Wednesday, June 1, 2011

more on the four selvedge adventure

OK... so I tried it again today.  Calmly and methodically.  And... IT WORKED!  You know how it is when you sleep on it?  Right?  Trying to learn a new skill and the first time around, even through your mind knows what's what, your hands don't quite get it yet... can you relate to that?  So after getting to the studio today I undid the screw up I made yesterday (thank goodness I followed Susan's advice in the DVD and only had warp of about an inch wide in place).

Here are photos of today's adventure in this process, one I hope to become adept with in the very near future.  The progress today was encouraging!

The warp is in place; the scaffolding bar hasn't yet been removed

The scaffolding bar is removed and two shed sticks are in place near the top of the loom.  One is for the open shed; the other shed is finger picked in this narrow warp.  For something wider, leashes could be set up.  The note and arrow on the photo are pointing to the weaving area of the warp.

Here's a detail of the weaving area.  The loops are seen at the top and the loops, plus the wrapping of the third warp for spacer is seen at the bottom.

Shed sticks are in place; see how two warps are used as one.

The doubled warps created by the warping process act as a single warp in the weaving.


As the weaving progressess the two warps are combining to make a sett of about 6 epi.  I'm using three strands of 2-ply wool as weft.

When the top of the loops is reached more weft needs to be packed in so the loops will be as close as possible to the weaving when it's off the loom.

The last bit of the weft gets threaded through the top of the loops with a needle, then the tail is passed down into the weaving to hide it.


Slipping out the upper warp.  
Here's the top; I could have squeezed a pass or two more in before taking the needle through--that would have allowed the weft to schooch closer to the top.  Also, if the weft had been softer it would have filled in more.  

The lower area of the weaving had two warp ends that were tied to the third warp to secure them together.  When finished these get needle woven into the channel of the warp beside them...

... as I'm doing here.  The end then gets clipped off.


Here's the little piece... the diagrams are from Susan & Archie's website at this link.
More to come in the next few days as I learn more about this way of warping.  

3 comments:

  1. This looks amazing...Tommye, we need a mini class on this technique!!!

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  2. Nice!

    I've been wanting to try the scaffold warp weaving on a backstrap.

    You make it look simple.

    Have a good day!

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  3. Tommye,
    I am so glad I discovered your blog; I gratefully appreciate your willingness to share so much, and I'm not sure I posted a thank you on my first visit.
    I have remained very interested in finishings for my small tapestries (Penland 2010), and it was such fun to find Peter Collinsworth WHOLE book on your blog. I remembered it was a half Damascus edge that I saw in your class, and sure enough, I printed up all kinds of diagrams.
    Still practicing!
    I next am going to make a small loom, similiar to the one you have for travel, and thank you for instructions. In August our family will be leaving for England,for a year, where my husband will be working. I just wondered if you had any particular suggestions or advice that I could use while there.
    I loved your class last year, and again, thank you so much!
    Barbara Gilmore
    (tiny tapestries)

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