Waffle Weave November 2015

Susan's Rigid Heddle Loom

Our first meeting on Weave Techniques was a great success. John and Susan presented a wonderful informative program for our guild. Susan brought in her 25 inch rigid heddle loom warped and woven in Waffle Weave using Sugar and Cream yarn. The end results will be 3 soft and chubby towels, as shrinkage she found was up to 40%.

John's 8 shaft Waffle Weave Sample

Susan's towels on the loom

John brought in his samples of 8 shaft waffle weave. These are already 3 dimensional with out being washed. I can't wait to see how they wash up.

8 shaft Waffle weave

8 shaft Waffle weave

John and Sue presented the Waffle Weave demonstration.... some beautiful woven samples on and off the loom.  These two new weavers really did a nice job at this presentation and both experienced a great deal of learning in the preparation for this presentation. 

8 shaft Waffle weave

 

close up

Susan's towels off loom and top one
washed now 20 percent shrunk

Show and Tell

Susan's show and tell was the basket full of colorful pot holders her grand daughter Aurora made to be sold at a local gift shop under her 'Little Acorn' Label. Aurora is 6 years old and loves to weave.

Aurora's colorful Little Acorn pot holders

Buck-horn berries used to dye with different pre treatments.

Dawn brought in some slippers she knit and felted from the Norwegian knitting duo Carlos and Arne. Dyed yarn samples with buck-horn berries with various pre-dye treatments. Milk weed and dog-bane cordage. She also brought in some Moravian Stars made of birch bark and offered to show us how to make them at our May Retreat...

Cords of milk weed and another plant

Birch Bark Moravian Stars

Norwegian Felted Slippers

Mary's show and tell was the finished bread Bags woven double weave 48 ends per inch on a 8- shaft loom out of 16/2 line linen with a tow linen weft. But still working the tablet woven cords for these 4. I also wove a silk Sakiori scarf with strips of cut silk I hand dyed but it still needs to have the warp fringe twisted before I was it. It is a little stiff right now and I am hoping it will drape better after it is washed.
Sakiori is a Japanese rag weaving that mid 18th century peasants used to recycle old cotton fabric. Both patterns are form Handwoven Magazine.

Silk Sakiori scarf

linen bread bags

A visit to Finlandia Fiber Studio we meet Phyllis and two of her students. Phyllis showed us around the studio and what her students have been working on this semester. We also saw a large wool rug that Phyllis was weaving out of Wool blankets. She promised to bring it for show and tell to the guild meeting when she is finished. The design of the weaving was very interesting so I snapped a picture of it on the loom.

Phyllis with her coat made with Jacquard Woven Material

FU Student Taylor's Jacquard fabric

Students warp for 3 shuttle Finnish rag rug

looks like Rya Weaving in progress

Phyllis's rug pattern

wool blanket rug on the loom

Our next get together will be the Christmas Luncheon so watch for an email from Jean Lind.

Check out this web site for a list of future Guild programs and other information. 

Remember our guild dues were due in September so if you want to attend the May Retreat you must pay the annual guild dues. Please bring to the next meeting or send a check to Mary Brownell

23372 West State Hwy M 64 Ontonagon, MI 49953

October 2015 Dyeing with Natural Materials

We were delighted to have Dawn Anderson from Calumet MI come to our meeting and share her natural dye samples and recorded dye sample books with us. We are planning on having Dawn do a dye day for us next summer in conjunction with the Calumet Art Center. I believe a dye day is scheduled for August 5th at the Calumet Art Center. Check with Ed Gray at the Calumet Art Center about the dye day.

Dawn has been dyeing yarns with natural materials for some time. She has a number of books with recorded samples of dyed yarns using her method which does not involve any harsh chemicals to assist the dyes. Dawn handed out a worksheet for Mordant wool with Alum for her workshop. Dawn's dye workshop would include small skeins of yarn sampling her dyes rather than doing large quantities of yarn needed for a warp or weft. She has a number of workbooks she has assembled to keep track of her dye samples. Her interest is in creating ethnic band weaves so she has decided to join our guild. Welcome Dawn to the Buellwood Weavers and Fiber Guild.

Dawn Anderson

one of Dawn's sample book

the overflowing sample book of Natural dye results.

Clare's inkle loom band

Possible 2016 events
Therefore, we would also would like to get Audrey up next year to do a dye day for us using commercial dyes. So those who would want to dye a warp to weave could do that at the dye day.

Show and Tell:

Clare took home the Guild Inkle loom in August and she wove this Inkle loom belt from the warp on the loom. Clare still has the loom and hopes to try another Inkle loom design this fall. We learned: to make good salvages we need to adjust the yarn tightness in the next row as we weave on the Inkle loom.

Jeanne's handspun yarn

 Jeanne brought in some of her hand spun yarn to share with our guild she was matching her dye to the fall leaf she had as a sample. Nice job at capturing fall in your yarn.


 Melissa's Corner: she has been busy this summer on her loom. Melissa brought in 3 towels she wove in red, blue and white all very nice in 20/2 cotton.
She made 3 scarves out of rayon and linen mix yarns from Elizabeth's stash and one with a cotton weft. A red and blue scarf was made on her Rigid heddle loom.
She is also doing some punch needle ornaments that is a nice mobile fiber technique that Melissa is very fond of. She has also been knitting baby blankets this summer.

Melissa's scarves

punch needle ornaments

Melissa's cotton towels

Melissa's red and blue scarf

 Phyllis has her woven jacquard designs back from the weaving studio to share with us. She created aerial designs as seen from the air plane to be used this year.

Front and back sides of her Jacquard cloth.

Phyllis also brought in a cowl she knit from hand spun and hand dyed yarn she received from

 Audrey and a sample of a woven Jacquard cloth designed by Phillip Faulkner a Studio Arts teacher, and developed for weaving by Phyllis. Phillip used the word level to create his design.

LEVEL

Audrey's handspun yarn

Lynn's Japanese Rozome dye samples

Phyllis Japanese Rozome dye samples

Lynn is promoting and responsible for the registration for a Rosome Dye Painting class in June she is taking the reservations for Kiranada Sterling Benjamin class June 22-26, 2016 at Finlandia University.

She and Phyllis took the class the last time it was offered and they brought in some of the samples they made at left and below. Check out her website above or contact Lynn for more information about the June workshop.
Rozome dye is a barrier resist wax technique.



Eileen mentioned the possible opening of a new Preforming Arts Center in Hancock. Keep your eyes and ears open for this addition to our fiber and music community. Good luck to Bill and Eileen on this venture.

Susan mentioned that Rose Anderson is offering Shetland mix fleeces at the Sturgeon River Kennels. I believe I heard they have a multicolored fleece that is very close to black.

A reminder that our guild dues were due in September. Please bring your $15 dues to the next guild meeting in November 2015 when John and Susan will be presenting Waffle weave for our meeting.

dues were due in September $15 for the entire year!