Sunshine and Spring Table Runners

There are many different ways to design a weaving project; do you choose the item, the fibre or the pattern first?  For this project I start by looking into the stash for colours that pleased me.  What caught my eye were large cones of 3/10 cotton in sunny yellow, warm peach and spring flower pink.

I decided to do some more table runners; that Etsy shop section is still low on content.  The fresh colours of the warp are such a pleasure to work with on the cloudy late winter days.  

The runners are going to be plaid so I started with the draft for the Lynch tartan, our family tartan.  Mom wove the Lynch tartan back in 2014 using wool in the Ancient colour palette of blue, green and scarlet (blog post 1 and blog post 2).  I have changed the colours to yellow, orange and pink.

For the first runner I choose to weave double the number of threads in each stripe, for example the pink stripe went from 4 to 8 threads.  It made for a surprisingly long pattern repeat of 20 inches!  I was only able to get three repeats for the entire runner.   

I’ve just started weaving the second runner and I went with a smaller repeat, which is lovely but I’m changing colours a lot more frequently, so the weaving is slower too.

Final Garden Picture is a vase full of willow branches in the front hallway.  The branches are lined with fuzzy silver tufts of catkins; they are a lovely sign of spring, and a gift from our neighbour.

The Last of the White Linen Table Runners

This white linen table runner warp was as boring to weave as I’m sure it is boring to read about.  This table runner warp was a repeat of runners that I had just woven but the originals had a threading error in warp so I thought that it would be a good idea to reweave them.  Well, I couldn’t really get excited about the runners so everything about them took a little longer to do.  This is the last runner which was woven with clear blue cotton and it is really pretty.  (I have to keep saying that so that I can finish them!)

Just like the first runner from this warp I finished weaving the runner just as the pirn ran out of thread.  Totally winning the weaving game!

I washed the runners and was able to air dry the runners outside last week.  It has been a warm and mild winter this year but that changed this week as we have had an Artic outflow over the island so we have been 5 to 10 degrees colder than normal for this time of year.

One of the benefits of the cold Artic air is that it tends to be sunny so I was able to get some product photos done of the table runners for the Etsy shop, WovenBeauty.  They will be up for sale sometime next week.  

The last three days we have been walloped by a large snow storm, so far we have about 2 feet of snow.  The snow is heavy and sticky so it perfectly outlines the branches of the trees and shrubs, so pretty!

I had thought that I would be showing you a picture of daffodils in bloom; here is a photo of the daffs just 5 days ago, now they are buried under feet of snow!  I really hope they survive the heavy wet blanket sitting over them.

Re-purposing A Runner

Waaaay back in 2017 I woven three Double Huck Lace Runners in gold cotton (here).  The pattern is really lovely, but the selvedges really were disappointing.

After washing and pressing and really looking hard at them, I just couldn’t put them up for sale with edges that didn’t please me, so they were packed away at the back of the guest room closet.

The selvedges of the runners had been stabilized with 2 inches of plain weave and I was sure that 21 ends of plain weave would be enough to even out Huck’s tendency to bulge unattractively; but it was not to be!

I find one of the simplest and most effective way to update a room is to change out the cushions, and this year is no different.  I happened upon this amazing butter yellow textured cotton on sale and snapped it up.  I was able to make cushion covers for some beige silk cushions, the change to the room was immediate; and while the cushions are lovely, they needed some contrast to really pop in the room.

My mind went back to those Double Huck Lace Runners and I figured that I could cover the small cushions that came with the couch, you know those meagre cushions that the manufacturer throws in with your purchase.   My first job was to unpick the hems of the runners.

I sewed three sides of the runner and gave the envelopes a rough fit, it was almost as if it was meant to be and it was a perfect fit.  It was at this point that I decided I wouldn’t bother with a zipper like in the larger cushions but sew the cushions into the envelope.

To make sure I was working with the straightest edge possible I pulled a weft thread and gave the hemline a trim.  Then folded the edge to the inside and pinned securely. 

Now I was ready to sit in the sun and sew that seam closed.  This way I could get a really good fit to the cushion.  

The 18”x18” cushion really works well with the bigger butter yellow cushions and I think the double diamond motif is offset beautifully by the darker cushion inside.

They look smashing on the teal armchairs too!  

The garden shot today is of the Japanese style tree supports that we made.  I'm a huge fan of Japanese Maples and have six different varieties in the garden.  Generally they are low to the ground and these nifty creations help prop them up without allowing the tree to absorb them into their branches.  Yup, had that happen on one of them and now I have metal hooks dangling like earrings on the poor branch!

White Linen Table Runners Again

I’m reweaving the white linen table runners; I made a threading error on the first batch from the end of last year (Blog post 1 and Blog post 2).  I love pattern and the classic blue and white colour combination so much that I felt compelled to make these table runner right.

I carefully threaded the warp in 2/16 white linen then tied on and woven the first six inches and then I stalled.  The runner sat there for over a week, while I did some spring cleaning and gardening outside.  (It’s snowing today but the daffodils are up and three inches high!)

But I finally started weaving, and I’m reminded why I like to weave this snowflake twill pattern; the treadling is a joy to weave.  The weft is a denim blue cottolin that is a nice compliment against the white linen.

I finished weaving the denim blue cottolin runner and had a lovely surprise at the end; I finished the runner and finished the pirn at the same time.  Winning at the weaving game!

I put on enough warp for two runners so hopefully I’ll finish weaving the other table runner next week, but the spring cleaning list beckons.  We like to get it all done before March when the garden sends out it's siren call.

Final garden shot is of the daffodils almost ready for Spring.  I took on that photo on Thursday, as I’m writing this it is snowing and the forecast is for 5 -15 cms of snow!  It has gone from warm sunny weather to winter in just a couple of days. 

Parallel Threaded Scarf 2

 I know, it’s been forever; that would be November 23, to be exact; since I started my two Parallel Threaded Scarf .  After really working at the second scarf for the past two days, I have just cut them off the loom.  Like many of you out there, I have been stalled in the doldrums, so nothing in my world is moving at any kind of speed.

The first scarf I wove on the orange and green warp was crossed with Blue/Purple Tencel.  This produced a scarf where both sides have very similar depth of colour.  The pattern is reversed but since the colour saturation was very similar, the differences are quite subtle.  The iridescence is really lovely with the fourth colour wandering into the crimson/purple range, although the grey day and my camera really didn’t capture it well.  And of course it needs to be washed to snug up all the threads and allow the colour play to develop.

This photo features the bluer side of the scarf and it has all the potential to be a stunner.  Not sure how I’m going to treat the fringe at this point though.  I have several options (a) just twist two green and two orange threads together (b)  isolate the colours and let them go (c) add weft coloured threads to each bout.

This second scarf is by far my favourite.  I worked on the treadling and took out a lot of the pattern echoing and reduced the pattern to these lovely small flower shapes.  I changed the weft to Iris Tencel and the greater contrast really made the scarf pop.

The iridescence is wonderful and there is more of a rosy/purple shine coming through.  I’m sure once it is washed and the drape show, it’ll be a real looker!

I did learn a lot, even though I moved like a snail....I learned that using split complementary colours to create iridescence works and you CAN move the placements around.  The accepted norm is to use colours next to each other on the colour wheel as the warp, then use the colour opposite on the colour wheel as the weft.  I split this up and it still worked just fine.

I will post a couple of photos later after I've done the fringes and when the light is better and hopefully the beauty shots will shine!

What’s on the looms on the first week of January

First of all, Happy New Year!  

Every year we have a little tradition to show what is on the looms on January first.  It’s a little late this year but better late than never.

Starting with Mom’s loom she has finished one scarf with the parallel threading in orange and green Tencel and the weft is a blue/purple Tencel (here is the blog post) and she is getting ready to start scarf number two.

On my loom is piles of white linen, I’ve decided to reweave the table runners that I messed up at the end of last year (here is the blog post).

The garden photo is of a Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya ternata) with the first flower blooming!  What a lovely sight in January.

White Linen Table Runners Part 2

To begin we would like to  wish you all  a very Happy Holiday Season and we send you our hopes for a much brighter 2021!

Now to talk about weaving. The clear blue cotton of the final white linen table runner was a joy to weave, especially on the dark and rainy winter days that we have been having here on Vancouver Island. This pattern never fails to please me.

I took a quick photo of the two runners side by side before they went into the wash to see what they looked like together.  On one side the pattern creates large blue X’s and on the other side is large white X’s and I will need to decide which I prefer before the runners get hemmed, although we hem so nicely both sides could be shown.

Our  blog is called Dust Bunnies Under My Loom, so I guess it is appropriate that I show you some dust bunnies that formed on the carpet, linen is a real shedder! If you look really closely you can see them.

The table runners have been pressed and pinned ready to be hemmed, just waiting for a sunny day to sew.  This is a job that Mom enjoys and I'm happy to leave them for her.

Alas, when I was steam pressing the table runners I noticed that I had made a threading error.  It is a small error with one of the small X’s at the bottom of the larger X’s.  It looks like it has only half an arm.  I tried to figure out a way to needle weave in a thread to fix the error but I wasn't pleased with the result.

These table runners were to be sold on my Etsy store, Woven Beauty, but with the error they just don't make the cut, so they are mine, mine, mine!   I have more white linen and lots of the denim blue cottolin and blue cotton so I'm thinking I could remake them, but I'll wait until after Christmas to start.

The final Garden Photo is heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica); it is not a true bamboo but a member of barberry family.  Here it is in its blaze of winter colour, it truly stands out in a winter garden.  It is doing especially well this year because we have been having very mild wet weather.