Sunday 17 October 2010

Several Days of Textiling

I have not blogged since Thursday because I have been too busy textiling. On Friday, I was at the Creative Textile class and did some more Mola work in black and white. I have looked at pictures of Mola work on the web and it is two or three levels more complex. Done by hand and with tiny turned under edges. All the same, I quite care for the method which uses a machine zigzag stitch.

I have spent a lot of time dyeing in the garage. Making up replacement acid dye solutions as I had got very low on a lot of colours. I still have a few left to make up.








I did a lot of acid dyeing at teh same time. These skeins are for Patricia Collins who wanted some pink and mauve shades. This is what she is getting. Although I hope she wants purple!! There is only one mauve in that lot.

I dyed a sample piece of silk velvet. I thought it was a silk background and a viscose warp and was going to devore the dyed sample. But the whole thing has come out a beautiful pale green colour and I do not see much future in applying devore. It is a perfect colour for another piece of Mola work which I designed last night!!


And Michael has been dyeing too. This silk scarf was folded into a triangular shape and clamped, then  dye was applied with a syringe. He is unhappy because he thinks he was too generous with the dye. I think it is rather nice. I have dyed a scarf lemon yellow for him and he is going to do this technique again.


There has been a frost over night and the garage will be too cold for comfort today - especially for Michael in his wheelchair. On Friday, his work table arrived. This is intended for wheelchair users. The supports are at the back and the side, leaving the whole underneath clear. The table adjusts in height just by winding a handle. When he used on Saturday, it is clearly working for him.





And I managed to finish off the purple scarf yesterday. Last night, it was tidied up and the fringes done, then washed. It has been ironed this morning and I need to sew a label on it. Then it is ready for its owner!

So today's work includes starting on threading up the Megado.

I have reports that the colour gamp looms have moved to the next user. I rather think it is turning into a race between the two teams.

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I am weaver and - -. I dye my yarns with acid dyes, I paint my warps, put fabric collages and stencils on my weaving. I have three looms, a 12 inch wide, 12 shaft Meyer for demos and courses, a 30 inch Louet Kombo which is nominally portable but has a stand, two extra beams and a home-made device containing a fan reed. And last a 32 shaft Louet Megado which is computer controlled, has a sectional warp and a second warp beam and I am the proud owner of an AVL warping wheel which I love to bits and started by drilling holes in. I inserted a device for putting a cross in. I have just acquired an inkle loom and had a lesson from an expert so I can watch TV and weave at the same time. I am interested in weaving with silk mostly 60/2 although I do quite a bit with 90/2 silk. I also count myself as a bookbinder with a special interest in Coptic binding.