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Many hands make light work.  This was something my mother believed in and throughout my childhood I watched her in action, helping others. I saw through her example that helping friends and neighbours was a good thing to do.  And goodness knows, we all need help at some time in our lives. This morning I saw my doctor for a routine prescription renewal.  I'd been having fairly high levels of stress, what with The Book, editor arriving on Wednesday, the house - but more importantly the studio - a mess, then the AVL compu-dobby breaking yesterday. I am not shy about posting on this blog about my anxieties and I have to tell you all - the messages of support, both public and private - have really helped me stumble through the last little while. At any rate, when we discussed the new blood pressure medication he'd added in response to bp numbers that had suddenly gotten way too high (likely an adverse reaction to the Ibrutinib - a well known and documented adverse effect), he ...

...for my own good? As mentioned previously, when things are going (mostly) right, I get a chance to think.  And since I'm thinking about Bronson Lace and all the ways one can weave it, it suddenly occurred to me that, with the loom set up the way it is, I could actually weave a sample with the hearts aligned in this fashion.  Now I couldn't do it loom controlled, completely.  Just the top and bottom rows would be loom controlled.  But I could - if I were so inclined - weave the sideways hearts in pick up, and make a cloth that had a border of hearts all the way round it. But I won't because I'm running out of time before my editor comes.  Nice to know that my thought really would work, though.

Bronson Lace framed heart motif With such a complex project, the tendency to over think takes on new and over whelming dimensions. In my desire to share All The Things, I have tried to think of All The Things I want to share.  At some point, it is necessary to say...enough. No one person will ever write The Definitive Book on weaving.  The craft is simply too large.  Others have done fantastic jobs of looking at the craft through a wide lens.  It was never my intention to write The Compleat Book of Weaving, just to share some of the tips and tricks that I've learned over the years.  I wanted to address the principles - the whys of things - which are too frequently not addressed in so many books.  (And yes, I have read a great deal of the literature available out there!) I no longer buy 'beginning' type books so I can't say I have read every single book currently available.  But I do teach a lot.  I do participate in on line groups (less now than i...

In the Concise Oxford Dictionary, hubris is defined as "Insolent pride or presumption". I think of that often as I struggle to complete The Book. I also think about all the authors out there who have also had the hubris to think someone - anyone - is interested in what they have to write.  Truth be told, many authors don't find a publisher, and even if they do, don't necessarily sell very many copies. So, why do it then? Honestly?  I really don't know. Except...enough students have told me that not only do I have techniques they want to learn, they say I can communicate them well enough that they can understand them. But still.  It takes a great deal of effort, time and, yes, money, to publish a book.  For this one I am self-publishing, partly because I don't think there will be sufficient readership (purchases) for a 'regular' publisher to take it on. I had 1000 copies of Magic printed; I made 900 copies with 20, then 22 actual fabric samples.  There ...

Is it possible for eyes to breathe a sigh of relief?  It felt like mine did when I put my new glasses on! I have been feeling so tired that I've been trying to rule out the things that cause 'tired' and I was reminded my glasses were two years old.  Usually that means I need a new prescription, and sure enough, I did. Hopefully the new glasses with their less 'severe' looking frames will help me see that things are looking up.  It also looks like I could use a hair cut, but my hair dresser is out of town, so I will just have to make do, with my do. Vision can also be internal.  Having the vision required to design something - like textiles, for instance.  Or a conference.  Or a book. As I wove a book project yesterday I realized that once again I was 'cheating' - and quite consciously so!  So I messaged my editor and we agreed that I should leave the warp on the loom to take photos to include with the instructions for the project. The other loom also h...

One thing I have learned in my life is to be flexible. The count down is on.  My editor arrives on Aug 1.  I need as many book projects completed as I can possibly get done before she gets here.  Well - that's my arbitrary goal.  Because I need goals.  I need deadlines.  If I don't have them, nothing gets done.  Because there are always distractions.  Books, mostly, but... So I got the Take Two warp into the loom yesterday and started weaving that project this morning.  And then realized that I wanted to do something for which I had insufficient treadle ties for.  Except!  I had ordered more and they are actually en route! Rather than try to cobble something together I switched my plans and started on the next project in the queue.  That one only requires four shafts and I have an 'empty' four shaft loom handy.  Win! I also had yarn on hand so I'm working from the stash.  Win-Win! The warp is for scarves and I've woun...

Allen Fannin used to remind people that what weavers do is make someone else's 'raw' materials.  As weavers we are just another stepping stone in the production chain of getting raw fibre into something useful. If you are hand weaving, you are automatically making 'slow' cloth.  The biggest investment in hand woven cloth is the labour that goes into getting it from the animal's back, or the plant, processed into yarn, then from yarn into cloth, then from cloth into...whatever it is meant to be. I remind myself of this by saying "it's just string".  Especially when I - who am not yet and never will be, perfect - have another oopsie.  Like I did yesterday. The clock is ticking down on getting the book projects done, so yesterday I decided that my first priority was to deal with the next one.  One of my favourite weave structures - Bronson Lace - was ready to go.  I'd wound the warp on Friday and beamed it - all that was left was to thread the (na...

There is a perception that in order to use a warping valet/trapeze you have to have a lot of room.  I use one in large part because I have very little room. You can see in this photo that I have another loom in front of the Leclerc.  There is - at best - three feet between the breast beam of the Leclerc and the other loom.  There is just enough room that I can have my loom bench at the Leclerc and a narrow 'path' between the two looms. The other loom doesn't have a ceiling rod to use, so Doug made a 'trapeze' for me out of two 2.x4s and a closet dowel.  That loom has at most three feet between the breast beam and the wall in front of it. One of the things many people have difficulty with is getting their warps beamed 'well'.  There are many different approaches to getting this part of the process done.  Over the years I have found that beaming with tension is a key component of getting warps that behave.  One recommendation for beaming is to stretch th...

There have been some lovely surprises of late.  This card with a tiny bobbin lace medallion that arrived for my birthday.  I am trying to think how to protect it and possibly incorporate it into my life.  I was thinking of maybe a key fob - one of those plastic ones that can come apart and have something put into it.  Any suggestions? Another book project arrived today, too.  When I asked people if they would help (in return for credit in the book, a copy of said book, not to mention my undying gratitude) all I said was "Which weave structure would you like out of this list?" and then gave them free rein as to what to do.  Their efforts have far exceeded my expectations. Yesterday I got an email from someone thanking me for doing The Efficient Weaver DVD.  She said she'd been weaving for decades but had always struggled with getting her loom dressed.  After changing her process she now finds that she can dress her loom with far less difficulty and...

Last table runner warp - colours are actually darker than shown Life is full of unexpected things cropping up.  I've had a bunch of them the past month, but all have been dealt with and hopefully things will now proceed in a much smoother fashion. My astrological sign is Cancer.  Cancer is a water sign.  And in one way I do conform to that fluidity.  When confronted with obstacles to a goal, I tend to go under, around - or at times - over, in order to make it to my goal.  Sometimes that still doesn't work and I have to choose another path, another course entirely.  A detour, if you will.  Sometimes I realize that the original goal wasn't the best thing to be aiming for and I need a new goal.  A new destination. The next four or so months are fraught with deadlines.  One of those is the photography for The Book.  I am just waiting to hear when my editor can arrive.  In the meantime I am steaming ahead with getting these table runner ...

One of the biggest hurdles I've ever faced was producing this massive missive.  It went on for literally years. First I worked on obtaining the master weaver certificate from the Guild of Canadian Weavers.  I thought that goal was the biggest hurdle I'd ever attempt.  It was just the prelude to first writing, then illustrating - with actual samples - the principles of wet finishing.  And then marketing a fairly pricey book. I've never shied away from tackling Big Projects. I have chaired - or co-chaired - something like four conferences.  Or maybe five.  I forget. But usually I'm smart enough to not attempt so many Big Projects all at once.  But right now?  Not only am I in the midst of trying to wrap up another book (lord, help me) I'm also wrangling another major conference (major in terms of textile arts) into shape. Along with health issues. So, why, I ask myself, do I keep doing this to myself?  I honestly don't know.  Except that ...

What does that mean, 'mindful practice'? Practice without being aware of what you are doing, what you need to get better results, is just practicing 'bad' habits.  It does very little good to cement poor technique firmly into the memory. A friend once said that I got more weaving done on a 'bad' day than she did on a 'good' day.  Part of the reason for that is the simple fact that I have spent decades - literally - mindfully practicing what I do, changing things as I realize that I could do them 'better' and taking the time on the slippery part of the learning curve to make better processes work for me. For the past few weeks I have been struggling with adverse drug effects that are sucking the energy right out of me.  Getting to the studio is difficult but I force myself to do as much as I possibly can.  Because I have a lot that I want to do and time marches relentlessly on. Today I did a little time study. I wove a 72" table runner (22 pp...

Newer weavers sometimes ask me how they can get started in terms of teaching. In this day and age, there are all sorts of opportunities that were simply not dreamt of when I started.  The internet is a powerful tool for getting your name 'out there'. If the person isn't a teacher by training, I suggest that they begin by teaching locally, building their topics, developing guild programs, making up the samples needed to illustrate what they are presenting. If they are already experienced teachers, they can start by submitting articles to publications.  There aren't all that many now, but there are some. They can apply to conferences.  'Cold' applications need to be well presented.  If you aren't a 'name' (and even if you are, conferences need things like a bio, headshot, a brief summary of your experience and some photos), then you might have to work a little harder to convince a committee to add you to their roster of instructors. A conference is not...

So what happens when 'self care' comprises two opposing urges?  When you feel so tired you can't even, but you are desperate to get stuff done, projects finished, goals met? Nothing.  Nothing happens. You don't 'rest' because you are busy beating yourself up for just sitting, doing literally nothing. You don't actually accomplish anything.  At all. One of the challenges right now is to get through the next 11 months with everything that needs doing, done. Not all of my deadlines are arbitrary, of course.  The craft fair season begins - and ends - on specific dates.  As does my teaching schedule.  As does the conference.  And things are about to get very real on all of those fronts. The book, on the other hand, is very much an arbitrary deadline.  The dates for photographing the projects is still to be determined, but sometime soon-ish.  But otherwise?  Totally and completely arbitrary. Me, being me, needs to have a deadline.  Otherw...

Celebrating another trip round the sun by...dressing the loom again.  :) As I have been reflective about my weaving, I have also been reflective about my life.  Over the years I have made mistakes - and hopefully learned from them. I have tried my darndest to think about the end result of decisions that I make - both in weaving and in life.  Sometimes I'm right.  Sometimes I'm not. With each journey around the sun it becomes more and more apparent that our time here on this orb is limited.  I don't really want to spend whatever time I have left on doing things that don't - in some way - enrich me and others.  And by that I'm not just talking about money, but on a more personal level. I like to surround myself with people who are positive, who see a problem and immediately move to try and fix it.  I want to have people around me who can laugh and see the silliness of the things we do.  Who look for silver linings. Not to say I don't sometimes fall ...

These table runners have been woven with 2/16 cotton warp and 2/18 naturally coloured organic cotton.  Approx 19.5 x 60”. Two available.  Approx 18.5 x 73”.  One available.  $120.  20 x 130”.  One available. $120.00 20 x 122”.  One available.  19.5 x 104”.  One available.  20 x 114”. One available.  Also Weave a V.  $20.  If interested, all prices in Canadian dollars.  Payment by Paypal preferred, to Laura @ Laurafry.com.  Canadians can pay by interac e transfer.   Same address.  Or VISA/ MasterCard.  Email me to arrange payment.  

Two available.  $32 each One each colour.  $32 each Two available.  $32 each Above 80% cotton 20% linen One available.  100% cotton. $28.  7 available.  $32 each.  Snails Trails and Cats Paws traditional design.  2/16 cotton warp, 2/16 votyolin weft.  80% cotton 20% linen 8 available.  Snails trails and cats paws traditional design.  50% cotton.  59% linen.  $38 each Table runners will be posted tomorrow.   Buy two items and receive free shipping. 

I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed today.  Wondering if I could clone myself, and how long it would take to get my clone up to speed. There are three more table runner warps to be woven.  All of these completed ones (in the bins) to be tagged/priced.  The book projects.  The conference. Anyone want to come be my unpaid intern for a couple of weeks?  I'd love to be able to sit and read a book, make lace, knit, do some puzzles. Retirement is beginning to look more and more attractive...

2/8 above and 8/2 cotton below - two completely different quality of yarns - because all the numbers mean is how many yards per pound (approximately) each has, and say nothing about how they were prepared for and spun.  They will produce completely different qualities of fabric because they are completely different qualities of yarn. When I was just starting out as a weaver, it was pretty much an exploration with very few maps.  So I read - voraciously - and wove samples - unendingly.  I tried things, adjusted things, used every different kind of yarn I could afford. Mostly, I reflected.  On my results, on my processes, on what needed to change in order to arrive closer to my goal. Eventually I enrolled in the Guild of Canadian Weavers master weaver program.  This program is not a teaching program per se, but a testing one.  Part of me wanted to know if my experience was true beyond my own personal experience.  I was looking for the principles of the c...

I have been working on this series of table runners for a while now - with a large break in between due to my travel/teaching schedule.  I'm very happy to be making good progress on this warp, with three more waiting in the wings. With something like a dozen different colourways, I will choose one to be a Book Project. The warp is Brassard's 2/8 cotton for warp, with a cotton slub for weft.  This particular one is a cotton slub I inherited from my friend Lynn, so won't be used.  Instead I'll choose one with Brassard's cotton slub.  Because I'm trying to use yarns for the book that are (currently) readily available. For this particular design I have set the warp at 24 ends per inch.  Previously I've done towels with exactly this same combination of yarns set at 20 epi. Now which one is correct? They both are.  Because I am aiming for two different qualities of cloth.  A towel needs to be more flexible and more absorbent. A table runner needs to be sturd...

My Device arrived in February and I've barely had time to become friends with it.  This year - like almost every year - has been crazy with things that need doing, Right This Instant.  Or the next. Right now I'm juggling - in no particular order - inventory for the craft fairs (first of the four table runner warps will go into the loom this afternoon), the conference (details of the workshops and seminars, plus ramping up marketing), The Book (book projects). Add in some fairly important physical maintenance, and I have not had the energy to also spin. But that changes tonight.  Since The Device is so portable, I have decided that Thursday guild drop ins I will carry The Device up to the guild room and start tackling that heap of fibre in my studio. Because the end of this month the photos for The Book will be taken, and I need to clear some room so that there are fewer goat trails and more space to set up camera and lights.  Plus I'm out of hand spun yarn.  Not...

Conservation VS Wet Finishing in Textile production by Rachel Dalton, July 2nd 2018. I have always been interested in historic textile production and the connection it had to the lives of the weavers, spinners and dyers that produced stunning cloth and clothing. As a weaver I strive to reproduce these items and admire their stamina and fortitude with every shuttle throw and threaded heddle. However, I was never happy with my finished results. before wet finishing - individual threads are obvious and unstable after wet finishing, the cloth is stable and cohesive I worked for many years creating and reproducing historic textile clothing for both living history groups and museums. The nuances of a seam placement in relation to to the jacquard print, or shaping a garment again fascinated me. I am a trained museologist and have worked on conserving textiles and artifacts. I've re-woven threads of a raveling WWI nurses uniform under a microscope and stabilized textiles. Creating a conser...

English has a big problem - it uses the same word to mean multiple things.  So it is with English weaving terminology which sometimes makes it difficult to understand.  That is where context comes in. So, the word balanced in weaving.  We use the word to describe a textile that has the same number of ppi and epi, given the same yarn is being used in warp and weft. But the other meaning typically refers to how the design looks in the cloth. Balancing a weave structure means understanding how the weave structure works; in other words, how to make borders, side to side, top to bottom.  The motif should be 'complete' not cut off part way through. Typically weave structures like overshot, lace weaves, Summer and Winter, and on and on are routinely 'balanced'.  Twills can be balanced as well although not always. When it comes to twills, balanced does not mean that the twill line begins and ends on the same shaft.  If that is the case, one of the outside ends will...

On page 1, paragraph one, in J. T. Marsh's book An Introduction to Textile Finishing, Marsh states "The term 'finishing' in its widest sense has been held to cover all the processes which fabrics undergo after leaving the loom or knitting machine; from this standpoint, finishing would include bleaching and dyeing, which, indeed, are sometimes regarded as wet-finishing processes."  This book was first published in 1947. In the book Cloth Finishing:  Woollen and Worsted by J and J. C. Schofield they state in their preface "The present work has been developed from the author's "Scouring and Milling (1921) which was itself extended into "The Wet Processes of the Wool Industries (1925).  This book, published sometime after 1925, runs to nearly 700 pages of detailed information on the wet finishing processes involved in bringing wool, both woollen and worsted, to its finished state. While the effects of wet finishing can seem magical the processes are...