My older sister was downsizing and I was lucky to have my Mums’ sewing box passed to me. The memories attached to this box are special to say the least. 
There were a few really great finds in the box, sewing thread on wooden bobbins, I have lots of memories of winter evenings spent spool knitting with these puppies! 
There were also several of these small tatting shuttles. I can still see the ‘blue air’ around my Mum as she tried to get the hang of tatting. She used some creative language as she threw these over and under in what appeared like magical order to me. 
But the best find of all was this cloth tape measure. As soon as I dug it out I knew the sewing box was meant to be mine…the tape is perfect for weaving. Unlike the newer plasticized tape measures, a pin slips easily through the cloth tape keeping my tea towels at exactly 36” long on the loom! I find that my mind drifts back to happy moments with each movement of the pin.
This is the project on Lily Louet right now. I put on a 9 yard warp of 2/8 cotton to get 8 tea towels 36" long, plus samples.
I’m calling them Easter egg tea towels, the striped warp is so fresh and spring like! I’ve used pale blue/green, butter yellow, lilac, pale peach, slate blue and white for my warp.
The photo above is the False Damask tea towel crossed with white weft. I have planned the towels so that there is 4” of plaid set in 3” in from the ends.
The photo above is with baby blue weft and mostly yellow plaid stripes. 
Above is the photo of daffodil yellow weft with lilac and lavender plaid, very pretty.
Above is the photo of daffodil yellow weft with lilac and lavender plaid, very pretty.Here’s a close up of the weave structure, no long floats and a very simple 1-8 twill treadling makes weaving them a dream.
Weaving Words
Damask weave is based on Turned 1:4 Satin. The blocks of pattern are obtained by reversing the ratio between weft and warp. Rough or False Damask is based on 1:3 Broken Twill instead of Satin.
Weaving Words
Damask weave is based on Turned 1:4 Satin. The blocks of pattern are obtained by reversing the ratio between weft and warp. Rough or False Damask is based on 1:3 Broken Twill instead of Satin.
13 comments:
The towels look lovely. Those colours make me feel happy. Oh I wish spring was already here.....
Thank you for the 'weaving words' I understand more of it now.
love the towels - they make me think spring!
I do like your sewing box. I also have a special sewing box and it means more to me than any riches to have old cotton reels, buttons and darning threads that were my Grandma's and a Great-great Aunt's.
That's an old stand by pattern for me as well. (our dear friend Gloria would be pleased)
Love the spring / Easter colours! Fresh and fun...
I was thrilled to read that you got your Mum's sewing box! Its a treasure ...
When my mother died in 1995, I got her old Singer sewing machine and her sewing box, more or less identical to the one you have. It came loaded with her special sewing do-dads and even her best dress maker shears and pinking scissors.
I took up weaving about 6 months after she died, but she's with me in the studio. She loved to sew and I often wonder what she would have thought of my weaving.
Thanks for the memories!
Susan
Love your pretty sping towels!!!! Always fun to open a box of memories.
Beautiful colours! Must be fun weaving these towels.
I've also go my mother's sewing box and her tatting spools. Which reminds me: I used to be able to tat, too. Must try again soon. Thank you for reminding me - just imagine: I've got so little else to do...
The colors of the towels are lovely, very fresh! You were lucky to get your motehrs sewing box. I still fret a bit because my grandmas sweing box went to a second-hand shop, without me knowing it. It looked like your mothers, except that the wood was dark brown, and I loved to play with the things inside it when I was a kid.
A google alert for "tatting" brought me here as I am a tatter (love that pink shuttle!) but I am so impressed with your weaving. There are not enough hours in the day and years in my lifetime to do everything I want to do so the next best thing is to admire and appreciate the talents of others. Glad I found my way here!
I have a sewing box almost identical to yours, inherited from my paternal grandmother and likewise full of 'treasure' like wood spools, her tape measure and books of pins with a 15 cent price tag.
Isn't this a lovely early spring?
Lovely towels - happy, fresh and Spring-y. So are you going to try to use the tatting shuttles?
You are a lucky lady to get the box and contents, and "Lily's" towels are lovely too!
The towels are just so pretty and speak of spring and renewal.
I love the old sewing box what a treasure it must be for you to have with your memories of your mom.
Just noticed your new-to-you cloth tape measure. Every once in a while compare the measurement of this tape measure with a wooden yard stick as the cloth tapes have been known to stretch and therefore don't give an accurate measure. That could be discouraging if used on a sample for Master Waever which needs to be precise. Rosalie
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