Sisters In Craft: The Natural Dye Project

I was asked to design a garment and towels for a kit for rigid heddle weavers. I would be using the very same packaged yarn as the Friendship Towel Kits, sold through Cotton Clouds. This is where women in Guatemala learned to dye the yarns with natural dyes through the support of Mayan Hands' Natural Dye Project. Right now these kits are only for 4-harness weavers. I immediately loved the idea! Being a part of this amazing project to help support the women in San Rafael, Guatemala, makes me happy and I'm so honored to be a part of it. 

But oh my, I wasn't prepared for the impact this project would have on me. In each step of my process with these hand-dyed yarns of beautiful natural colors, I found myself wondering about each one of these Guatemalan women; who are they, what are their lives like and whether they thought about us, the women who would receive their kits and make something beautiful from their yarn? I felt an amazing kinship and connection. It warmed my heart to think of them as "sisters in craft" so to speak.

Direct warping method for the vest.

So for my first project, the vest, I used my favorite method of warping directly on my 15" Flip loom. I love color and this warp did not disappoint. For weaving, I chose a simple warp and weft pick-up pattern from Jane Patrick's Weaver's Idea Book, for texture. Really, this vest is so simple to make and the construction requires minimal cutting and sewing. You just add some fun buttons and it's ready to go.

See how happy this vest makes me!

And then there were towels to make. In my 20 years of weaving, I've rarely made towels. Those who know me, know I love to make things to wear. And my sister would tell you I'd do anything to get out of the kitchen at dish drying time. So you get the picture, domestic chores are not my favorite things to do. Oh yes, did I say I love clothes? But I dutifully designed and wove the towels.

By the fourth towel, I couldn't help but think how wonderful this fabric would be as a jacket. So, I cut the towels off the loom and hemmed them and then I couldn't help myself. I started pinning the towels together and there it was, a jacket. Because, after all, who wants to be in the kitchen when they can be trying on clothes, right?

Very versatile and one size fits all.

And it has pockets too!

So now, there are three options for rigid heddle weavers; a vest, a set of four towels or a jacket. Not only are you making something wonderful for yourself but also supporting our "sisters in craft" in Guatemala. What could be better than that! Order your Towel Kit,  Jacket Kit or Vest Kit now from Cotton Clouds, who is selling these kits at near-cost so that the profits will go to help these women of San Rafael, Guatemala earn a fair living wage. 

Jacket pattern will be coming soon to my ZoZo FiberArts Etsy Store

Zoom Loom Harlequin Vest

You know how sometimes things just fall into place as if there's magic fairy dust in the air? I love it when that happens. And that's how my newest design came about this summer.

Schacht Spindle Company really outdid themselves when they introduced their version of a pin loom, called the Zoom Loom. It's a 4-inch loom so handy to just stick in your bag and go. It has a sloping interior edge which helps to guide your weaving needle, a slot to hold your starting yarn while you weave, and it all fits nicely into it's own little carrying case for transport. AND it only take about 10 minutes to make a square.

I was already in love with the yarn shown in these images, Tempo by Filatura de Crosa, a blend of  mostly cotton with acrylic and polymide binders, that it was a natural choice for my next project. As I began to weave the squares, I loved watching the subtle color changes and textural quality of this yarn emerge. This was not boring. I couldn't stop weaving squares until I had made enough for a garment. It was so much fun when I started putting the different shades together and before I knew it, there it was, my Harlequin Vest.

I loved designing this garment so much, I have created a pattern so others can make it too. This Harlequin Vest Pattern is full of helpful hints, step-by-step illustrations and photographs on how to weave, construct and finish this vest design.

example of pattern illustrations

Included in the pattern are:

1. Diagrams for two sizes, Small/Medium and Medium/Large
2. Two Lengths: Short Version or Long Version

And now I'm pleased to announce that Zoom Looms and ZoZo FiberArts Harlequin Vest Kits are available in several different colorways from Cotton Clouds.

Or you can download a PDF version of the pattern at ZoZo FiberArts Etsy Store

Have fun zooming . . .

From nature's inspiration to wearable art

We had an unusually wet August here in the desert of New Mexico. As I was driving out in the country, I was delighted to see our typical browns and beige's had magically transformed into green foliage and yellow flowers.

Inspiration for my next piece

Follow my process below

New Mexico's nature has become a factor for everything that I do. With unpredictable spring dust storms and extremely hot summers. I have a small window in Mother Nature's schedule to try to get all my outdoor dyeing projects finished, usually from late August through November.

woven fabric just off the loom

pulling the threads to create the design

Earlier this summer I had woven two pieces of  beige rayon chenille fabric. I wove in supplemental threads intended to be pulled and gathered to create a pattern effect after dyeing, otherwise called woven shibori. Because of my love for color, this colorless weaving is somewhat boring. But I can tolerate it knowing the end justifies the means.

When the reprieve from the heat of summer arrived, I embraced the part of this craft that I had been waiting for and started mixing dyes. First I spread my fabric on tables outside while enjoying the sounds and smells of nature. That's when I feel at one with this process.

strings are pulled and it's ready to dye

Initially it's all so unpredictable and scary. There is the possibility of the perfect outcome. But that gets mixed up with my old fear of failure. All the time and money invested and old childish beliefs that failure is a bad thing even though  I really know "there IS no failure," only learning opportunities that come from allowing the unknown to happen. If I can get out of my own way, what emerges is something even better than what I could ever imagine.


and then I add more color

I start with a light wash of color

The process is lengthy and physically difficult without a professional dye studio. After the dyes have set, the fabric is soaked in tubs of water which are dumped and refilled. Then there's the rinsing. Rinsing, rinsing and more rinsing while on my knees and twisted over the edge of a bathtub.
 

fabric is ready to sew

For the next piece of fabric, I wanted to use shades of red. Red for energy, passion, spirit and love. Red makes me happy and reminds me of the pinks, oranges purples and reds in the flowers that I love the most.




laying out my color palette

dyes have been painted on and ready to process

long jacket trimmed in purple

When it's all said and done, I am amazed and satisfied!





A Different Kind of Table Runner

This summer has been the season for table runners! 

Earlier this summer I taught a class on weaving fabric strip table runners at Calico Cow Quilt Shop in Roswell. After showing off my finished project to Kathie Bryant, the owner of The Stitching Post in Ruidoso, we decided to offer a table runner class at her store as well. 

Since The Stitching Post is a yarn shop, we thought a fabric strip class might pose a problem as there aren't any fabric options to choose from... or so we thought. 

Kathie came up with a new kind of yarn called "Tee Rags," which are narrow strips made of t-shirt material. 

I tested the Tee Rags on a sample piece a few weeks ago and was pleased to bring the new table runner weaving class to Ruidoso. 

Everyone was thrilled to use the Tee Rags instead of cutting fabric strips and the final products all turned out beautifully. 

 

 

If you are interested in holding a table runner class at your yarn or fabric store, please email me for more information.

Quilters Learn to Weave



Last weekend I had so much fun introducing weaving to a group of fiber crafters who are mostly quilters. They learned how easy it is to set up rigid heddle looms using a variety of Schact's 15 inch Cricket and Flip looms. 



Linda getting started

Carola and Jean at work

With their pre-cut fabric strips they learned to blend their choice of colors together in the weft and each created a unique table runner.



 

Finishing the edges

Their finished runners are all so beautiful!

Carola's Colorful Masterpiece

Terry's Finished Piece

Jean's Multi-Color

Jamie was a Natural

Becky's Mostly Purple

 Rosmary's: Beautiful!

Sign up now for upcoming classes at the Calico Cow Quilt Shop.
August 21 and 22, Thurs 10am-4pm and Friday 1-3pm
OR

September 6 and 7, Sat 10am-4pm and Sun 1-3 pm

Call Carolyn at 575-623-8647 to reserve your spot.

Woven Fabric Strip Table Runner - Final Product