Not Really Weaving, but Definitely Stash Reduction, by Chris Beech

A Persian rug dealer from Christchurch was recently through town, and I couldn't resist buying some cushion covers - $25 each, what weaver here could possibly match that?

Not having any cushion inners, I decided to stuff them with thrums - I have bags of thrums dating back to the 80's. So far I have eliminated 3 large plastic bags from the stash cupboard, the cushions plump up well [I just stuffed the thrums in after teasing them out a bit and undoing any knots], and I'm having a wonderful trip down memory lane.

by Chris Beech

Fabric from Start to Finish

Reels of polyester, three ends at a time with a slub cotton/viscose warp. Colour changes at intervals to create a blue/green blend.

On the warping board.

I don’t want to play this game any more.

Whew, all sorted and ready to thread.

A fine linen weft makes a nice firm fabric.

Work in progress.

And finally, the finished fabric.

by Rose Pelvin

Judy is Going Japanese

I received an email from Judy Bool, who was at Saturday's garment fitting workshop.

Says Judy: "Today I finished winding the warp for the first part of my Japanese Vest (1 November 1994 issue) - the fronts and back. I'm using 2/28 alpaca/silk yarn - warp is camel and weft will be black. I was going to use a peacock blue with the camel but I think the black will be more striking. I'm off to wind on the warp and start threading."

We are so looking forward to a fashion show at the end of this year.

by Meg Nakagawa

June Meeting: Fitting Garments - Special

Sue is fitting a jacket on Katie McDonald, a felter; Katie started out with three felted sleeveless tops and ended up with one full jacket with a nifty shaped closure.

Text by Rose Pelvin, photo by Chris Beech

June Meeting: Fitting Garments

Last Saturday, we had sewing guru Sue visit us to help with fitting garments. We were encouraged to bring ideas, patterns, or calico already cut and ready to try on. Weavers arrived with different stages of their projects, as well as books, magazines, patterns and woven samples and garments created in the past.

In the top picture, Sue is helping Katie McDonald fine-tune a felted garment.

Joan had made a garment and leftover woven sample felted rigorously enough in the wet finish that it could be cut like a felted piece.

Of course you don't have to construct the entire garment with handwoven cloth, but use commercial cloth in the curvy bits. Rose used up warp ends in this manner.

Or, on one warp, a weaver can weave different structures or with different wefts to create contrast fabric.

Drafts and samples from April's Crape Workshop were also available.

It was hard to look up and stop working when the official end time came and Sue had to leave. Some members stayed behind to complete what they came to complete.

Everybody went home with inspirations and more concrete ideas on what/how to make a garment, if not with calico already fit and altered.

by Meg Nakagawa

Scarf, by Rose Pelvin

You don't need a loom to weave. I made this scarf on a clipboard.

by Rose Pelvin

Baby Blanket, by Rose Pelvin

All wool baby wrap made on the jack loom. Plain weave with boucle to outline the squares.

by Rose Pelvin

Table Setting, by Rose Pelvin

This tablecloth set received a merit award at the Wangarei Festival. There are three panels to the cloth, each crocheted around separately, then joined with fagotting, and the whole finished with a crochet edge. A bread cloth, two tea-towels and 6 coasters complete the set.

by Rose Pelvin

Lilliputian Shawl, by Meg Nakagawa

Cotton scarf, which I had hoped to be at least 150cm in weaving length, but turned out to be about 110cm after I underestimated (grossly) the loom waste on a borrowed loom. Ouch. Unfortunately this is a familiar problem of mine. Ergo, the Lilliputian Shawl (or cat/dog scarf). It was part of the Pics to Picks Design Challenge, in which Rose Pelvin and I took part. Details of the piece can be found here, or the lengthly process here.

May Meeting Show & Tell, Part II

Rose has woven the fabric for a skirt. Every warp end has three ends of polyester machine thread with it! (Why would anybody want to do that?)

Noelene is busy with the dye pot, planning to make a rug with the Wilson tartan.

Jan raided her button tin after seeing this idea Up the Garden Path.

Chris tells Joan her scarf is gorgeous, but it’s not handwoven!

Noelene’s work in progress – her first attempt at double weave. It will become a cushion. Unfortunately the colour is not true; it’s more of a caramel/brown than this.

Rose used soft cotton for these baby wraps. The weave is a crepe, trialled at recent workshop.


by Rose Pelvin