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Weaving Hints
Weaving for Cutting Apart |
| Placemats, napkins,
and towels are some of the many handwoven fabrics woven as a
single length on the loom but meant to be cut into sections
later. If you know where you'll want to cut, here’s a good
way to prepare the place. |
| After the first
piece, weave two rows of contrasting yarn—two rows because
the valley between them forms an indentation that’s easy
to follow with a scissors. Plain weave provides a clear path
for cutting, although any two treadles that lift opposite shafts
work well. |
| When you are ready
to separate the pieces, stitch on top of the first yarn of each
section, next to the contrasting yarn. Stitch up one side, turn
the fabric, and stitch down the other side of the contrasting
pair. Stitching before cutting prevents the last rows of each
section from loosening. |
| Use a zigzag or
straight stitch. If you choose a zigzag, set its width so that
it encloses only one yarn and sew with that yarn centered in
the presser foot opening. If you choose a straight stitch, set
the length slightly shorter than the number of ends per inch
so that the needle pierces every warp end as well as the weft
that the stitching follows. |
| For a firmer edge,
stitch again next to—but not on top of—the previous
stitching. |
| When you cut between
the two contrasting yarns, these rows ravel out, but bits of
them may stick if the yarn is caught by the sewing machine needle.
If you’ve sewed evenly, they ravel out easily leaving a
clean edge with a very tiny fringe that helps taper the cut
edge. |
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Making a Weaving Guide |
| Use a weaving guide
for each of your projects to make weaving more enjoyable. |
| A weaving guide
is a strip of cash register paper marked with the weaving measurements
and pinned to one edge of the fabric on the loom. You can buy
rolls of cash register tape at office supply stores. |
| To make a weaving
guide, calculate the finished length of the piece, including
hems. Then add shrinkage to determine the woven length on the
loom. For instance, a towel with a finished length of 28"
plus a 1" hem at each end equals 30". Add 10% for
shrinkage and the woven length on the loom is 33". |
| Cut a length of
cash register paper longer than the project length, about 40"
long for this example. At the beginning end, write the name
of the project and the date. Then draw a starting line. Measure
33" and draw an ending line. |
| Attach the weaving
strip to one side of your weaving with two long pins, about
4" apart. Leapfrog the pins as you weave, taking out the
first pin and re-pinning it close to the fell of the cloth while
the other pin keeps the strip attached to the weaving. Both
ends of the strip are unattached—if the strip is very long,
wind up one end and fasten it with a paper clip. When you’re
finished with the weaving, roll the strip with the project name
and date on the outside, fasten with a paper clip, and keep
it for reference for future projects. |
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| There are many advantages
to using a weaving guide. Let’s say that you want the two
ends of the towel to match. Fold the strip in half, matching
the starting and ending line to find the middle of the towel.
As you weave, mark the strip with repeats and color changes.
During weaving, when you reach the middle of the towel, remove
the guide and transfer the marks to the other half of the strip.
Reattach the strip and weave to the end of the guide. With very
little effort, you’ve woven a towel with matching ends! |
| Using a weaving
guide for every project allows you to weave faster and with
more confidence. It helps ensure that your project turns out
the right length and keeps track of your pattern when you mark
treadling and color repeats. Once you try a weaving guide, you’ll
wonder how you ever wove without it. |
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