Sunday, March 10, 2024

Sewing with Handwoven.

About two years ago, I bought a used Kromski Harp loom. I rather like it, it's the widest one that they make. Keeping the shed open in the higher position is tricky at times, but I LOVE the warping board that is built in. This one came with a stand.

I decided to weave with some peachy silk yarn that my friend Janet spun and gave me; it's one of my favorite colors and one of the pastels that look good on me.  I made yardage in an 8 inch width in a spontaneous weaving style.




I love making clothes, and I love coming up with my own colors and shapes that are wearable for me.

I decided to make a top, and purchased some coordinating peach linen from Fabrics-Store.com. (I am also an advocate for natural fibers, a separate discussion is needed on how natural is a textile that has been power manufactured and artificially dyed...topic for another day). 

I used a base pattern from Fabrics-Store.com also, and cut it up to place the handwoven in front and back.









Monday, February 26, 2024

How I'm Spinning Cotton

 I have been gifted over the years with picked bolls of upland (short staple) cotton. I even grew some from seed that was then swarmed with bugs. The idea of spinning from a boll is so tempting.  But I could not do it, even with hand card prep. (I will need lessons on how to do that...)

Cotton is attractive to me because I live in a warm climate, and I think I'd like to weave with handspun cotton..

Two years ago, I bought an absurd amount of cotton at SAFF, blog post here. Three huge balls of sliver (the cotton term for roving). I decided to retry. I knew that my "inchworm" technique would not work unless I wanted a thick and thin result due to the short staple.  This is supposed to be Sea Island cotton but the staple is still really short, about an inch.

Here are some inchworm efforts:



I watched 2 videos on youtube that told me to speed up my wheel and use long drawver and a hunk of the sliver. No go for me. (I haven't tried puni's.)

A friend loaned me a charka that needed to be put together. Oh no.  I just want to spin!

Then a friend, Suzy of SWHFiberworks, mentioned that she SLOWS down her wheel,  SPLITS the sliver, and draws only minimally. OK, FINALLY!

Here is an unsplit piece of sliver



Abnd here is one that's been split into 1/8, I  might even be able to go to 1/16 if I'm careful


And here are some spun results. I should measure the wraps per inch but I know it's better than the inchworm technique


Monday, January 22, 2024

Koigu Tapestry

I love my KoiguKPPPM and decided to explore its color changes in a tapestry done on a small frame loom. 

I am happy with this although next time I might make the wefts more diagonal and use more oof a wedge weave technique...




Monday, January 1, 2024

More small batch dyeing: annatto and sappanwood dyeing on wool

 More small batch dyeing probably for tapestry...the three on the left are annatto, sourced at Al Madinneh Halal Market here in Savannah, dark pink is sappanwood, next is annatto overdyed with sappanwood, far right is the end of the sappanwood dyepot, it went purply at the end! All are handspun wool, the roving was gift from Her Majesty Margo!


All except the overdyed one were premordanted in alum...






Sunday, December 17, 2023

Carrot Top Dyeing

 I have figured out that my favorite natural dyeing is with materials from my yard/garden or the grocery store.  Last week, I came upon a youtube channel that changed my approach, both to how and what I dye. 

I had not tried carrot tops before. The vid that I was watching promised oranges. I got lovely greens. I followed directions, although I am the first to admit that I am BAD at weighing dyestuff and fiber, perhaps that's why I got greens...I will work to improve!

Here are some photos from my process, but I will leave it to you to view the youtube link below for specific directions!




Below is a large glass "pickle" jar in a "bain marie."  A paint strainer is used to hold the dyestuff. I love this method as the glass jar allows me to see what is going on inside. Watching color seep into the water is a large part of the fun for me. I will be trying this method with other dyestuffs. The glass jar also allows one to watch the color seep into the yarn or fiber once it is added.



The dye stuff  (in this case carrot tops)  simmers for an hour. Then, alum mordanted yarn is added to the glass dyepot, and simmered for an hour, then left to cool overnight. I was expecting orange but got a lovely green. (I love both colors so I did not care...)


here is the video link: thanks to https://wildcraftdyeing.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs7FELt0NM4&t=240s

Monday, November 20, 2023

Thoughts on Tapestry Weaving

 I sometimes concern myself with which aspects of a particular fiber project are indeed "art" (vs, "craft" or technique). So um yes in pondering this here is a checklist for a current project.  Some "art" some "craft"...you decide. Perhaps all of these constitute part of this debate...





These are all "checks in the positive"...


*my handspun yarn included

*a friend's handspun yarn included

*loopy mohair included (just joking...)

*yarn acquired at fiberguildofthesavannahs included

*Handdyed included

*loom acquired for free (thanks SWHFiberworks)

*barberpole and non barberpole yarn included

*wool AND synthetic yarn (eeks but the color and sheen is great) included

*spontaneous decisions about design


what have I forgotten?? It's not done but I love it



Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Singer Featherweight Concerns

 Last year, I bought  new Featherweight 221 here in Savannah. My sister spotted it and I credit her with being the enabler. I did not try it out before purchasing...a dangerous move.  I paid $295.

When I got home, I plugged it in and she hummed nicely and the needlebar moved, so I was happy. (They are all female, right?) I did not try sewing on it however.






The serial number indicated that is is a 1950 model made in Elizabeth, NJ.



Here is my source for serial numbers: https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-sewing-machine-serial-number-database.html


And here is my source for locations: http://www.oldsewingear.com/blog/where-was-my-singer-machine-made

Today I decided to take it for a spin. I oiled it up from directions from these nice folks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OyRXkSLcY8

After that I noticed that the bobbin case had a problem that could not be fixed, someone had snapped a minute metal part. But this guy was instrumental in helping me figure that out: 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLqIAIEiF0w&t=324s

Apparently it's good to check the bobbin case before buying and to threaten anyone doing service on your machine to not swipe it and replace with a cheap import...but I may try just that myself... (wish me luck). 

 But in the meantime, I have another Featherweight from 1940, also made in Elizabeth NJ,  that runs like a top, so I got that one out: