WASHED CRACKLE SAMPLES

Here are two views of the washed crackle samples as they hang over my loom. The colors on both pictures are really accurate. The lighting in each case was different, and the colors look different in those different lightings.

THE CUT-OUT PHOTO

The cut-out happened because I had to do a significant rotation of the image, which resulted in strange things happening. I used the free form selection tool to cut out the image. I kind of like the effect, but someday I'll have to learn how to handle this a bit more professionally.

THE SAMPLES

As for the samples themselves, they clearly suggest many possibilities. But for lightweight things, I like the drape better when I use 20/2 cotton for all the wefts. For placemats, jackets, etc., the 10/2 wefts would work nicely.

CURRENT PLANS

What I am now working out are the plans for using the reds and blues section, treadling polychrome style for one of the scarves. The other section I am using is not clear in this photo. But it will consist of blues and tans treadled Summer and Winter (tromp as writ) style.

Related Posts:
Tromp as Writ Varied
Crackle Treadled as Summer and Winter
Polychrome Crackle with Blue Weft
8 Crackle Blocks on 4 Shafts, Continued

INSPIRATION FROM QUILTING

Working from another computer (mine is in the "hospital" again, sob......), I have no images, weaving info, blog ideas, etc., available to me. That does not mean I am not working, however! I am making the warp for the next scarves. And I have made decisions about the weaving. More on those when I have my computer back.

Meanwhile, I just wanted to chat a bit about quilts. I am not particularly a quilt lover. But I have found interesting occasional quilts which fall into the art quilt bracket. These quilts are usually geometric or freeform in design style. And these quilts generally make use of color in ways that intrigue me. Sometimes the presentation of the quilt is what calls to me.

Today I accidentally ran across the website for Studio Art Quilt Associates. I was enthralled by their gallery. Even though quilting and weaving are quite different arts/crafts, I find many of these art quilts stimulating my weaving imagination. I recommend a look.

Related Post: Fiberart International 2007

INTERESTING POSTS FROM OTHER WEAVING BLOGS

These are some of the weaving blog posts I found particularly interesting these past two weeks:

Multiple Tabby Weaves -- Leigh's Fiber Journal.
Handweaving in Eng land - 1939 -- Dot's Fiber to Fabric
Out of the Closet -- Weaving Spirit
Delicate Dimensions -- Cyber Fiber Scriber
AVL 24-Shaft Loom -- Jasmine Weaver
Giselle's Gallery -- Eloomanator
Finished and Washed -- Deep End of the Loom
Wet Finishing -- Skiing Weaver
The Amazing Jacquard in Melbourne -- Curious Weaver
On Labels -- Meg Weaves

READY TO CUT OFF

Here is where I decided to stop. The apron is about half way from the back beam to the heddles. The shed, when I weave, is getting smaller. If I had been desperate, I could have woven a few more inches. But I was pleased with what I had done. So I cut if off.

Related Post: End-of-Loom Weaving

Carter Smith and Road Blocks

How many of us have had the experience of weaving something or knitting something we thought a total flop but years later accidentally coming upon it we thought it quite wonderful? I certainly know that I have occasionally experienced this.

Apparently the great figures in textile arts are not immune to this experience.

In the January/February 2008 issue of Fiberarts, there is a very good interview with Carter Smith. Carter Smith is not a weaver, but he is an innovative dyer and creator of amazing pieces to clothe the body. Check out his home page to see some of these pieces.

In this issue of Fiberarts, he talks about his two-year break from dyeing. The break began when he believed that he had gone as far as he could go in his fiber art.

But he did return to it. He explains how he had accidentally seen one of his old pieces and responded positively to it, much as we have found ourselves occasionally responding to an old piece.

He returned to dyeing with new energy and with no concerns for making money. Instead, he proceeded with questions like this: "How do I follow this energy? how do I follow this path? What's the next question?" (p. 45.)

This is only the beginning. He has much more to say, including comments on finding one's own style and dealing with difficulties of having limited studio time. I recommend getting a copy of this issue and reading the whole thing.

Related Post: Style and Originality

END OF THE WARP

TROMP AS WRIT

Here are two different treadlings. The blue and yellow at the bottom of the image are crackle blocks tromp as writ.

For me, the really nice thing about this particular bit is that using only two colors allows me to see exactly what is going on with each treadling and also makes it quite clear where blues or yellows dominate. This, hopefully, will provide useful information when I actually start to weave something other than samples........

POLYCHROME TREADLING

The two yellow and green blocks are polychrome treadling (one treadle after the other and repeat). In the first block, green leads and yellow follows. In the second block, yellow leads and green follows.

I was frankly surprised that any kind of design showed up. But it did!

The green bit at the top is simply polychrome treadling but with only one color, certainly not very "poly-"! It's only real function is to keep the fabric from ravelling until I can get to the sewing machine and zigzag the beginning and ending edges.

Related Posts:
More Polychrome Treadling
Polychrome Crackle with Blue Weft
Eight Crackle Blocks on Four Shafts: More Polychrome Treadling
Tromp As Writ - Observe the image in this post and compare it to the image in the
current post. The only different is that the fabric in this post is woven with 10/2 pearl
cotton for the pattern weft; while the fabric pictured in the current post uses 10/2 pearl
cotton for the pattern weft. Both use 20/2 pearl cotton for the binder wefts.

Author's note, throwing up her hands---Blogger is going to do whatever it wants with shaping this last statement. I give up!

DESIGNING PLAIDS AND COREL PAINTER

I happened to run across an interesting tutorial for Corel's software called Painter. No, I don't have the software. I found it as a result of some link or other. The tutorial tells you how to use Painter to design both simple and complex plaids. Go here to have a look.

You can downlowd a 30-day trial here to test it if you are curious. I'm kind of curious........ Too bad it costs so much money!