I am taking a little break this afternoon from all four looms to snap a few pics and jot this blog down... Today I have been cutting fabric up in strips.. using my Olfa mat and rotary cutter. I fold the flat fabric up into multiple thicknesses and cut the width of strips I need for various rag rugs.
Steve and the kids got me the supersized Olfa mat many years ago..... I remember it well. It was Mother's Day weekend when we happened to be camping, and on Friday and Saturday, he had to re-hide it from place to place in the camper, as I kept "almost" finding it!
I later found out:
First he had it behind the clothes in the closet... but then I was going in to get jackets to sit out around the campfire... oh oh he had to rush in and move it before I went in and saw it!
Then I was going in to make up the beds for the kids, and little did I know, he had hidden it in the compartment under the booth seat, underneath the sleeping bags! So he had to rush to hide it again!
The third move was under the mattress of our bed...safe... but then on Mother's Day morning, while the kids were piling on the bed and giving me breakfast, flowers, cards and hugs, we ALL had to get off the bed so he could slide out my hidden present! Ahhhh what fun and what memories!
This is what I used the green fabric strips on... as border accents for this cotton rug woven in 3 end block weave... being woven on my 45" Newcomb Studio Rug Loom
Next rug up on the list is featuring recycling at it's finest! This rug is made from factory waste leftovers from making upholstery fabric, and is sold in large bales to weavers. I mix up a blend of various colors that harmonize, and weave up some of the most delightful rugs! The ends will have fringes with coordinating colors, twisted into braids that add to the style of the rug.
My friend, Chris, calls this stuff Elephant Chenille!
It is really, really messy to work with, but it makes wonderful rugs! A mask is needed with working with this stuff as it makes a really linty fibery mess as you load the shuttles and beat the rugs. This rug is being woven on my old Union Loom, that has been converted to a 4 harness loom.
When I get tired of beating the fibery stuff and wearing the mask, I quit on that loom and jump over to the next one (benefit of having more than one loom-- umm I have 6 or 7 or 8 I think now?)
This last rug I am weaving on my 36" Newcomb Studio Loom... This one is made to brighten my spirits on a gloomy icky day like today. It's all bright colors of warp, ever color under the sun!
And very springtime appropriate colors for the rags, in random stripes. What fun!
Now that I gave you the tour of my four rug looms and what I have been working on,
I am thinking it's time for an afternoon nap.
YAWWWNNNNNN
Shameless plug--- many of my rugs can be found for sale on my website store: http://kareninthewoods.etsy.com/
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Okay I learned all I needed about looms, don't happen to have an engine your rebuilding, I can understand that stuff a lot easier, Have fun. Be safe out there. Sam & Donna.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Your work is gorgeous! Daughter loved the caterpillar rug :)
ReplyDeleteYour socks are cute too! Cheers! ~M
Karen, you are a very talented lady! Love the rugs...beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSo how are you going to fit all those looms into the motorhome? Didn't you say you would be going fulltime when Stevio retires? :)
ReplyDeleteYou do beautiful work. That seems to be almost a lost art.
ReplyDeleteHey Judy... we got that all figured out!
ReplyDeleteI have one portable loom that folds up for things like towels and totes and scarves. Then I have one rug loom that can be broken down to pieces easily and stowed in a compartment underneath. It really only takes us about 20 minutes to assemble it. We can put it up under the awning on the patio area for a few days at a time if I wish.
Steve thinks we should get a large utility trailer to haul behind the rig, and keep the Tracker inside and a full setup loom. Then when he backs the Tracker out, I can have all that space to weave!
Mostly though, I have rug weaving friends all over the country. I can manage to make a few stops here and there, help them warp up (wind the string on) to their looms in trade for being able to weave off a few rugs in return.
I would call myself "The Itinerant Warper"
LOL
Thank you for taking the time to show us your studio work. I spent the day in the studio today too, but my space is so messy I would never want to take pictures of it! I keep trying to figure out what and how I can take my work along when the time comes!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. Those are beautiful! Love the weaving!
ReplyDelete