2008

For Convergence 2008 in Tampa, I warped the 24" Lilla with a turned rosepath inspired by a project in the first edition of the Laila Lundell "Big Book of Weaving" in bright blue 20/2 cotton and a supplemental warp of Lunatic Fringe's Tubular Spectrum colors - just the thing for the Florida sun. What to do with less than 5 yards of 14" fabric? Little girls' dresses - definitely an option as we have two granddaughters 4 and 7.

2007

This year, I was blessed with an opportunity to pursue two courses at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti toward a certificate in Jacquard weaving, using the TC-1 loom. These courses were a TAA scholarship from the Wisconsin Dept. of Workforce Development as a retraining measure for older workers displaced by foreign competition. I couldn't think of a better way to spend tax dollars.

Course I, Beginning Jacquard weaving, used a stitched doubleweave with two warp and two weft colors to produce a dithered image of a family photo, precisely the moment when I finished my very first handspun linen tablecloth (commercial warp) in a German museum and celebrated the completion by having our Sunday coffee and torte on the unfinished cloth.

Warp is 2 shades of beige/light brown cotton and weft is natural white cotton alternating with forest green linen to produce a sepia effect.

This piece juried into the art exhibit at the 2008 Midwest Folk and Fiber Festival in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Course II, Intermediate Jacuard Weaving dealt with compound structures using 3 or more weft colors against 2 warp colors. On the same beige/brown warp as for Course I, I scanned a fabric print by William Morris that was not in color, worked it over in Photoshop until the single motif was square and "colorized", and chose a 4-color Samitum to render the results. Weft was 20/1 singles linen, woven doubled to give the piece more depth.

This piece was part of the TC-1 sales booth at Convergence 2008 in Tampa, Florida.

2006

Making progress with designing for the drawloom, I turned a black warp into a banner for the business (there is also a reverse piece with natural linen face and black pattern) and some art deco runners to enter in the European Damask Network's exhibition in Stickhausen, Germany. Photos below.

2005 Handspun Linen Yardage - Plain Weave

Woven for painter to use as canvas for oil paintings in the style of the Old Masters

Coarse handspun set at 24 epi - woven with the back beam on the countermarche loom raised and the weft linen damp to insure maximum beat. Fabric slightly warp dominant - gives the fabric stability off loom.

This cloth will later be stretched on a wood frame and sized before painting.

Closeups of canvas after wet finishing and mangling.

Artists comment upon delivery "Its almost too pretty to paint on, but I'm an artist - I'll get over it". Am now working on 45" wide canvas from commercial linen for the same painter.

2003 - Storage bags for bolts of handwoven fabric, woven of pure linen in Opphämta technique using pickup and long eye heddles. Woven on loom destined to become drawloom while waiting for the drawbridge and extension.

2003 entry for the Wisconsin Handweavers Fall Show - Silk Yardage