Adjusting warp density and creating areas of weft loops
Same warp, same material. Changing warp density with Stepping Reed
I am weaving for a window exhibition in March. The theme for the display that we make together with Liina Veskimägi-Iliste and Marilyn Piirsalu is is felt and I wanted to use a felted pre-yarn from Villakamber. The difference of structures that can be achieved with the same material, warp and tie-up amuses me a lot. I changed my Stepping Reed from 2mm wire to 12mm tubes and thus made the gaps in warp.
Yesterday was my sisters birthday, she would have liked the idea of difference of sisters from the same family.
Yesterday was my sisters birthday, she would have liked the idea of difference of sisters from the same family.
Woven scales
I have an exhibition Ebba in Kuressaare and as I was posting photos to FB about the items exhibited, I noticed that people started asking about textiles with felted scales: How it is made? So here is a movie Marilyn Piirsalu made years ago. The felt scales are woven in and during washing the sharp edges get rounded.
The textiles with wooden scales are also made with the same weaving technique.
sinine/blue from marilyn on Vimeo.
The textiles with wooden scales are also made with the same weaving technique.
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Pushing warps aside, to make gaps in fabric
Exhibition
from December 20th 2020 to January 20th 2021, my drawings and weavings will be at the solo-exhibition Conjunctions, St John's Church, Tallinn.
In one textile I used the trick that was first used during my weaving course by Riina Samelselg (Estonian Academy of Arts). She proved that it is possible to make patterns in the weaving with Stepping Reed modules. I have used my Stepping Reed only to make waves in weft: the steppers that can be moved along the rail in front of the normal reed, push weft in waves. Riina invented that with modules you can also make gaps in fabric that form cool icicles into the fabric. On my loom I wove a blue textile (cotton warp, linen weft) and used bent elements out of bicycle spokes. The outcome Icicle-fabric can be seen on the photos from the exhibition (blue textile). The fabric has been washed with the washing machine, the patterns remain.
Photo by Marilyn Piirsalu.
from December 20th 2020 to January 20th 2021, my drawings and weavings will be at the solo-exhibition Conjunctions, St John's Church, Tallinn.
In one textile I used the trick that was first used during my weaving course by Riina Samelselg (Estonian Academy of Arts). She proved that it is possible to make patterns in the weaving with Stepping Reed modules. I have used my Stepping Reed only to make waves in weft: the steppers that can be moved along the rail in front of the normal reed, push weft in waves. Riina invented that with modules you can also make gaps in fabric that form cool icicles into the fabric. On my loom I wove a blue textile (cotton warp, linen weft) and used bent elements out of bicycle spokes. The outcome Icicle-fabric can be seen on the photos from the exhibition (blue textile). The fabric has been washed with the washing machine, the patterns remain.
Photo by Marilyn Piirsalu.
Reedless weaving allows the weaver to play with warp density. Here is one way to do it.
My warp is cotton and as weft I use a woven ribbon, leftover from our shoelace factory.
For beating down the weft I tested two tools: one is a part of knitting machine and the other-- an aluminium tube with nails-- I built myself. Nails are better.
To adjust warp groups to form white verical lines now and then, I used washing-pegs. It was possible to gather warps from 5 cm area in a bundle.
Now it is off the loom, I am pleased.
For beating down the weft I tested two tools: one is a part of knitting machine and the other-- an aluminium tube with nails-- I built myself. Nails are better.
To adjust warp groups to form white verical lines now and then, I used washing-pegs. It was possible to gather warps from 5 cm area in a bundle.
Now it is off the loom, I am pleased.
Erna Janine is organizing an exhibition in Craft Central, London. We are preparing.
Second part of Flooded Forest by Marilyn came off the loom. Feels suitable to hang the fabrics in the graphic studio for viewing.
The idea is to use the weft floats to create black areas that create rythm with RailReed wandering warp lines.
Author Marilyn Piirsalu (@marilyn_weaving)
Marilyn cut off her first "Flooded forest" piece. She uses black linen as weft.
On the loom.
Marilyn and her "Flooded forest"
Marilyn and her "Flooded forest"
56 ends of cotton warp per one RailReed module and 16 ends between the modules. Warp groups that change their position create "RailReed calligraphy"
The threading and tie-up enable to weave now and then module-wide weft floats. It creates horisontal movement on top of railreed drawn warp groups. We are preparing a set of textiles for an exhibition in London, organized by Freeweaver Saori Studio. Marilyn Piirsalu is weaving with her touch of a graphic artist.
Inspired by Erna Janine and Saori weavers who use reedless weaving, I tried it out too.
Reed is used to determine the warp density and beat down the weft. So in reedless weaving I separated those functions
1) built "weft mover": a metal "comb" (drilled 2mm holes through aluminium tube and inserted nails through the holes)
2) Grasshoppers. I built 5-cm long metal combs to push warp apart where needed, to make warp lines move like with RailReed but even with more freedom. The logic of this is little device is that you insert it between warps under angle and then turn it parallel to weft (thus the warps move wider apart) and fix the position.
With first experiments I fixed the new position with long legs, so it reminded me of grasshoppers. Long legs to fix the position to the lock (just a heavy metal stick) are better than short, then I can see the change at once.
Nexts wefts secure the position of wefts and then I removed the grasshoppers to the new position. The photo shows how grasshoppers changed the warp lines.
The sample after washing. The warp lines keep the deformation. Merino (black) and heavier woollen (white) warp and UpYarn carpet yarn.
Next I will experiment with different fixing system for the grasshoppers, but proof of concept is here, isn't it?
1) built "weft mover": a metal "comb" (drilled 2mm holes through aluminium tube and inserted nails through the holes)
2) Grasshoppers. I built 5-cm long metal combs to push warp apart where needed, to make warp lines move like with RailReed but even with more freedom. The logic of this is little device is that you insert it between warps under angle and then turn it parallel to weft (thus the warps move wider apart) and fix the position.
With first experiments I fixed the new position with long legs, so it reminded me of grasshoppers. Long legs to fix the position to the lock (just a heavy metal stick) are better than short, then I can see the change at once.
Nexts wefts secure the position of wefts and then I removed the grasshoppers to the new position. The photo shows how grasshoppers changed the warp lines.
The sample after washing. The warp lines keep the deformation. Merino (black) and heavier woollen (white) warp and UpYarn carpet yarn.
Next I will experiment with different fixing system for the grasshoppers, but proof of concept is here, isn't it?
