Yesterday was wonderful.
 2 ply spindle spun wool (Targhee/Debouillet) |  spindle spun flax --half singles, half 2 ply |
A little math showed that I'd spun enough yarn
to warp and weave the first swath of cloth
for an imaginary garment of linen and wool--
so I began.
to warp and weave the first swath of cloth
for an imaginary garment of linen and wool--
so I began.
Honestly, the prototype shirt
I talked about last week
is just so satisfying and comfortable
I couldn't wait another minute.
I talked about last week
is just so satisfying and comfortable
I couldn't wait another minute.
Anyway, I really like to warp--
for tapestry or plain cloth.
for tapestry or plain cloth.
What's not to love
about strand after strand
undulating through a pair of lease sticks?
about strand after strand
undulating through a pair of lease sticks?
My earlier linseny-woolsey samples
had both wool and linen in the warp.
The cloth is lovely
but warping was a total pain
so for this first swathe of actual yardage
I'm using 2 ply wool as warp
and singles linen as weft.
Historic linsey-woolsey
apparently used linen warp and wool weft,
and maybe I'll try that next time.
had both wool and linen in the warp.
The cloth is lovely
but warping was a total pain
so for this first swathe of actual yardage
I'm using 2 ply wool as warp
and singles linen as weft.
Historic linsey-woolsey
apparently used linen warp and wool weft,
and maybe I'll try that next time.
The Ashford Rigid Heddle
is 10 inches wide and 15 dpi.
15 is as fine as rigid heddles go,
so I designed the yarn with that in mind--
just as I am designing the cloth
to suit the garment I want to make.
Note: For more info on the three selvedge structure pictured below
there are instructions in Backstrap Dialogues
is 10 inches wide and 15 dpi.
15 is as fine as rigid heddles go,
so I designed the yarn with that in mind--
just as I am designing the cloth
to suit the garment I want to make.
Note: For more info on the three selvedge structure pictured below
there are instructions in Backstrap Dialogues
The next swathe will be
between 4 and 5 inches wide,
(depending on the draw-in on this one).
Together, they should add up
to my shoulder width.
between 4 and 5 inches wide,
(depending on the draw-in on this one).
Together, they should add up
to my shoulder width.
It is just so exiting --
(well, to me anyway),
to see how building a garment
with the narrow lengths of cloth I love to weave
can be an enormous boon to design
rather than the hindrance I once thought it.
(well, to me anyway),
to see how building a garment
with the narrow lengths of cloth I love to weave
can be an enormous boon to design
rather than the hindrance I once thought it.
It is also amazing
to run smack into my fixed ideas--
whatever they may be
though in this case
that garment sewing
is all about subtracting shapes
from someone else's idea
of how wide cloth can be made--
and suddenly see
that those ideas
are but illusions
I can stroll right through.
to run smack into my fixed ideas--
whatever they may be
though in this case
that garment sewing
is all about subtracting shapes
from someone else's idea
of how wide cloth can be made--
and suddenly see
that those ideas
are but illusions
I can stroll right through.
There is more exploring to do
along these lines
--building garments in an additive,
minimal-waste way--
and I'm definitely planning to do some,
even as, for the moment,
I'll keep geeking out
on the pleasure of using paper purns
and this old boat shuttle
to slip shots of flax
across the open shed.
along these lines
--building garments in an additive,
minimal-waste way--
and I'm definitely planning to do some,
even as, for the moment,
I'll keep geeking out
on the pleasure of using paper purns
and this old boat shuttle
to slip shots of flax
across the open shed.
Speaking of geeking out --
I just moved my newsletter host
from Mailchimp, where it has been for the last few years
to Weebly, the outfit within which I have this website and blog.
There were myriad reasons for this,
and the odd hassle,
but all I can say for the moment is -- it's done.
I just moved my newsletter host
from Mailchimp, where it has been for the last few years
to Weebly, the outfit within which I have this website and blog.
There were myriad reasons for this,
and the odd hassle,
but all I can say for the moment is -- it's done.
At least I think it is done.
If you usually get the newsletter
and came to the blog today as a result,
you will know that it worked
(things will look different, plus I expect I'll mention it there).
If, however, things don't work quite right
please let me know!
I thank you in advance for your patience.
Cuz, as you probably know,
my geekiness has its limitations.
If you usually get the newsletter
and came to the blog today as a result,
you will know that it worked
(things will look different, plus I expect I'll mention it there).
If, however, things don't work quite right
please let me know!
I thank you in advance for your patience.
Cuz, as you probably know,
my geekiness has its limitations.
