August 2021 Buellwood Guild meeting At Boston Pond. Flax to Cloth

We had a short show and tell at this meeting. 

Laura created a art piece for Scrolls and Rolls for Quilting Arts exhibit and Mary wrapped some beach rocks at a workshop with Poppy at Porcupine mountain folk school in August.

Laura’s fiber art piece

Mary’s wrapped beach rocks

Also Dawn did some dyeing for the Ironwood event Emberlight festival in

July and the yarn was provided by Karen who has Icelandic and suffolk sheep. Denise also showed some socks she knit. Which I did not get a picture of as things were moving along too fast.

Gary Olds and Melissa Lewis came well prepared to walk through there process from last summer when Melissa grew Flax at her home in Norway Michigan and this year they were finally able to make the presentation to our guild which was delayed because of COVID.

I learned that flax seeds come in two varieties and only the flax fiber seeds create the flax for this process. Not the flax seeds we use in food.

Flax retted and in bundles

Like a science project they separated bundles of flax into groups of how long the flax was retted. Melissa built a simple bath for the retting with a wood frame and plastic liner. Melissa also was skilled in creating any tool Gary told her they needed to complete the process. These flax bundles were hung up to dry 2 years because of COVID. A month or two would have been sufficient. 

After the bundles are dry the next step is Rippling the flax which removes the seeds and separates the long fibers from straw and short fibers. This is done by pulling the flax through a course comb.

Retting pond made by Melissa

 Melissa created this tool which lines up the fiber by pulling the bundles through the Brake. 

This is called Scutching which removes unwanted materials from the long fibers. Also beating the fibers on a wooden board with a wooden stick.

The end result is some long soft fibers.

Then Spinning the fiber and weaving samples. They did three woven samples with a cotton warp. 

Scutching Flax

Long fibers need to be Hackled with metal combs 
To remove boon and shorter fibers.

Spinning with wet fingers

Short fibers vs long fibers

Loom used to weave samples

Close up of the two fibers after processing

Short fibers tow linen on left, Long line linen on the right.

Next Meeting will be September 20 check with John for location. Laura will present some rug hooking techniques.

Our Guild retreat is scheduled for Saturday, October 2nd 9-5 pm. We have two workshops planned. Rock Wrapping with Poppy and Felting with Phyllis. I believe we will be meeting at Finlandia fiber Studio.