Tag Archives: creative inspiration

The Language of Color

12 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by in Color, creating, Uncategorized, Weaving Inspiration

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Color Swatches

Color Swatches

I get a kick out of perusing the color trends that come down from who knows where. Just do an internet search for “color trends for home interiors” and you can get an idea of the colors being promoted by industry. Everyone from paint companies, interior decorators, furniture manufacturers, not to mention fashion designers, all have a take on what colors we want in our homes this year.

And the names of the colors can be quite poetic. Green is not just green; it’s Lush Meadow, Nile, Malachite. Pink can be Orchid, Salmon, Peach, Rose.  Phrases like “transcendent, powerful and polarizing,” “restrained and refined,”  “serene”, tempt me to read between the lines—what color are they really talking about? What does “serene” look like? I think of the soft green of a summer meadow, but really it’s a pale sky blue.IMG_0274

This is more than a casual search for those of us who create for the home. It does little good to go to all the trouble of handweaving a piece that doesn’t go with anything in anyone’s home. I used to buy odd lots of mill end yarns because the price was right, but soon discovered that those odd lots included colors that were long out of date.

There is a down side to following the trends. It takes a good long time to plan something, weave and finish it. Will that “trendy” color still be trendy by the time my handwoven hits to market? And who redecorates completely every year? A friend of mine doesn’t watch the color trends for just that reason. She creates large quantities of items for an established line and she can’t afford to have unsold pieces sitting around because a color has gone out of style.

The upside of color trends is that they are usually pretty broad. Look at most forecasts and you are bound to find some shade of your favorite hue. And the trends from previous years will carry over to a certain degree. The Marsala and Radiant Orchid of 2015 and 2016 still show up in 2017 forecasts, even if they are not called exactly that. Even the Emerald of 2014 shows up in home interior ads.

This is especially true for those of us living outside major urban areas. Often color trends on the coasts of the U.S. take a couple years to filter into the midsection of the country.

Yarns on Hand

Yarns on Hand

But when it comes right down to it, when I’m planning a project, the colors come from my yarn on hand.  When I stock up on yarn, I focus on colors that will “play well together” over time, to make something pleasing both to me and to the person who buys it.

So that’s the creative challenge for handweavers—using the yarn on hand in ways that will complement the current color trends without being limited to what someone else says we should choose.

Cotton Kitchen Towel in Aqua and Turquoise

Cotton Kitchen Towel in Aqua and Turquoise

I am not a color theorist, nor have I done any extensive study of color. What I know, or think I know, about color comes from paying attention to what’s in the market, what yarn colors are currently available, but most of all, what I like.

Look at the yarn on your shelf. What can you make from what you have?

Inspired by Nature

05 Friday Aug 2016

Posted by in Color, Nature, Weaving Inspiration

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If you  scroll through my photo files, you will see landscapes, family members, fascinating flowers, and – what’s this?

That’s the reaction I get when showing trip pictures. There’s always some odd picture that is not quite identifiable. I know what it is, but my husband and other family members just scroll right past, thinking it’s a mistake.

Colorful lichen formations

Colorful lichen formations

This, from our recent trip to Wyoming, is lichen growing on the rock. Yes, I did take pictures of the area as a whole, but these colors intrigued me too. So I brought them home – on the camera! Orange, lime green, rusty tan on a background of cool gray — an interesting color relationship!

I’ve written before about my adventures in choosing colors. This rock made me think again of Sharon Alderman’s suggestion to pay attention to what colors occur in nature. She spoke about going around her neighborhood photographing tree bark, moss, and lichens. So I try to train my eyes to see the colors with the idea of perhaps using them in some woven piece.

Blues and greens in grape hyacinths

Blues and greens in grape hyacinths

And not just the colors. Notice the many shades of blue and green in these grape hyacinths, how the highlights and shadows blend together.  I can see these together in a kitchen towel. The trick sometimes is to choose an effective weft. The colors may be stunning in the warp, but choosing a weft that won’t overpower them is also important. I’ve learned from experience that darker weft colors will “recede” and lighter ones will dominate. If I want the warp colors to draw attention, then I will pick the darker color from the warp and use that as the weft.

Choosing colors from the garden

Choosing colors from the garden

Sometimes I blend colors across the warp from one hue to another, similar to a flower garden. However, a weft that will work with one of the warps may not look so good with another. That’s where I need to sample before winding on a long warp. The red and yellow of these geraniums and heliopolis may work as accent colors, and perhaps a soft green could then be the “background”, just as the grass and asparagus fern here.

And just because colors look lovely on the stem doesn’t mean they’ll look lovely in a scarf or a towel. Not every color combination will be the current trend. But it’s a good starting point, a good prompt for creatively thinking about colors.

What colors come home with you from your walks and adventures?

 

Books, Books, Glorious Books!

29 Wednesday Jun 2016

Posted by in Weaving Inspiration

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You can tell a lot about a person by looking at her bookshelf.

My mother loved books. She was a writer after all. She had shelves of histories. She had shelves of dictionaries (biographical, quotation, geographical, biblical, your standard Webster, and more). She had shelves – and shelves! – of cookbooks, because as a food writer, she researched – a lot! She had so many books that the auctioneer was overwhelmed—literally.

I have inherited my mother’s love of books. I look around me and I have shelves of histories, an interest my husband also shares. I have shelves of books by Wisconsin authors, some friends of my mother’s, some I know by reputation only. But my favorite shelves are those of fiber books!DSCN3998a

I still have my green-covered A Handweaver’s Pattern Book by Marguerite P. Davison, a classic I bought when I first started weaving. Right up there next to that is my copy of A Weaver’s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns ed. by Carol Strickler. I did pass along my Learning to Weave by Deborah Chandler to a friend who was just starting and I hope she got as much out of it as I did.

There are books on coverlets,DSCN3997a

books on design,DSCN3996a

and books on linen.DSCN3995a

Beside these sit books on early weaving manuscripts, and yes, more histories of weaving.DSCN3990a

Sometimes I buy books on techniques that intrigue me, but I have yet to go beyond reading the book. Tapestry is one of those. I have two books called Tapestry Weaving, one by Kirsten Glasbrook and one by Nancy Harvey, both of which I have pored over and dreamed through. Someday…DSCN3993a

Then there is Weaving as an Art Form: A Personal Statement by Theo Moorman—another classic—and More on Moreman by Heather Winslow. Both very inspiring and worthy of a reread.

And these are just some of the weaving books! There are also books on spinning, books on knitting, and a few on book-making. Handmade art books are so amazing!

Inspiration is right there in front of me. All I have to do is pull a book off the shelf and fall in!

What does your bookshelf say about you?

(For those of you who are interested, I’ve included a bibliography. Some of the books are out of print but you may be able to find them in your local library or on line. There are many other books on my shelf that I didn’t mention.  Explore your shelves and see what you can find!)

Bibliography:

Davison, Marguerite Porter (1944) A Handweaver’s Pattern Book. Swarthmore, PA: Marguerite P. Davison, Inc.

Glasbrook, Kirsten (2002) Tapestry Weaving. Turnbridge Wells, Kent, England: Search Press

Gordon, Judith (1995) American Star Work Coverlets. New York, NY: Design Books

Harvey, Nancy (1991) Tapestry Weaving: A Comprehensive Study Guide. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press

Heinrich, Linda (2010) Linen: From Flax Seed to Woven Cloth. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.

Hersh, Tandy and Charles (2001) Rural Pennsylvania German Weaving 1833-1857. Carlisle, PA: Tandy and Charles Hersh

Jarvis, Helen N. (1989) Weaving a Traditional Coverlet. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press

Kurtz, Carol S. (1981) Designing for Weaving. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press

Lamb, Sara (2013) Spin to Weave: A Weaver’s Guide to Making Yarn. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press

Meek, Kati Reeder (2000) Reflections From a Flaxen Past: For Love of Lituanian Weaving. Alpena, MI: Penannular Press International

Moorman, Theo (1975) Weaving as an Art Form: A Personal Statement. West Chester, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.

Oelsner, G.H. (1952) A Handbook of Weaves. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc.

Safner, Isadora M. (1985) The Weaving Roses of Rhode Island. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press

Strickler, Carol (1987)  American Woven Coverlets. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press

Strickler, Carol, editor (1991) A Weaver’s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press

Thompson, Marjie, Kathleen L. Grant, and Alan G. Keyser. Forgotten Pennsylvania Textiles of the 18th and 19th Centuries.  Cumberland, ME: The Linen Press

Wertenberger, Kathryn (1988) 8, 12…20: An Introduction to Multishaft Weaving. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press

Winslow, Heather Lyn (1994) More on Moorman: Theo Moorman Inlay Adapted to Clothing. Sugar Grove, IL: Heather Winslow

Exploring Opphämta

09 Monday May 2016

Posted by in Opphämta, Weaving Inspiration

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Opphämta Borders

Opphämta Borders

I would like to introduce you to my friend, opphämta. Opphämta has spent a lot of time in my studio lately. I probably don’t pronounce her name correctly, but I sure am having fun with her.

Opphämta, or upphämta, is a Swedish weave structure in which the pattern thread forms the design over a plain weave ground. In a way, she reminds me of overshot, only without the half-tones. Like overshot, she is often woven in wool on a cotton plain weave or basketweave background, and often used for coverlets. Unlike overshot, the pattern thread is either on the face or on the reverse; there are no tie-downs which in overshot create half-tones, so long floats can occur. The patterns can often be traced to specific regions, are usually symmetrical, can be woven as borders or as all-over designs.

Opphämta was originally woven by picking up the pattern with a weaving sword. Although I’ve never tried to weave it with a sword, I have woven it on a draw loom which I’m sure is much faster than a sword. Although “fast” is a relative term for a draw loom.

Early aprons in opphämta, 1998

Early aprons in opphämta, 1998

Many years ago, I wove opphämta borders for some aprons, and decided  to revisit that project. Those aprons were a traditional bib-type design, with the opphamta border running along the hem and across the top. Two patch pockets also sported patterning.

My current project is inspired by a diamond-shaped apron my Mom sewed for me some years back. She was a quilter and her apron showcased her patchwork skills. I borrowed her apron’s shape, applying opphämta borders instead of patchwork along two sides and again across the top.

Detail of opphämta borders

Detail of opphämta borders

This is a work in progress. There are so many possibilities with this technique and it will be an adventure to see where opphämta takes me.

Write a Letter

07 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by in creating, Nostalgia

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Handwoven Notecard with Star Motif

Handwoven Note Card with Star Motif

Every year, as I put away Christmas, I go through the Christmas cards and re-read the letters enclosed in them. This is the only communication I receive from several of these people, but I so appreciate the letters (unlike what the media makes us think about Christmas letters!)  I love reading about friends’ families and finding out what they did this past year and what they plan for the new year. How else can we stay in touch?

When I was a child and complained about being bored, my Mom would suggest writing a letter—either that or some job I really didn’t want to do.

That suggestion to write a letter was a pretty good one. Who doesn’t like to get some “real mail” – not just junk mail – in the mailbox? And how else to get letters than to write them? At least that was the logic.

Yes, I know what they say about letter writing—that it’s a thing of the past, that in this digital age, it’s a waste of paper and time. I beg to differ!

I treasure the letters I received from my grandmothers and others who are now gone. Their encouragements, greetings, and stories bring a smile as I re-read them after so many years. And as anyone who has tried to research their family history knows, letters give a glimpse into our ancestors’ everyday lives.

So I forge ahead into the new year, once again resolving to write more letters. Even if I don’t hear back, I hope the lines in the cards will cheer someone up and brighten their day.

When was the last time you wrote a letter?

If you are looking for a blank note card with a handmade touch for your next letter, you can find several options at my Etsy shop, JeanWeaves.

Seasons

29 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by in creating, Nostalgia

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“Sunrise, sunset…
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears.”

Snowfall in the trees

Snowfall in the trees

This song from “Fiddler on the Roof” came to mind as I’m looking out at a grey, drizzly afternoon.  Seasons change, cold winds blow, gardens now lie fallow.  We close the window on one season and focus on another.

Thanksgiving sometimes gets lost in the hoopla over shopping, decorating, and baking. Each year, the stores seem to open earlier and longer. However, at our house, we try to give Thanksgiving its full due—a 1:00 turkey dinner complete with all the traditional trimmings, often followed by board games in the afternoon.

I actually look forward to this time of year. There is a rare quiet in a December afternoon if I just listen, a quiet of the soul. The earth has pulled up a blanket over the sleeping soil, and if we allow ourselves, we too can share that peace.

I’ve often thought of handweaving, spinning, knitting as quiet meditation. We all need that. The rhythm of the wheel, the quiet thud of the beater help soothe our busy minds and remind us that quiet is good.

Of course, as I get older and our family spreads out, quiet is more common. It wasn’t always so. Seasons. Each one has its purpose, its gift.

May you find peace in your season, whatever it is.

Another Sale for the Books

17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Weaving Inspiration

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Felted Bird House Ornaments

Felted Bird House Ornaments

What a weekend! Lots of work, but oh so worth it!

The 26th Annual Holiday Exhibition and Sale for the Columbia Weavers and Spinners Guild is over. We had a great turn-out and lots of laughter and camaraderie throughout the three day event.

It’s an exhibition because we enjoy showing the community at large what we do and how we do it. There are demonstrations for two of the three days and we invite people to try their hand at the loom and the drop spindle. And it’s a sale because we want to share the work of our hands. It is so important to pass along the fiber passion to others.

Towel Display at the 2014 HES

Handwoven towels sorted by color

Over the years, the popularity of various crafts has waxed and waned. When I began weaving in earnest, in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, weaving was very popular and we were blessed to have a weaving store in town for classes and supplies and a dedicated weaving school not too far away. There were numerous weaving publications and books available, and weaving yarn was relatively easy to find.

Rugs Felted and Twined

Rugs Felted and Twined

The store has since closed and the school moved to the west coast. Conferences are still enthusiastic but smaller in scope. Knitting and crocheting are now the crafts du jour, and while I miss some of the availability of weaving events, I appreciate other fiber arts too! And it makes me value those exciting opportunities when I do get to talk about weave structures, fiber twist, yarn sourcing, and finishing tricks.

We are heading into the busiest time of the year for many. I hope you get an opportunity to enjoy a fiber event in your neighborhood before the end of the year, and a chance to share your fiber passion with a new learner.

Counting Down

09 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by in creating, Weaving Inspiration

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CWSG Holiday Exhibition and Sale

CWSG Holiday Exhibition and Sale

This is always an exciting time of year. Not only is fall my favorite season, but the upcoming holidays hold the promise of family get-togethers and the warm memories of past celebrations. And of course, as a weaver, it’s the fruition of a year at the loom.

Many groups sponsor art and craft sales ahead of the holidays. My local guild, Columbia Weavers and Spinners Guild, has been putting up a Holiday Exhibition and Sale for over 25 years now and it affords us the opportunity to ooh and ahhh over each other’s artistry.

I am always amazed at the breadth and variety of items that come in, everything from luscious camel handspun, delicate beaded jewelry, baskets that speak of the grasslands from which they came, and of course handwoven shawls, scarves, towels, table coverings, and rugs. There are always surprises and submissions that take our breath away. What inspiration!

CWSG Holiday Exhibition and Sale Details

CWSG Holiday Exhibition and Sale Details

This event is the culmination of a year’s worth of work for many of us. Some of our members participate in multiple sales, but some just do this one event. The community is so supportive each year and it charges our creativity for the next year.

So I invite you to come join us if you are in mid-Missouri next weekend! Submerse yourself in fiber art and be inspired! Contact me for more information. I’d love to meet you there!

How Long?

22 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by in creating, Planning, Towels

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View from the front, warp chains threaded through the reed.

View from the front, warp chains threaded through the reed.

“How long does it take to weave that?

It’s a common question I hear. So, do you want the long answer or the short answer?

The short answer to the question? “About an hour per towel.” The long answer? “It depends.”

I have tried to time projects just to get a better idea on how to answer, but where do I start?

The seed for each warp often springs from an earlier project. As I weave, I consider how I could choose a slightly different colorway or wonder what would happen if I treadle this threading as if it were a different structure entirely, weaving an overshot as if it were a lace weave for instance. So the planning is sort of fluid and therefore, hard to “time.” Putting it into an actual planning sheet doesn’t take long in itself, but my indecision can really take a while to ferment into a cohesive plan.

Then there’s the time it takes to measure the warp. I typically weave 8 or 9 towels at a time. This can run anywhere from 9 to 10 yards. If I use a finer thread, I will need more of them to get a towel 20-24” wide. The warp I measured the other day needed 568 threads, each 10 yards, 8” long. And if there are multiple color changes, that takes time too. To make it easier to handle, I break that number into four or five “bouts” or groups of threads, chain them up and take them to the loom. It took maybe about 3 hours to wind that warp. (You see? Not very exact.)

View from the back of the threads coming through the reed and the heddles.

View from the back of the threads coming through the reed and the heddles.

Once at the loom, every thread has to go through the reed and a heddle—in the right order!  Sleying the reed usually doesn’t take as long, typically about an hour or so, again depending on the fineness of the threads and how many go through each dent (slot). Threading the heddles, though, can take the better part of a day and half. Not as young as I used to be and I have to get up and stretch more often.

After the warp is threaded, it has to be wound onto the warp beam. Here is where I find out if I’ve inadvertently crossed any threads between the reed and the heddles. If I don’t have tangles, the winding on goes pretty quickly—about an hour or so, depending on the length of the warp. After I tie it onto the breast beam, spread the warp, and adjust the tension, I’m ready to weave. This is the fun part.DSCN1466

So the next question, sometime spoken, sometimes not, is “Why do you do something by hand that can be done so much cheaper commercially?”

There is a value in the connection between the hand and the product. We’ve gotten so far away of an item’s source that we don’t care about it anymore. But if we know that a person took the time to choose the colors and plan how those threads will cross, will we not see that cloth in a different light? Will we not appreciate that item more and elevate the task it’s used in to be more than it was? Whether it’s a handmade quilt, or homemade jam, or handspun yarn, or handwoven towel, it’s the “hand-“ and the “home-“ that make those items more valuable because someone took the time.

Besides I love to weave.

How long does it take you to do what you love?

Where Did It All Start?

17 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by in creating, Nostalgia

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While spinning this weekend, my mind wandered. I have a knitting project in the basket, a tatted doily in process, and two warps on the loom. My husband teases that I’m an incurable multi-tasker. Why do I always have to have multiple projects going, in different crafts? Where did it all start?

And then there was yarn

And then there was yarn

First, crocheting came to mind. I admired the doilies my mother and grandmothers made and wanted to make some of those. But yarn is easier to learn on than crochet cotton, so I started with granny squares. In high school, I made a few granny square purses for classmates and sold a few. Nothing fancy, but in perfect step with the styles of the early 70’s.

But it goes further back than that. When I joined 4-H as a 9-year-old, one of my first “projects” was Knitting. I remember our leader patiently teaching several of us around her kitchen table in the evening meetings. She must have been a saint because there was only one of her and at least 9 or 10 of us, but learn we did. My Dad’s slippers didn’t quite turn out—I’ve always knit large and he wasn’t really a slipper-wearer, but he was a good sport!

Early lessons in sewing

Early lessons in sewing

But maybe it went back even further. When I was 7 or 8, trolls were a fad. They came with all colors of hair. Mine had orange hair. And you could make simple felt outfits for them. My Mom purchased a sewing pattern for a variety of outfits, sat down with my sister and me and taught us the basics of sewing outfits for our trolls. Again, nothing fancy, but we were proud of the clothes we fashioned ourselves.

In the intervening years, I’ve added tatting, spinning, and weaving to my craft skills. Each brings its own pleasure and satisfies the need to always have something in my hands.

I am so grateful to all those who patiently taught me skills that bring such joy. And it’s my turn to pass along the joy!