WEAVING NOTEBOOK

 

My weaving adventure has begun and after making the seaside picture I soon realised I needed some instruction on the correct way to weave and make items with my production so I ordered a book called Inventive Weaving on a little loom by Syne Mitchell.

 

The book is full of useful tips and instructions for lots of different patterns as well as the basics for beginners like me. I don't have a rigid heddle loom as shown in the book (yet) but I can adapt most of the projects for my table loom.  I am unable to make scarves but pictures, bags and other small items are possible.

 

One of the ideas I found in the book was weaving with fabric strips which is definitely on my list of things to try but first I thought I could use the same method for paper.

 

My bookbinding tutor had given me all the offcuts from her hand painted binding papers and as they are in long narrow strips they are ideal for this project.  You can see the stash at the top of the post as it was when I sorted out the colours.

 

I made a selection of co-ordinating colours and folded them all the same width then set up the loom with a red cotton yarn for the warp and the maximum width and started weaving with a plain band at the start.  I followed instructions from the book and used the loose end of the weft to hem the edge to prevent the weaving coming unravelled when I take it off the loom.

 

I continued weaving as long as possible then added another plain band to finish off the piece, hemmed the top edge and cut it off the loom.  I decided on the width of the book in relation to the paper I wanted to use to fill it so I had to cut 10 centimetres from the side of the weaving.

 

I cut a piece of red organza larger than the cover and machined it to the inside of the weaving allowing a small fold at the spine to stitch the book pages onto.  I stitched between each line of paper in order to join the lining to the outside and give the cover some support and flexibility. Then I attached a length of red ribbon to use as a tie up.

 

The finishing touch was to get out my coloured pencils and make a title page on a woven theme.

I've already started the book with the story of how I discovered this new craft and written up my first 2 projects.

 

 

I made two 10 x 10cm cards out of the offcuts left over from the book cover and made one of them into a thank you card for Anne Vion, the bookbinder who gave me the paper in the first place and she was delighted to see what her waste papers had become.

My head is already full of new ideas for projects, especially things to make as family birthday presents.