FIRST MOTIF BEGUN

Posted by Peg in South Carolina

Here is the beginning of the first motif, gold thrown on treadle 3, preceded by its shadow, blue thrown on treadle 3.

Right now I am intrigued by what is going on. 

• First, looking at the expanse of red.  The warp is all the same color and yet the appearance contradicts that fact.  There appear to be lengths where, instead of very dark red warp, there is a brighter warp.  This is especially true if, counting from left to right, you look at blocks 1, 5 and 6.  I looked at the threading and none of those threading units has anything on shaft 4.  All the other threading units have threads on shaft 4.  But I don’t know what to make of that!  I shall have to look at the tie-up and see if that helps explain.
• I’m also intrigued by the shadowy yellows in (again, counting from left to right) blocks 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7.
• And I am intrigued by how much darker the shadow blues preceding the golds  look.  That seems to be true primarily for the photo, not for the fabric in real life. Nevertheless, the photo alerts me to the need to be watchful and thoughtful as I continue to weave in relation to that blue. Is it telling I might need to make some changes in how I handle the blue in the design units? 

Under all of this lies a sense of disappointment.  At the same time there also likes a sense of challenge. I will ignore the former and live with the latter.

Photography Notes:

1. Looking at the top of the photo shows the fell line sloping just a bit down.  The reality?  Not true.  Had I not cropped the photo, what would have been visible is that this apparent slope gets greater and greater until, where the shuttles were visible at the top, they looked like they were going to slide right off the loom!  And yet the front beam looks perfectly level…..

2. Photographs do not always tell the real truth. I must always look to the cloth first and last and in between.

“First Motif Begun” was written by Margaret Carpenter for Talking about Weaving and was originally posted on May 18, 2009. ©2009 Margaret Carpenter aka Peg in South Carolina