...here's a shot of the wrap I'm weaving for Kas to wear. I'm about halfway through and it's looking great. The warp is fine baby wool, the weft is silk/mohair, so it has a little fluffiness. Very soft, very pretty...
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Nest-building
Do mothers of the bride nest-build? Today I was overcome with the need to tidy out the wardrobe in the spare room. I found five bags of clothes that Vinnies will just love, including one bag that belonged to an aunt who died four years ago. OK, to be fair, under orders from the nursing home, we used to mind most of her off-season clothes, because she had no room to store them. But, yes, they could have gone to charity long since. Why this week?
I guess I feel like to should be Doing Something, but most somethings have been done and the rest have to happen this coming week. Perhaps it's a little unsettling when one's only daughter, and last child to marry, finally walks down that red carpet?
Well, psychology aside, I do have a nice clean cupboard and another little task for my ToDo list.
I guess I feel like to should be Doing Something, but most somethings have been done and the rest have to happen this coming week. Perhaps it's a little unsettling when one's only daughter, and last child to marry, finally walks down that red carpet?
Well, psychology aside, I do have a nice clean cupboard and another little task for my ToDo list.
Monday, 22 September 2008
Textile Travels Part 2: Mulhouse textiles
While I was in France, I went to the Museum of Fabric at Mulhouse. I have wanted to go there for a long time, since my friend Gerard sent me posters of their exhibitions, which have decorated my workroom. It's quite a small museum, but very detailed. Mulhouse, in Alsace, became a textile printing area when Louis XVI banned the importation of the fashionable Indian chintzes into France, after a cholera outbreak in Marseilles. At this time, Mulhouse was ain independent principality, and the town fathers saw an opportunity. Many Europeans had travelled to India to try to discover the secrets of Indian printing and part of the exhibition at Mulhouse mentions these people and their contibution to European fabric printing. Once the secrets were discovered, chintz printing became the major industry in this area. The exhibition (all in French) describes the technical processes, including the original design books of some fabric designers and three full-sized looms from different periods, and provides lots of examples of fabrics printed in Mulhouse. There are also some examples of garments made from chintz, and several "boutis", French wholecloth quilts, made from Mulhouse chintz fabrics.
When I was there, there was also a special exhibition called Black and White, of fabrics designed and printed in Mulhouse. Fabrics are still printed there today, but mostly as special runs for couture designers, and for IKEA. There were examples of couture outfits made from Mulhouse fabrics, plus IKEA fabrics and other design works. I'll add photos and more information once I'm home again.
When I was there, there was also a special exhibition called Black and White, of fabrics designed and printed in Mulhouse. Fabrics are still printed there today, but mostly as special runs for couture designers, and for IKEA. There were examples of couture outfits made from Mulhouse fabrics, plus IKEA fabrics and other design works. I'll add photos and more information once I'm home again.
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Textile travels Part 1: Tapestries and Sewing Machines
The blog has been quieter that usual because I'm not at home, creating things, but off travelling. I've managed to include quite a number of textile-related things in our travels, which my husband seems to find quite surprising, though I can't think why, since I arranged our itinerary!
First was a flying visit to the Louvre in Paris, as soon as we got off the plane. This visit, I went to see the tapestry collection, and very impressive it is. These were just the first of many tapestries I've seen in France, but I love them and can't get enough! I don't have clear photos of them, as they are kept in low light conditions, but they are wonderful pieces of work.
The Louvre is an amazing museum and I really enjoy going back, because I see new things every time. It's an incredible resource for the textile artist - since it contains so many different examples of material culture, from just about every corner of the earth. I find myself photographing and sketching things I never knew I was interested in, because the shape or line or pattern captures my attenti0n. See this ancient potsherd. Doesn't it have a fantastic design?
First was a flying visit to the Louvre in Paris, as soon as we got off the plane. This visit, I went to see the tapestry collection, and very impressive it is. These were just the first of many tapestries I've seen in France, but I love them and can't get enough! I don't have clear photos of them, as they are kept in low light conditions, but they are wonderful pieces of work.
The Louvre is an amazing museum and I really enjoy going back, because I see new things every time. It's an incredible resource for the textile artist - since it contains so many different examples of material culture, from just about every corner of the earth. I find myself photographing and sketching things I never knew I was interested in, because the shape or line or pattern captures my attenti0n. See this ancient potsherd. Doesn't it have a fantastic design?
And this mosaic.... 
made up of incredible details like this...
The next stage of my textile travels took me to the Peugeot Museum, in Haute Saone. Yes, strange that you should ask, the man I love *is* interested in cars, but I found to my surprise that the Peugeot company began life as a tool-making concern, and their tools included sewing machines, which they continued to make until the 1930's. Of course their museum wasn't very interested in providing the large amount of detail I wanted about their machines, but it was fascinating to see these old European machines, dating from only shortly after the more familiar US machines. Here is an 1867 hand crank machine:
And a pedal machine with an alternating foot action:
This one is one of their last machines, in 1936-37.
I love the way that utilitarian items were made to look so beautiful.
Next, textiles in Mulhouse....
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Big update!
I haven't been idle lately, though nothing has reached the blog!
First of all, I made some more pants. I'm really on a roll with pants lately! The first pair was made from a navy blue wool-polyester blend, lined with polyester lining.
They feel lovely to wear and very warm! The second pair was from grey polyester, lighter weight but very comfortable.
These ones have dark grey contrast topstitching. I've since made a third pair from charcoal-coloured polyester, with a long half-belt waistband.
I also finished the jumper I've been knitting this winter. It was based on a jumper I once saw in a magazine from the eighties. I started with a basic jumper pattern, as I mostly do, and worked out the variation. I'm very happy with it!
I also finished weaving a second scarf, which I haven't photographed yet. It taught me that, if you make a mistake in the warp, it really is better to start again, rather than try to fudge it! The scarf itself is nice, but it's a little too short because the warp problems were so annoying and I spent a lot of time unweaving to correct errors. Lesson learned! I've just finished a third project, a wrap, which I made from leftover baby wool. I wanted to try weaving with fine yarn, and I wanted to practise getting my selvedges nice and even. I also wanted to try out using a pattern stick, which was very interesting and worth exploring further. It's turned out very well, and I really like it. The colours are the ones I wear often.
I've also been preparing patchwork blocks to take on my travels. I did a test block, which looks like this:
The fabrics are pretty florals, in pinks, yellows and blues, from a range called Amelia's Garden. I'm combining them with toning plains in a positive-negative layout. So one block will have flower baskets on a plain background, and the next plain baskets and a floral background. I'm not used to using plain fabrics - tone-on-tones are much more usual these days - but it's what seemed to work best with the soft florals. It will make a lovely quilt for my favourite little girl. It was going to be a pink and yellow quilt, but somehow those blues just sneaked in!
First of all, I made some more pants. I'm really on a roll with pants lately! The first pair was made from a navy blue wool-polyester blend, lined with polyester lining.
They feel lovely to wear and very warm! The second pair was from grey polyester, lighter weight but very comfortable.
These ones have dark grey contrast topstitching. I've since made a third pair from charcoal-coloured polyester, with a long half-belt waistband.I also finished the jumper I've been knitting this winter. It was based on a jumper I once saw in a magazine from the eighties. I started with a basic jumper pattern, as I mostly do, and worked out the variation. I'm very happy with it!
I also finished weaving a second scarf, which I haven't photographed yet. It taught me that, if you make a mistake in the warp, it really is better to start again, rather than try to fudge it! The scarf itself is nice, but it's a little too short because the warp problems were so annoying and I spent a lot of time unweaving to correct errors. Lesson learned! I've just finished a third project, a wrap, which I made from leftover baby wool. I wanted to try weaving with fine yarn, and I wanted to practise getting my selvedges nice and even. I also wanted to try out using a pattern stick, which was very interesting and worth exploring further. It's turned out very well, and I really like it. The colours are the ones I wear often.I've also been preparing patchwork blocks to take on my travels. I did a test block, which looks like this:
The fabrics are pretty florals, in pinks, yellows and blues, from a range called Amelia's Garden. I'm combining them with toning plains in a positive-negative layout. So one block will have flower baskets on a plain background, and the next plain baskets and a floral background. I'm not used to using plain fabrics - tone-on-tones are much more usual these days - but it's what seemed to work best with the soft florals. It will make a lovely quilt for my favourite little girl. It was going to be a pink and yellow quilt, but somehow those blues just sneaked in!
Monday, 14 July 2008
Scarf finished!
I've fallen behind with blogging these past few weeks - just too much happening out there in the real world. But I did finish my first scarf on my beautiful new loom! I just love it, even though I can see all the things I need to learn how to do better! I couldn't think how to photograph it so here it is hanging on my bedroom door.
I deliberately have kept to firm yarns, not the fluffy or feathery ones that are more forgiving for the beginning weaver. I really want to learn how to weave neatly, making nice firm selvedges, so I need to be able to see every time I don't get it right.
I deliberately have kept to firm yarns, not the fluffy or feathery ones that are more forgiving for the beginning weaver. I really want to learn how to weave neatly, making nice firm selvedges, so I need to be able to see every time I don't get it right.
Making silk paper
Another fun day playing! Today, Fibrecircle made silk paper, which I find is a Very Useful Thing to have in one's stash. The process is really easy; the hard part is choosing fibre colours that work well together.
I made one multicoloured one in blues, reds and golds
and one in red and gold with sparkly Angelina fibres embedded in it.
This one is hard to photograph, like all shiny things, even without using flash.
I always seem to be a bit stingy when I lay down the fibres so the result is always quite thin and lacy. I quite like that but I need to learn to apply the fibres with a more liberal hand!
Silk paper is really easy to make. I used tussah silk and added Angelina fibres.
I laid down a piece of tulle (netting) and laid silk fibres onto the tulle until it was covered, making sure the fibres crossed one another and were not all lying in the same direction. On the second piece, I laid the fibres at a 45-degree angle to the sides of the piece and at right angles to each other, to avoid the obvious vertical stripes of the first piece. I placed another layer of tulle over the topand brushed over a detergent solution on both sides, to open up the fibres and make them receptive to the adhesive. Then I brushed over textile medium on both sides. We tried drying the samples flat but they are very wet, so we eventually hung them to dry, which was naturally much faster. When they were dry, I peeled off the layers of tulle.
I made one multicoloured one in blues, reds and golds
and one in red and gold with sparkly Angelina fibres embedded in it.
This one is hard to photograph, like all shiny things, even without using flash.I always seem to be a bit stingy when I lay down the fibres so the result is always quite thin and lacy. I quite like that but I need to learn to apply the fibres with a more liberal hand!
Silk paper is really easy to make. I used tussah silk and added Angelina fibres.
I laid down a piece of tulle (netting) and laid silk fibres onto the tulle until it was covered, making sure the fibres crossed one another and were not all lying in the same direction. On the second piece, I laid the fibres at a 45-degree angle to the sides of the piece and at right angles to each other, to avoid the obvious vertical stripes of the first piece. I placed another layer of tulle over the topand brushed over a detergent solution on both sides, to open up the fibres and make them receptive to the adhesive. Then I brushed over textile medium on both sides. We tried drying the samples flat but they are very wet, so we eventually hung them to dry, which was naturally much faster. When they were dry, I peeled off the layers of tulle.