Woven Hem Study

The year long study for our weavers group is towels!  We all love towels!

Every towel woven is different--yarn, technique, sett, colors, etc.

Towels are super learning experience for beginners also

expert weavers enjoy the relaxation of throwing a shuttle for results.

At our last meeting, we were talking hems!  Yes, hems!

It is the finishing touch to the towel.  One of our newest members

brought her waffle woven towels--these are always thirsty towels,

but with this weave structure there are always problems with the hem. 

Here is the finished technique that Alex used--finish weaving

with different treadling--if 4 harness--it's 2 up, 2 down

Her towels were 7 harness--so it's 3 up 4 down--

this towel hasn't been washed so you can see the big dimples

after the hem is woven, she threads each warp end back

through the hem--time consuming but the look is neat finish.

A new product on the market is from Superior Threads--

fusible thread!  We were all enthralled!  this could be

something we could use in our hems

Most of the weavers are familiar with fusible seam tape.

This is useful with the finishing

Here is a neat hem on this block woven towel--

she used the fusible web strip to secure

Here she has done machine stitch to secure the warp and

then the fusible web before hand stitching

We had other samples of woven towels--each with a different

structure

Our hands on demo was machine stitched hem--thanks to Karen I

who showed us how she uses her walking foot attachment to do a 

blind hem stitch--neat trick.

Laura Frye has photos to show her technique to hems.

Getting Ready for Turkey Day!

If you would like to have a pretty table for your Thanksgiving, here are some

free patterns--and there is still time to sew and plan for an outstanding day!

I'm liking that acorn hot pad!

and I do love, love this quilt;

anything with houses and leaves can't be bad!  

And I'm making this Fall table runner for the brown headed

daughter--I think she'll be thrilled!

Jacque Lynn Steves blog is where you'll find all this good stuff!

Log Cabins--In A Quilt

My very first quilt was a log cabin--made from old fabric scraps--mostly

a mixture of cotton/poly--this is how I was led by my mother-in-law.

I had no quilt background and she had some knowledge so I 

followed her advice.  She said log cabin pattern was the easiest one to

sew up--so, I did!  I still have that quilt to this day! 

I haven't made a log cabin quilt since.........

when I saw this posting, I thought it would be the perfect

timing--

Sheri is making a Christmas quilt and she uses 

Creative Grids 8" Log Cabin Trim Tool, which can be

found on various websites.  This is a new tool to me--

maybe, this will make that perfect block you want

in you log cabin.

I'm thinking scrappy blocks--to use up my stash. 

Are you interested in building a log cabin of your own?

Beginning every Tuesday through end of November, there will be a posting on

a quilting life blog.  The strips, dark and light, are cut 1.75" wide by width of fabric.  The

center square is 2" x 2".

Blocking...................

This lovely lace scarf has been knit for some time--I love knitting lace!

I just don't like to do the blocking--so any lace knitting waits for this final touch

We have these large foam puzzle pieces that snap together;

some folks use them for flooring but I use them for

blocking--snapping them together and you have an instant

board for blocking

it takes some time to pin to the board--hey, maybe, that's

another reason I had a painful wrist!  Anyway, pins are

in and lace is pulled to its size and spritzed with water

Let dry overnight and unpin--that takes time as well--

and you have a wonderful lacey scarf.

Grand daughter saw me knitting this months ago and

asked if she could have it--you bet! 

and there she is!  lovely, lacey and ready to gift!

Another knitted piece is being blocked=

almost looks like a fish :-}

Too long for the board, so I'll do small amount at a time--

this is mohair yarn done for Year of Techniques project

On My Way To A Finish.................

I'm sewing along with these maple leaf patterns and

feel good--I take the blocks to the ironing board and press,

press--wait!  there is a problem!  I could not believe it!!

One of these blocks decided to look different--it's like the

game "which one of these don't belong?"

Okay, rip it, rip it and head back to the sewing machine

Okay--now, it's right and we are assembled correctly!

I guess I could have left the one block like it was--

I'm sure that is the only block I would be looking it though!

Love the colors and fabric in this hanging!

Okay, I did It!

Okay, I finally got around to winding that warp for dish towels that we are

weaving for an exchange.  Maybe one or two of these towels will go to a

flood victim--

8/2 cotton cones of various colors from my stash

I did have a small amount of a green so wound that till it

ran out--it will make a small pop along with the turquoise

6 yards on the board--some of this will be lost to heading

and ending, but I do have an old warp on that I can tie onto to

save some of the warp.

Pulled through the reed dents--20epi=20 ends to the inch--

I think this will make a thirsty towel.  I like the colors

and now to decide how to thread for pattern.  I'm leaning

to Bird's eye twill--I want a recipe that will allow me to 

change up the weaving pattern.  Upon further investigation,

This pattern does not allow for plain weave--now, I'm going with Rosepath-

1-2-3-4-1-4-3-2-1

Now, I'm close to being warped--but, small hitch in the plan

to thread the heddles--my right wrist went painful--think it's the

winding motion of the warping--back and forth.  I am old, as my

son said to me when I said my wrist was aching!

thanks son!  I love you too!

Well, I'll Be...........................

I finally finished two caps!  Let's all stand up and cheer!  Knitting is back on the agenda--

This was fun knit, although I don't really like to do design work--

The yarns get all tangled and you need to stop often to let

them untwist.  On the other hand, I like that I can use

up my stash yarn.

Yelp, finished--except--for all the yarn ends that have 

to be darned in--that could take another day or two

I enjoyed knitting this cap--no extra yarns to worry about

just knit and purl--this was one of the designs from

Year of Techniques

The hat still needs buttons on the flaps--and don't tell anyone,

but I did not follow directions--shame on me; I didn't do the flaps

the way the designer designed--but it did get down my way!

and with buttons!  Who needs a warm wooly hat?