Chenille Scarves

I just finished five scarves. I wove them on a four-harness floor loom intended for much wider fabric production. I called it my first date. The loom was built by a master loom maker Shaker named Henry DeWitt. I didn't want to "go all the way" across the full measure of the harnesses. This was a "get acquainted" project. I only used two harnesses, did a tabby weave, and brought in visual dazzle by using the technique much liked by the Shakers of weaving the warp and woof in contrasting colors.

Chenille Scarves
woven on the Henry DeWitt 1834 loom
at Hancock Shaker Village

Child's Red Shaker Cape

I recently created this cape.  A similar short cape hangs in the children's retiring room in the Brick Dwelling at Hancock Shaker Village (photo below taken by a student lizzie at HSV on a field trip). I have been wanting to make a similar one and was keeping my eye out for a good piece of red wool.  This is a medium weight Italian twill I found from fashionfabrics.com. I washed it on the gentle setting with Woolite and warm water, then dried it on low heat until not quite dry. It fluffed up and gained a more handwoven look, but did not shrink at all. What a fabric! I made the pattern, sewed it up, and it is now for sale in the gift shop at Hancock Shaker Village.

photos by lizzie: note red cape 

   see her blog: http://wanderingwrites.com/tag/hancock-shaker-village/

close up

front view

back view

Shaker inspiration

My other Italian wool cloak for sale in the HSV Gift Shop

Weaving M's and O's

The Main Collection

Shaker Chairs

I chose this M's and O's, an overshot warp set up, because it echoed the Shaker woven chair seats. I brought in design elements of checkerboards, rectangles, symmetry, graduated sizes, vibrant color contrasts, and color symbolism.

Weaving Two Rag Rugs from Family Memories

Sleying the Reed

I started with connecting strips I cut from a mass of accumulated scraps from a cellar bin that has been the 25 year receptacle for miscellaneous cotton stripes and plaids.

Fancy blouse 1970's, ball forming

Jean's infant pj's 1982, Geza's cradle comforter 1985

ball of memories forming out of strips of scraps

all scraps for the rug reduced from chaos to a three pound ball

the deeper and brighter colors

Darks and brights underway

Lights Weaving underway

Weaving Hancock Shaker Village

Thank You:
http://cmrue.wordpress.com/author/cmrue/
for noticing!

M's and O's warp set up with improvisational treadling

"When I see looms set up like this, I am amazed how the mass of individual strings end up creating a beautiful tightly weaved cloth. The planning involved to create the perfect combination, is an art in itself."

Weaving at Hancock Shaker Village

M's and O's Weaving Pattern Variation
getting underway in
Sister's Shop

Sleeping Beauty illustration

Sleeping Beauty Illustration
The moment when Aurora
is with the old woman in the castle tower
and they are reminded of the
curse.