Pastel Ruffled Scarves

Pastel scarves are done! I've completed the third group of scarves using the "Ruffle" technique or in weaver terms, differential shrinkage.  That is when you use two yarns that have different shrinkage capabilities like wool and tencel, which is what these scarves are made out of.  I also added some silk to the mix here which also does not shrink. The wool shrinks as in "oh no, I washed my wool sweater and it shrank"! But when you do it on purpose, add a non-shrinking yarn, you get a great effect.

I used a different type of wool yarn in these scarves and they did not shrink up as much as the blue/green scarves.  They have a softer look as in the first scarves I did (the pinkish/brown ones).  So here are the pictures. Do you have a favorite?

Lavender

Lavender Detail

Orchid

Orchid Detail

Coral Detail

Coral 

Baby Blue Detail

Baby Blue

You can see all these scarves at my Trunk Show/Open House at my Plymouth Studio on Saturday, May 5 from 10am - 5pm.  I'm working on another series of ruffled scarf. I'm calling it a "Scarflace". Hmmmmmm - what could that be?  

Till next time ------ enjoy the bouquet of scarves!

"Next Ruffled Scarf" Series

I rarely do pastels.  I decided that I would like to try pastels for these scarves as my next group in this series.  I am trying to reach customers in warmer climates and also provide scarves for three season wear. Not that bright colors cannot be worn in warmer weather.  Sometimes the brightest colors are evocative of spring flowers and summer heat.  However I thought it would be fun to see how pastels might work in this technique. Here are pictures of the warp going onto the loom. In weaver terms this is called "beaming".  The whole process of putting the warp on the loom from beaming to threading to tying on is called "dressing the loom".

 

"Ruffled Scarves" Series Two

In the last post I wrote about the new scarves I've been working on.  My vision was to create a scarf that would ruffle and give the wearer many ways to show it off by wrapping, twisting, or just draping.  I wanted them to be long and to dangle. Series Number One came out somewhat ruffled .  I had hoped for more.  They came out long but I wanted them to dangle to give a lariat necklace effect.  I began to think how I might get more of a ruffle.  So I redesigned the next warp. By extending the edge section by 1/4 inch on both sides, increasing the wool section to 3/4", and decreasing the middle section, it caused the wool section to shrink more and the other sections to seersucker more.  The results are my Series Two Scarves.

 I love the way these turned out!  The interesting thing about it is as the ruffles increase, the length gets shorter to accommodate the ruching of the fabric.  These scarves were woven exactly the same way and washed and finished the same way as the Series One Scarves but they shrank up to 40%.  Series One Scarves only shrank 27%. Series Two Scarves came out to be 56" - 58" long while Series One Scarves are 71"-73".  So what does this mean for me?  Well it means that if I want the more ruffled scarves to be long I will have to weave each one 120" instead of 91".  That will take more time which of course means I will need to charge more for them. 

The other factor is I may never achieve consistency in the length or amount of ruffling as the water temperature in my washing machine (which I cannot control accurately) is a big factor in how much the scarves shrink.  I use to have a machine that regulated the temperature of the water so I could be pretty sure that it would always be the same.  My current machine does not do that so I never know if warm will always be the same temperature every time I use it.  It varies a lot. Thus the amount of shrinkage will vary also.

I have one more warp waiting to be woven.  It will be interesting to see what happens with it.  I will be using a different brand of merino wool. The merino wool is what shrinks to form the ruffles. It will be interesting to compare.

I've decided that if I want to address the dangle issue, I need to go back to the drawing board and design a scarf that is narrower with one strip of merino wool down the middle.  I think I might be able to achieve this effect that way. That will be my next series.  Stay tuned! 

For now, here are some pictures of the Series Two Scarves:


Azure



Dark Teal



Grey Teal



Lake Combo



Close up of Lake Combo



Remember those new scarves from a couple of posts back, http://studiojottings.blogspot.com/2012/03/new-scarves.html? Well I've finally finished them. My vision was to create a narrow scarf out of a lighter weight material so it could be worn in 3 seasons and /or in summer with air conditioning.  I chose to make the  scarves out of tencel and I wanted them to have a different look than just a straight scarf.  I used a technique called differential shrinkage to get a ruffled effect.  I've used this technique before in my "Neck Scrunchies" .  These scarves were to be an alternative to my narrow chenille scarves.  I was hoping to stay within a lower price range.  Unfortunately the number of hours it took to make these is greater than the hours it takes to make the chenille scarves.  The yarn is thinner which means I must measure and thread more yarn ends onto the loom and that takes more time.  Because I am using a thinner thread it also takes longer to weave one inch of the thinner tencel than one inch of the chenille. So while I will have to price these higher than I had hoped, I am pleased with the effect. I will go back to the drawing board to design something that will be in the lower price range.  I already have another idea.  But for now I'll make a few more of these.

Here are pictures of the latest scarves:

Detail of Mauve Scarf



Mauve Scarf 



Coral Scarf

Detail of Coral Scarf





Adobe Brown Scarf



Taupe Scarf




Two scarves together



Two scarves together

So what do you think?  These scarves are 5 inches wide and approximately 72 - 75 inches long. They are great for wrapping and fun to find new ways to wear them.  They will sell for $145.

I'm off to make some warps for another colorway.

Woven Rectangles Become Garments

Most ethnic clothing is based on simple design. Take a simple rectangle and you can make many different garments with either no cutting or only a few cuts for neck and arm openings and have beautiful results. The colors and design of the fabric becomes the emphasis, not the intricate cutting and sewing.  While I love watching "Project Runway" ( and I have to say that "Project Runway All Stars" was "FABULOUS  Darling")  I still marvel at the simplicity of using a rectangular piece of fabric to make a beautiful garment.

Check out this video on just that concept.  The Sari is just one long piece of fabric wrapped around the body. No cutting or sewing is involved, just a beautiful piece of cloth!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQbZ011qy6w&feature=share

New Scarves

I'm working on some new scarves. They are made of Tencel with a small strip of wool that will shrink and create a ruffled effect.  I have used this technique before  with my "Neck Scrunchies".  These scarves however will be long and narrow.  They are an alternative to the narrow chenille scarves that I make and will be suited for warm weather areas like Florida and California, not to mention that they will look great as an accent piece for people in the North!

I'm  trying to add more 3 season wear into my inventory so that I can reach a broader audience. The first one will be a test.  I'll know better after I make the sampler if these will be a go.

So here are the beginnings of designing some new scarves. Follow my progress and let me know what you think.



First Warp Chain



Second Possiblity - very pastel



Third Possibility - my signature colors!

  

Fiber Philadelphia

The most amazing thing happens in Philadelphia, PA every other year.  The "City of Brotherly Love" is host to everything and all things fiber art. It is a city wide event with forums and symposiums along with guest artist workshops and lectures.  The whole month of March is dedicated to this event.  All the galleries focus on fiber art exhibits with artists who enter the shows from all over the world.  It is an event that started about 10 years ago and has continued to grow since then. 

The Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers will have their own annual fiber art exhibit called "Celebration of Fibers". It opens March 23 and will be held at the Philadelphia Guild House in Manayunk. It is included in this great whirlwind of gallery hopping that occurs around the city.  I will be exhibiting 3 pieces in this show all of which are very different.  If you live in Philadelphia or have a chance to get to Philadelphia, I would encourage you to visit as many galleries as possible.  I know you will have a great time seeing all the wonderful creative work that the city is honoring. I don't know of any other city that does as great of job of focusing on Fiber Art as Philadelphia does.

Here are a few links that you might want to check out:
http://bit.ly/AjJv0c
http://bit.ly/zJ2d5C
http://www.pghw.org/

Artist's Date

I'm spending A few days in Sarasota FL to meet my new baby grandson! He was born on Feb 9 and is my first grandchild. I know, I know, you're saying she can't be old enough to have a grandchild! Oh but I am! I've already started my grandmother's brag book! I'd bore you with a picture but I'm writing this on my I-pad and I haven't figure out how to get those pictures on my blog.

I came down to help my son and daughter-in-law because I remember what a crazy hectic, tiring time it was trying to get use to the needs of a newborn when sleep is at a premium. I'm happy to say that he is such a good baby that they are not experiencing that at all. This baby actually sleeps!

So today I had some time to go on an "artist's date". Tonight was the art walk at Towles Court in Sarasota. I've been to this before and always enjoyed it. It was great fun to walk around and see the art and meet the artists who are so engaging. Being in this atmosphere replenishes my artistic soul. It makes me feel energized and gives me lots of inspiration. I feel excited to go back to my studio and work on new ideas.

The life of an artist is so isolated that going to events like this and talking to other artists is almost a must. It is so easy to become one dimensional when one is holed up in their studio alone working. These artists are so lucky to be in a place where they can be a community
and share ideas and thoughts. I feel like I am in the right place when I am visiting there but I also have a longing to have this experience at home. Inspiration comes from many places but there is nothing like being around a group of artists to discuss, discover, and explore together.

It was a fun night. I met some new people and had some wonderful conversations, was inspired, and saw terrific art! What more could an artist ask for!

How do you energize your artistic battery? Where does inspiration come from for you? Would love to read how you answer these questions. And while you are thinking about it, check out the website for Towles Court at http://www.towlescourt.com.

What's New on the Loom?

I'm back to weaving again after spending January doing inventory, gathering info for taxes, and filing Sales and Use Taxes in several states where I do shows.  While this is necessary for the business side of what I do, it is not the most creative time for me!  It feels good to sit down at the loom and weave.  It almost doesn't matter what it is I'm weaving.  I just have to get into that rhythm of throwing the shuttle back and forth across the warp.

So what am I weaving to get back into the groove?  I had a few chenille scarf warps in my basket that didn't get woven last year so they are my first task.  It's familiar and a good way to ease back into producing new work.  This task of weaving what is left behind helps me to clear my studio of projects and move ahead to designing new work.

So here's the process so far:

After putting the warp on the back beam, it gets threaded through the heddles.  This is one place where the pattern is determined by the threading sequence.

The next step is to bring all the threads through the reed which will keep them in sequence and the correct spacing.

After this the warp gets tied onto the front apron bar and a heading is woven in.  This step helps to even out the spacing of the yarn.  It can be any material. I use toilet paper which is easy to rip out when the piece is taken off the loom.



Ready to Go

This is a new color way for me. While using compliments (opposite colors on the color wheel - blues, purples, orange in this case) can be a challenge to find a weft that blends well and is pleasing, I welcome it.  When it works, the piece usually pops! It is never dull! So my task at this point in the process is to weave a sampler of colors for possible wefts.



Completed Sampler

So I have at least 8 possible choices represented here.  I added a textured yarn called "Wool Pom Pom" from HABU yarns in NYC for interest to see how this might work.  I like the effect it makes.
Here are close up pictures of the sampler. I have my favorites. What ones do you like?

Amethyst and Navy

Navy with Pom Pom and Blue Purple



Eggplant and Dark Teal

Dark Teal with Pom Pom and Hunter Green

I think I have made my choices for the six scarves I will weave from this warp but would love to hear what you think. Comments are always welcome.





 

Comments are welcomed

I wanted to let everyone know that I do welcome comments on this blog.  I love to hear your views and ideas in response to what I post.  I also welcome dialogues between you and others that post here.  As a note, I have changed my comment settings so that if you comment on a post that is older than 7 days it will be e-mailed to me for moderating. This is so that I can respond to your post.  When posts are older than 7 days I often do not know that a comment has been posted.  Moderating keeps me up to date.  So if you don't see your posted comment right away, trust that I do and it will be posted in a day or two.

Hope everyone is having a good beginning to the New Year.  I am doing my usual year end filings, record keeping, and inventory along with deciding about what shows to participate in during 2012.  Have any recommendations?  Where would you like to see my work in 2012? 

The Dog On the Loom Part 2

A few months ago I wrote about "the dog on the loom", http://studiojottings.blogspot.com/search?q=The+dog+on+the+loom, and explained what that meant. I was weaving a liturgical stole for my husband for the 40th year celebration of his ordination.  Well the day came and went and the stole was not completed. The celebration was in May and since we were entering the common time in the liturgical calendar he was not going to need the white stole until later in the year. Much later in the year - Christmas Eve!  Guess what! He needed it for tonight!  I am happy to say that the "dog on the loom" became the beautiful white and gold stole that my husband wore tonight. It was transformed - like magic (with a lot of patience and help from me)! Kinda like the transformation that happens on Christmas Eve.  To put it simply, a baby comes into the world in a lowly state and transforms it.  What a mystifiying and magical night! May the world and all who live in it be transformed once again.  O Holy Night!


Handwoven Stole - Christmas Eve



New Scarves

I just finished four new scarves.  They are in the Collapse Weave technique. I wrote about this in previous posts. Check out http://studiojottings.blogspot.com/2009/07/collapse-weave.html & http://studiojottings.blogspot.com/2009/08/this-and-that_10.html to get more information on how these scarves are made.  I love making these scarves!  Better yet I love how they feel after they are finished.  The weaving on these scarves is very labor intensive!  It is slow and exact in order to have the technique work effectively but the results are wonderful.  The time it takes to weave them is worth it. The wool/silk yarn that I use is beautiful and soft and I love working with it.  It is like butter to the fingers! At shows I always get the comment that wool makes people itch.  Some wools many times do because of the processing the yarn has gone through at the mill.  Unless you are allergic to Lanolin, the itching is most likely due to the shortness of the wool fiber in lower grade wools or the chemical processing that the yarn has been exposed to. That is not the case with the wool/silk yarn I use and believe me I would know as the yarn is always going through my hands and fingers through out the whole process.  I never itch once! And I love to scrunch up the scarves and feel them in my hands.

In making any handwoven item, the yarn must be measured before going onto the loom.  This process is called warping.  While warping it is important to make a cross in the yarns so the sequence for threading is there and the yarn does not tangle. When all the yarn is measured it is removed by putting it into a chain.  When in the chain form it can be stored safely without tangling until ready to be put on the loom.

Here are a few pictures:


Warping Mill measures the warp



Warp Cross



Warp Chain



After weaving the scarves look like this.  They have a stretchy quality to them due to the technique I use and the over spun wool crepe yarn which is the second yarn used in these scarves. 



Four Scarves



Close up of four scarves 



During December you can purchase one of my Collapse Weave scarves at Guilford Art Center in Guilford, CT, http://www.guilfordartcenter.org/, Some Things Looming in Reading, PA, http://www.somethingslooming.com/, or my studio in Plymouth, MA.   

Designing a Shrug

I'm getting ready for a show in Reading, PA at a gallery called Some Things Looming.  I am a follower of their Face Book page and receive their e-mail newsletters.  I recently visited STL and was impressed with what this mother and daughter team have put together.  They are devoted to Fiber Arts and that in itself is rare.  There are very few places that have devoted their space entirely to Fiber Art. Some Things Looming's mission is to work with fiber artists, exhibit their work, and bring  Fiber Art to the forefront with the public by education through classes and exhibits. I use to work for a gallery in West Chester, PA called Woven Fiber Art House.  Woven had the same mission but sadly had to close.  I am so happy to see STL pick up the mantle.  For this reason I am happy to be a part of the Handmade Holidays 2 show which opens Dec. 3 and runs through Dec 24. You can go to www.somethingslooming.com to get more information about the show and what's happening at STL.

This show has inspired me to work on a new shrug.  My shrugs are all one of a kind.  They are made from extra fabric I've woven and various embellishments from my "stash of stuff ".  My stash is BIG so there is plenty from which to choose!

After careful consideration and playing around with the various choices I have, here is a picture of the elements that I gathered for use in this new shrug.  It consists of my handwoven fabric, some hand dyed samples from a workshop I took on "Art Cloth" with Jane Dunnewold, hand dyed yarn, some polymer beads that a friend made and gave me, and some glass beads.

So the first step was to make bias trim from the hand dyed silk pieces which were only about 8" x 10" big.  From this 2" wide strips were cut and sewn together to form bias binding.

These bias strips became the binding on the neck edge and the trim on the sleeves, the beads were hand sewn on and the shrug was ready to be worn.



Front view



Back view





















So I have a chance to send 12 pieces to this show. Should this be one of them?

Detail

 

What other pieces of my work do you think I should send?  I welcome comments.

I'll be posting pictures on Face Book of possibilities.  You can go to my fan page without having an account on Face Book.  Just follow the link on the right hand side of my blog. If you have a FB account, don't forget to "Like" my page and then let me know what I should send to Some things Looming for the show.