©Sarah C. Swett 2015
 Oops! ©Sarah C. Swett 2015 with watercolor and gouache.  My friend Jodi made the teensy travel paint sets.   Sharon, Vermont is not too bad.  A Fine Place To Spin ©Sarah C. Swett 2015  ©Sarah C. Swett 2015  ©Sarah C. Swett 2015  Sketchbooks  ©Sarah C. Swett 2015  58. To Heck With Geometry ©Sarah C. Swett 2015
 My attitude, however, needed a small adjustment.  Unlike The Strawberry Quilt whose repair trajectory was clear, this tattered remnant of someone's long ago handwork was NOT some casual side project to be whipped off while I thought about other things. It demanded that I put away my hand dyed fabric scraps, forget about imposing my design ideas, abandon all thought of covering or subverting its aggressive symmetry,  and listen.  muslin patch stitched to the back I learned that it is okay to stabilize the actual holes (subtly).  I am also allowed to strengthen the weakest diamonds,  but after that, nothing can be hidden.  It chose my ancient collection of embroidery floss (rather than hand spun yarn), as mending material  as long as I use stitches that keep the tatters in view. I'm not usually a corner person, preferring swirls and curves to hard edges.  Graciously, it takes this this into consideration  as long as there is no nonsense about patching.  or altering  the underlying structure. Though not averse to a bit of embellishment, this quilt is proud of its wear and tear.  As well it should be.  The time came to leave long before I was finished and the quilt wanted to stay home, but I expect a warm welcome when I return. and look forward to a lot more serious stitching.  Fresh Peppermint Tea; 36" x 24" Hand Woven Tapestry; Hand spun wool warp and weft; Natural Dyes; ©Sarah C. Swett 2002  For 25 years my tapestry weft has been a singles yarn, approximately 30 wraps per inch and 1800 ish yards per pound. Long staple fibers give structural integrity to the softly spun yarn; low twist allows lustrous scales to shine.  I weave with two strands of this yarn (together but not plied), on a wool warp of 800 - 1000 yards per pound at a sett of 8 e.p.i.,  "Escape Literature" 60" x 48" Hand woven Tapestry; Hand Spun wool Warp and Weft; Natural Dye; ©Sarah C. Swett 2002 These yarns give my finished tapestries a particular body and drape  "So Then She Said..." (detail) ©Sarah C. Swett 2003 They also impart a somewhat hairy surface, which adds an impressionistic touch.  Sometimes, however, a hairy surface interferes with clarity of shape and a singles spun from medium staple fibers with less surface activity seems to work better.  Rough Copy # 8: Hallmark (detail in Progress); white=1 strand hand spun Suffolk, 1 strand Brown Sheep fingering; grey = 1 strand RomneyX, 1 strand bouncy mystery fleece And recently I've been exploring plied yarn -- yarn with spring and internal energy never intended for tapestry, like the leftovers from this project. I've also been weaving tapestry with yarn I didn't even nspin.
The differences are huge, at least to me,  "The Car Of My Dreams" (detail in Progress); 2 1/4" x 3 1/2"; Car= 3 ply spindle spun wool, walnut; Ground and Sky= 3 ply Brown Sheep fingering, indigo; Warp= Spindle Spun Romney 2 ply Not only do bouncy plied yarns require careful handling (important to keep them super relaxed in the shed), but the surface is weirdly smooth, particularly with the commercially spun yarn.  "Balancing Act" 16" x 3.25" (detail in progress); 3 and 4 ply spindle spun Cormo and Cormo/ Rambouillet X; natural dyes  "Balancing Act" (detail in progress) The light reflection is also different. and the shapes decidedly crisp! With these yarns I've been doing less color blending in the shed, and mostly weaving with one strand at a time, which in turn has led to a preference for a closer sett (9 - 10 epi) and smaller tapestries. It's all so interseting-- alive with possibility. Microthrillls abound.  So, What Now? ©Sarah C. Swett 2015 |
Sarah C Swett
|
