all the delicious Australian Merino wool you need to weave a scarf. I’m also including some really fun quintessentially Aussie snacks.

Now, before you poke your tongue out at the Vegemite, there is something we need to talk about. You know all those Youtube videos of people from countries other than Australia tasting Vegemite and proclaiming it the most disgusting food ever? They’re doing it all wrong!!!

Vegemite is never, ever, not even sometimes, eaten on a spoon! To be enjoyed as the delightful spread that it actually is, you need to eat it on toast with plenty of butter. Or in a sandwich with butter. But the toast is the most awesome. And just a scraping of Vegemite, not a bucket load.

I’m glad we cleared that up.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere!

To enter, just tell me in the comments below which item from the giveaway picture is most appealing to you.

I’ll draw a winner in a week’s time, Tuesday 30th July.

Best of luck!

Tote Bag Weave Along, Lesson 7

by Kelly 2 Comments

Now we’re ready to sew the bag together! If you missed the last post on taking your fabric off the loom and wet finishing, you can take a look at it here.

*This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on the link I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Lay the fabric out on the ironing board with the WRONG side facing up. You will notice that your fusible interfacing has a shiny side and dull side. It’s the shiny side that will fuse to the fabric, so you want to place the shiny side down so that it meets with the wrong side of your fabric. This is worth doing properly. If you place the shiny side up instead, you may find yourself in the market for a new iron!

It is best to place a presser cloth over the fabric and fusible interfacing before you begin to iron. I just use an old sheet for protection. Set your iron to “cotton” steam setting a press evenly over the fabric. You can peel back the sheet here and there to check whether you have a good bond happening. Bear in mind that the bonding is not complete until the fabric has cooled.

Your piece should look like this when ready. The interfacing is completely bonded to one side of your fabric.

Fold the fabric over on itself so that the sides are all touching. Line up the pieces to fit as best you can.

Press the fold at the bottom of the bag to make a crease. This will become your cutting mark. If you’re a bit worried about cutting your fabric, don’t be! The fusible interfacing keeps it all very secure.

Cut right through the fabric, using the crease mark you just made.

Now you have two separate pieces, or bag panels.

At this point you will also want to cut your lining fabric in half after ironing a crease in it as you did before. There are so many choices you could make for lining fabric but if you’re really not sure, broadcloth is a good option.

If you’re not sure where to find all the measurements, they are in the Essential Info PDF in this post.

The next task is to fuse your interfacing to the bag handles, using the same method that was used for the main bag panels.

Fold the bag straps in half lengthwise and press. Open out and then fold in each long raw edge by about 1/4 inch and press. Fold the whole piece to the middle and press again. The raw edges will now be encased.

At the overlocker (serger) I run over all the raw edges. You can use a zig zag stitch on a sewing machine if you don’t have a serger.

This is what we have now. 2 X serged bag panels, 2 X lining panels and 2 X prepared bag handles.

Place a bag panel on top of the other, with RIGHT sides facing. Pin around all the edges except at the top, where you need to keep and opening. Do the same with the two lining panels, keeping the top open and leaving about a 6 inch gap at the middle of the bottom for turning later.

You can also pin the bag handle pieces together just so that they are held in place when you begin to sew them together.

Now all of our pieces are pinned and prepared for sewing. Stay tuned for the next post where we will sew the bag together!

You can watch the videos for this post:

And if you feel you need to learn more about cutting your hand woven fabric, I have a post for that here as well as videos:

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Tote bag Weave Along, Lesson 6

by Kelly 1 Comment

Now for the really exciting part! Once you’ve finished your required amount of weaving (check the Essential Project Information free download here) you can cut your weaving from the loom. Yay!

If you missed the last post about weaving and advancing the warp, you can find that here.

Release the warp tension at the back of the loom a little. If you want a fringe or are worried about your weaving unravelling at all, you can cut behind the reed which leaves plenty of fringe space.

Then, back to the front of the loom to release the brake, allowing you to easily unroll your weaving from the front beam.

You can either cut or undo the knots from the apron rod. I usually prefer to undo the knots (especially important if you want a fringe). Also, if you wove in a header with waste yarn at the beginning, now is the time to take that out.

Before wet finishing, it is essential to secure the raw edges of your weaving. A serger will make this job super easy, or a sewing machine set on zig zag stitch is also good.

You can find basic wet finishing instructions at the end of this video:

Or more detailed instructions in this blog post or video:

At the end of wet finishing and drying, you have some beautiful woven fabric ready to use and sew with. That’s what we’ll be talking about next time, I hope you can join me for that!

Until then…

Happy Weaving!

Tote Bag Weave Along, Lesson 5

by Kelly Leave a Comment

In today’s post we carry on with the weaving of the tote bag panels and also talk about advancing the warp.

An important aspect of good weaving is advancing your warp. Of course, you can’t actually continue weaving unless you do so, as your weaving will fill right up to the heddle/reed and you won’t be able to weave any further.

Advancing the warp exposes more of the empty warp threads so that you can keep weaving. It basically involves releasing tension at the back of the loom, rolling the warp forward at the front of the loom, regaining your tension and then continuing to weave.

There is always a “sweet spot” for your weaving, the position is where the tension feels right and the beating is easy. If you wind forward too far, when you beat, the reed will touch the cloth beam at the front and the beat will be uneven. It’s also uncomfortable for your body to have to bring the reed so far forward, it puts strain on your wrists and shoulders.

Advancing often, and the right amount also helps you to keep weaving at the same tension.

My “sweet spot” for weaving. Not too close to the front cloth beam, not too close to the reed.

The best tip that I have for advancing the warp is “little and often”.

This video may help you to become more familiar with your loom’s tension system and gain a little confidence for advancing your warp.

I hope this post has been a help to you! Please leave me a comment and let me know, or ask any questions you may have.

The next post will cover removing your weaving from the loom and preparing for wet finishing.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Interview with Thistle Rose Weaving

by Kelly 2 Comments

Today I would love to introduce you to Martha of Thistle Rose Weaving. I am a long time admirer of her timeless and classy woven pieces. I know you will find her story very interesting!

What attracted you to weaving? How did you learn?

” When I was a young teen my family lived next door to a Swedish family. Everyday on my way to and from school I would see our neighbor, Mrs. Skarstad sitting at her huge Swedish CM loom. My curiosity finally got the better of me and I knocked on her door to ask her what what she was doing with that “thing” that was in her window. After watching her weave a beautiful white linen tea towel, I was hooked. Unfortunately my parents were not in interested in buying me an expensive floor loom and my dream of weaving like Mrs. Skarstad stalled, sputtered and went into remission.
My weaving dream remained in the back of mind for many years but time and life got in the way until one day in 1997 I had the idea that if I wanted to learn to weave I better get busy and do so. Without any idea of what I was doing I bought a very old 4 shaft Kessenich loom from a tiny fabric store in Madison, WI and then ordered Chandler’s “Learning to Weave” book. I sat down and proceeded to teach myself to weave. Without access to any weaving teachers I learned via books and good old fashioned trail and error. The internet was just beginning back then and not many weavers were posting at that time.”

Do you have any other arts and crafts you spend time on?

“I also occasionally knit, spin and sew, but weaving is my true love and I spend as much time as I can working on my looms.”

How long has your Etsy shop been open? Did you aim to sell your weaving or is it something that just came about?

“My studio is called Thistle Rose Weaving – it is my way of proclaiming affection and admiration for the historical figures Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I. I enjoy the fact that I can in some small way combine two of my interests, renaissance history and weaving. My shop on Etsy was opened in 1997 as a way to sell my textiles to the public. “

Your woven pieces have a very distinct, classic and historic style. Is this something that you strive for?

“Here at Thistle Rose Weaving I delight in weaving heirloom quality traditionally inspired table linens and textiles. I try to use primarily natural fibers in all my work along with a dash of inspiration from the nature that surrounds my country home. Traditional Scandinavian weaving techniques have always interested me, I feel that classic design is timeless and blends into any decor. I strive to provide my clients with well made high quality textiles that will stand the test of time.”

What are your favourite fibres to use and why?

” Cottolin yarns, those spun with 45% linen and 55% long staple cotton fibers are my favorite yarns to work with for household textiles. Good long staple cottons that are colorfast are also a staple of my yarn stash – working with natural fiber yarns is expensive but pays off in the long run by being long lasting and beautiful. Silk or silk blends are also a joy to use when I turn my interests towards weaving shawls and scarves. “

What single item do you seem to make or sell the most of?

“I am primarily known as a towel weaver. Many weavers do not like to weave long warps of towels because they find the endless warps too repetitive. I enjoy the challenge of weaving towels with different treadlings and color change. I strive to make each towel something special. Using traditional weaving drafts and modifying them to my taste is something that keeps me coming back to my loom time and again.”

Are there any challenges for you in making a living from your weaving?

“The time it takes to design an item, warp the yarns, set up the loom, weave, wash, iron and finish the handwoven textile is very long. If a weaver actually charged a living hourly wage for just the labor alone, one tea towel would cost well over $75.00 or more. Most weavers are never going to get rich weaving, we would love to be able to support our family with this ancient fine craft but in today’s society that is not going to happen.”

What are your hopes and plans for the future of your business?

“I hope to keep weaving well into the future and do harbor a dream of opening a weaving studio somewhere out in the public eye where I can run an open studio. It would be great to demonstrate and teach those who are interested in learning. ”

Being based in Brethren, Michigan, what do you love about where you live?

“My husband and I moved to Brethren, MI just over a year ago. After a 22 year career in the military and a second 12 year career in the public sector my husband decided it was high time we get busy and build the farm we have long dreamed of. We moved to Northern Michigan to start our farm, Witcher Highland Cattle where we raise registered Scottish Highland Cattle. Some say we are nuts to begin yet another career but we are happy to live surrounded by the Manistee National Forrest, Lake Michigan and our beloved farm. Life is good.”

Thanks to Martha for joining us today and sharing a little of her weaving life with us! If you want to check out her beautiful woven pieces (and I know you will!) you can find the Thistle Rose Weaving shop here.

Thanks for taking the time to read, until next time…

Happy Weaving!