The prep I did for the weaving demonstration for a local kid’s camp was worth it. The demonstration went smoothly and most kids had a chance to pass the shuttle through and change the shed. Of course I completely forgot to take any pictures, so the still below was taken from the day summary video Doss Heritage posted.
Weaving in progress (still from Doss Heritage video)
I did take a picture with a skein of the yarn I used, but it was after the fact. I think we are going to do another camp, so I’ll leave the loom setup rather than finish this weaving.
In quilting, when you cut a centered motif out of a printed fabric, it is called fussy cutting. Not sure what it is called when you do a similar thing with gradient yarn, but that’s what I did to warp my tapestry loom.
Tapestry loom warped by spectral color from a gradient ball of yarn
I needed a demonstration setup for a local kid’s camp. I was demonstrating weaving, a friend was spinning, and another was carding. I thought it would be neat to see color shift across the rainbow both in the warp and the weft. I setup string heddles because this is a step up from picking, which is what is usually demonstrated in art classes in school. String heddles are consistently sized loops of yarn that go around one warp thread, then around a heddle stick. Properly setup for plain weave, the heddles will lift every other warp thread. Switching heddles changes the shed, which is what the shuttle with the weft yarn passes through. I tested my heddles with a ruler and a pickup stick until I had everything correct. (I didn’t at first, and had to undo and redo.)
String heddles installedTesting the heddles with ruler and stick
To set a secure first row and space the warp threads, I twined a row. Twining in weaving involves two threads twisting around each other and the warp threads.
I found another thing to do with my woven bands: bracelets! I chose to sew leather ends on to reduce bulk, and I had the materials.
Materials to make the bracelet
I cut a strip of goat leather and stained it dark brown, then sealed it with an acrylic clear coat. I cut two smaller rectangles from the finished leather, cut a length of leather cord, sealed the ends of the woven strip with clear glue, selected a shell button, and sewed using waxed nylon cord.
Attaching the eyelet
To form the eyelet for the button hole, I folded the leather cord in half, then bent the ends outward at a 90 degree angle. I secured it to the end of the woven band with waxed cord, then cut off the excess. To cover the end, I cut a slit in one leather rectangle to slide over the eyelet, then sewed the leather to the band. The nylon thread was thicker than I wanted visible, so I separated the three strands and just sewed with one.
Sewing the leather using a clamp
My wooden book clamp serves well as a leather stitching aid. I used wax paper to keep the newly finished leather from sticking to the wood. (I recommend waiting 24 hours before sewing, but I was impatient.)
Finished button hole end
For the button end, I sewed the button offset on the other leather rectangle, using cord scraps to space the button off the leather. If the button is sewn tight to the surface, there isn’t enough room for the eyelet.
Button sewn using a cord for a spacerButton end sewn using a wooden clampFinished hand sewn leather button clasp
I’m pleased with the finished bracelet. Although I would have preferred the leather ends to butt together, the gap actually makes the bracelet more comfortable to wear by giving more flex. The bracelet is easy to button one handed, and is light.
I’ve been pinning many pictures of things I can do with my Inkle loom woven straps. So many things, but what caught my attention this time were wrist straps. Most of the articles talk about attaching keys, but I also saw wrist straps used for walking canes, cameras, and small bags. I also saw a method for securing the end of the cut woven strap with clear flexible glue. I used Modge Podge, which worked well painted on the ends and allowed to dry.
Securing cut ends by painting on clear glue
There is metal clamp hardware that make the creation of a wrist strap quicker, but I preferred the sewn leather direction. I noticed that leather makers use a wooden clamp that is similar to my bookbinding clamps. My clamp is larger, but it worked well to hold the pieces together while I stitched. I used a single ply of waxed nylon thread to sew a loop of leather to the ends of the strap.
Stitching leather using a book clamp
Rather than a D ring, I used a split ring and a toggle clasp because these can be removed if the strap needs to be modified with different attachments.
Wrist strap made from an Inkle loom woven strap and leather
I liked how this one came out, so I made more.
Hand woven, hand sewn, cotton and leather wrist straps
I put together a 60s themed outfit with a nod to the fiber arts. I crocheted a duster vest and flower garland, wove a band and added bell sleeves to a tie-dyed t-shirt (I did not dye the shirt, dye and I are still not on speaking terms), and assembled some felted wool ball earrings! (My mom made and gave me the felted beads.)
Bell sleeves made from t-shirt materialFelted ball earrings60s Outfit (minus bell-bottom jeans)
When I do bell sleeves next, I will make them longer and without the off-set center hole. These look great on the hanger, but were awkward when worn, except when doing jazz hands, then they worked. Since I can’t do jazz hands all the time (although that would be quite the arm workout), I picked out the seams for the added sleeves after the debut. I can see peasant blouses with woven trim and bell sleeves on my crafting horizon.
