Gails "Memories" project

RAG WEAVING

Gail is developing an idea using rag weaving to provide a momento of childrens' early years. The idea is to produce a woven momento from favourite outfits they have grown out of. As young childrens' clothing is often colourful and colour coordinated, it is ideal in rag strips for weaving into a picture or an item they may continue to use in, say, their bedroom. By using a complementary colour of fabric to accompany the strips cut from the garment, Gail's designs maintain the original impression of the original.
This is destined to be a wall hanging. Table or overhead lamps as well as runners for the bedside table are two other ideas to produce a 2 or 3 piece momento from an old and favourite outfit.

This one is really lovely; I love the design she has used and it really evokes the original girl's dress it was taken from.

Two pictures showing
the details

Modern Take on the Tea Light Lamp

A self-supporting lamp shade that accepts
an electronic tea-light unit (a 3V 4x LED unit).
Woven double weave on same linen warp as the other lamps. The fringe top and bottom are vitrified; te bottom to allow the fring to support the weight of the woven tube. The 2nd layer is a chenille which is opaque allowing the base layer linen to glow with the light.

 Detail showing the top fringe - I didn't want a 'twee' and neat fringe - so I clumped it together rather than combing it whilst still wet to give a 'bedragled, wet-look to the fringes.

The LEd light at the bottom of the shade

Lamps in Doubleweave

The first of 6 lamps to be woven in double weave.  I wanted to produce an open but stiff base layer for the lampshade structural material with a very open transparent top layer which I could shape and mould around the shade.  This first one has the second layer attached only at one end. This allowed me to roll it up out of the way whilst I vitrified the linen cloth into a tube. The rigid tube was then shaped and finally, I was able to unroll the top layer and curve and shape it before attaching its open end. 

Shite photo, but you get the idea!!
The layer effect is fantastic and the support given by the linen allows the top layer to be attached in places to make folds and also to drape naturally where it remains unattached.




The remaining ones will use this technique and also weaving in the two layers in places to form pockets which will be used to make it 3 dimensional - in this case I can't vitrify the base layer so these cloths will be attached to a celophane layer before being formed.

 A 10/3  Linen warp 12" wide, variable set at 8-12epi with the second layer at just 5epi. The base layer weft is 8 lea's linen, plain weave to produce a firm but fairly open cloth to form around the vitrified tube. The second layer used a fancy yarn in the weft woven open (4-6 picks layer 1, 2 picks layer 2)

A New Range of Table Lamps

I have had several designs for table lamps made entirely from fabric for some time in my notebook and finally got round to doing one - I have to say I am VERY pleased.
I have woven some linen with a subtle lace pattern and also a transparency, like the "Lark Rising", with beads inset.
The vitrification of the linen for the lampshade worked first time! None of the texture of the cloth has been lost as it was moulded around a plastic tube - the inside surface is hard and shiny from the vitrifier, but the outer surface is unchanged in texture and colour - Brill!!

I used the same process for the base as I want my designs to be entirely in handwoven cloth. Using the transparency-woven cloth to mould it freestyle around a 'boss' which will take the lanp fitting. The combination matches the rather 'gothic' aspect of the design theme I want to pursue.  This was only meant to be a practice but it worked first time.

With the lampshade in place, I just love it!!

We will see what Joe-public think when they are on the craft stand on 21st July as I should have the whole range (12 designs based around the same theme) to display...Not for sale as I have my own exhibition planned for September.

Busy for the Craft Fair on 21st July, La Tour Blanche

Been busy the past 2 weeks; initially on paper designing some things for the up-coming craft fair and then lots of weaving. Gail has booked a stand for weaving at the fair - standing all day chatting is not my thing really so I am doing most of the items and she is going to 'man' the stand and pracice her french :-).
Got a nice range of designs for handbags, make-up bags. Also, finally woven some of my ideas for table lamps - they are now a reality rather than pretty sketches on paper.
Will post about these seperaely later.

Here are a two of the bags. I have done 5 so far - awaiting the materials to do the handle and am doing the satin linings at the moment - Me! Sewing! lol

Khumba Puja - Finished

Finished this piece now; have made and atached the prayer flags. Difficult to photograph but the close up gives a better idea of the effect.

It has found its permenant home now on the old stone wall in the lounge area of the kitchen where there are picture spots to light it properly.

Lark Ascending - First piece finished

Finished the first piece, the foreground, depicting the larks in rising flight. After several trial attempts, I settled for a warp varying from 9 to 30epi across the width using 20/2 cotolin. Weft was the same and by separating the reed from the loom, the variable fell angle was used to create a rising zig-zag pattern. The central part remained very open and the 'birds' were woven into this using beads and ribbon, rising through the clouds (alpaca fibre) to the sky. With the warp-faced bands at each selvage, the piece has good shape and stability.