Did you have enough variety in your collection of yarns and other materials? Which kind of yarns etc. did you use most? How do their characteristics affect the look and feel of each sample?
I found a good selection of yarns and materials in terms of colour and texture. Some of the yarns were rather fine so working with several strands was needed in some areas. It would have been useful to have a wider selection of thicker yarns. I used yarns the most, largely because these produce excellent warp coverage, offer a good range of textures and are easy to manipulate. The thicker (or multiple-stranded) yarns create a firmer, more dense fabric which would be well suited to sturdier projects such as rugs. They are also quick to work, filling up the warp at quite a rate.
Finer yarns are much slower to work with (more wefts needed to cover an inch of warp). The advantage, however, is that they offer more scope for subtle colour changes. Curved wefts and patterning can be quite delicate and detailed. If working to an image, it would be possible to produce much finer detail. Being able to combine finer threads means subtle texture can also be incorporated, for example, a fine boucle thread with one or more smooth wool yarns, or a metallic with plain yarns.
How did you find weaving in comparison to the other techniques you have tried? Did you find it slow or too limiting?
Despite the intial setbacks with warping, I actually found the second warp surprisingly satisfying, particularly as I knew I should be able to make several pieces from one warp. Weaving lends itself well to my yarn collection which has lots of interesting textural yarns, handspun and hand-dyed yarns that aren't readily incorporated into stitching, other than via embellishment. These yarns suit the scale of weaving better.
Clearly there are limitations with weaving, imposed by, for example, the size of the loom. However, with careful planning I think there is considerable scope for developing exciting pieces using this medium.
How do you feel about your finished sample? Are you happy with the relationship of the textures, proportions, colour and pattern to the finished size? Is there any part that you would want to change? If so, try to identify exactly how and why you would change it.
I like the intensity and variety of colour in the piece. I think overall the piece captures the combination of warmth and earthiness of autumn. The textural qualities of the materials have worked in the main. However, if I were to repeat the piece I would look to lighten the bottom of the weave and almost certainly re-think the braids which are out of balance with the rest of the piece.
Was there any stage in the whole design process, such as choice of source material, deciding proportions, choice of yarn or colour, translating idea to sample, that you felt went wrong? Would you tackle this process differently another time?
Additional sampling, in particular, considering the impact of weight and thickness of the non-yarn based materials (the fleece and roving) would have benefitted the finished sample.
Which did you enjoy more - working from the source material or putting colours together intuitively? Why?
As weaving has to be carefully planned, whether working intuitively or from a pre-determined source, there is arguably less scope for spontaneity than with other techniques. I enjoyed the structure and discipline of working to a specific source and this gave a certain reassurance that the piece would turn out according to plan. Working intuitively, on the other hand, was more challenging as it required regular review of the work and there was more risk of areas that didn't work. Given the scale of the pieces this wasn't a particular issue but I would sample first if I was working on a larger or finer piece. I would like to experiment with working from a cartoon, replicating a specific image.
Showing posts with label Project 9. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Project 9. Show all posts
Saturday, 23 November 2013
Tuesday, 19 November 2013
Assignment 4 - Project 9 - Woven Structures - Stage 4 - Part One - Developing Design Ideas into Weaving
Given the time of year it's no surprise that for this project I was inspired by the theme of Autumn. I gathered a selection of images, my own photos, an envelope for a gift card, sourced images and assembled these into two mood boards.
I used the mood boards as a basis to collect together a range of materials that to me were expressions of autumn, either in terms of colour, texture, or both. This included slubby natural and synthetic yarns, handspun, hand-dyed yarn and fibres, twine, hessian fabric, fabric ribbon remnants, leftover "pipes" from the Steampunk book cover in project 7.
For this piece I chose to work intuitively in interpreting the mood boards, selecting materials in a way that felt satisfying and interesting. I began with plain weave using a variegated mohair boucle for damp undergrowth, added a raw silk in bright orange as autumnal falling leaves mulching into the soil, then returned to the brown boucle. I cut short lengths of hemp yarn and randomly added these to the weave using Ghiordes Knots to create a feeling of dry twigs. I've left these long and looped but may cut them at some point later once I've had the chance to let the piece settle.
I used a range of textured yarns, ribbon and hand-dyed yarn to create a deep pile of fallen autumn leaves, ripe for kicking up while out walking on a crisp autumn day!
I incorporated two "branches" of fabric-wrapped straws (left over from the Steampunk cover). Handspun boucle yarn and a hand-dyed tussah silk were used to create leaves and I left open warp around them to give the impression that the leaves were still falling from the tree. To stabilise the warps I completed the piece with bands of orange silk and brown mohair.
I cut the piece off the warp and tied the warp (hemp yarn) in knotted pairs.
Thoughts:
This piece looked promising when on the loom but when taken off, it quickly became clear that the open warps were far too flimsy and the weaving has lost all structure which is a shame as I like the shapes, textures and tonal qualities. The "pipes" haven't really worked at all, being too rigid and difficult to anchor in place.
Actions:
I think it would be worth revisiting this piece, taking into account the issues encountered above, using a different warp or lighter materials. On reflection this piece has the feeling of an immoveable force meeting an irresistible object. I was simply too stubborn to recognise what wasn't working and failed completely to predict what would happen when the piece came off the loom. Clearly this is an important learning exercise and as a novice weaver, I have much to learn!
(Note to self: Would it be possible to rescue the piece by mounting onto fabric, possibly a dyed pre-felt, stitching into it to add strength? Or re-stretching and stiffening the warp or even re-mounting on a pin-board and filling in the gaps?)
I used the mood boards as a basis to collect together a range of materials that to me were expressions of autumn, either in terms of colour, texture, or both. This included slubby natural and synthetic yarns, handspun, hand-dyed yarn and fibres, twine, hessian fabric, fabric ribbon remnants, leftover "pipes" from the Steampunk book cover in project 7.
For this piece I chose to work intuitively in interpreting the mood boards, selecting materials in a way that felt satisfying and interesting. I began with plain weave using a variegated mohair boucle for damp undergrowth, added a raw silk in bright orange as autumnal falling leaves mulching into the soil, then returned to the brown boucle. I cut short lengths of hemp yarn and randomly added these to the weave using Ghiordes Knots to create a feeling of dry twigs. I've left these long and looped but may cut them at some point later once I've had the chance to let the piece settle.
I used a range of textured yarns, ribbon and hand-dyed yarn to create a deep pile of fallen autumn leaves, ripe for kicking up while out walking on a crisp autumn day!
I incorporated two "branches" of fabric-wrapped straws (left over from the Steampunk cover). Handspun boucle yarn and a hand-dyed tussah silk were used to create leaves and I left open warp around them to give the impression that the leaves were still falling from the tree. To stabilise the warps I completed the piece with bands of orange silk and brown mohair.
I cut the piece off the warp and tied the warp (hemp yarn) in knotted pairs.
Thoughts:
This piece looked promising when on the loom but when taken off, it quickly became clear that the open warps were far too flimsy and the weaving has lost all structure which is a shame as I like the shapes, textures and tonal qualities. The "pipes" haven't really worked at all, being too rigid and difficult to anchor in place.
Actions:
I think it would be worth revisiting this piece, taking into account the issues encountered above, using a different warp or lighter materials. On reflection this piece has the feeling of an immoveable force meeting an irresistible object. I was simply too stubborn to recognise what wasn't working and failed completely to predict what would happen when the piece came off the loom. Clearly this is an important learning exercise and as a novice weaver, I have much to learn!
(Note to self: Would it be possible to rescue the piece by mounting onto fabric, possibly a dyed pre-felt, stitching into it to add strength? Or re-stretching and stiffening the warp or even re-mounting on a pin-board and filling in the gaps?)
Assignment 4 - Project 9 - Woven Structures - Stage 3 - Part Two - Experimenting with Different Materials
(DISPLAY BOARD PIECE - BOARD 6 OF 10)
For this sample I decided to develop one of the pieces I prepared for the interlude. The collaged images were originally inspired by the word "Bleak" and I assembled a range of yarns and other materials to reflect one of the images. From the collage I created the preparatory yarn wrap.
The resulting piece aims to recreate the image. However, I originally made the wrap assuming following the lower edge working right to left. For this reason, the mounting on the board is arguably upside down!
On reflection, I think the piece works better working left to right across the lower edge, anchoring the heavier, more solid elements at the bottom of the piece. Looking at it afresh, with the wool and plastic at the top it seems top-heavy so I think it should be displayed the other way up. (Interestingly, I wove it following the colours and textures in the image left to right).
Starting with a rough grey Herdwick wool (a hill sheep specially adapted to living in the bleak, harsh conditions in areas such as the North Lakes so very appropriate). This represented the rough, snow-covered ground.
Grey, biodegradable, recycled packaging bags for the fencing.
More wool to anchor the plastic and create more rough, snowy ground, followed by a layer of loosely woven waste synthetic quilt wadding. This made great snow.
A black and grey boucle yarn and a deeper grey wool were woven together using a curved weft to create undulating snowy/gravelly ground. Next I added two rows of Soumak using strips of soft, sheer polyester fabric remnants. A further layer of snowy boucle scrub leads into a final sturdy layer of denser hedgerow.
Thoughts:
My first thought here is about the longevity of the piece. In using a biodegradable plastic I've probably given myself a bit of an issue in the longterm. Next time I'd either use a less environmentally friendly plastic or swap this for a different material, perhaps a grey/black tweed or similar wool-based variegated fabric.
There is some visible hemp warp here but it blends well with the other colours in the piece, giving the impression of rough grass stalks. It also needed to be sturdy to hold the stronger materials such as fabric, plastic and strong wool. A finer warp might have frayed or broken.
The upside-down mounting aside, I really like this piece. The monotone colour scheme creates harmony and the different materials give texture and interest. My piece isn't perhaps quite as bleak as my images but it still works well for me. Using an abstract concept was an interesting thing to interpret as a woven piece.
Action points:
Consider materials used and any specific needs. Using a short-life plastic for a piece that may be expected to have to last a number of years in a display setting, particularly, for example, if mounted outside or in bright sunlight would be potentially disastrous.
Although I had evaluated my yarns and done a yarn wrap, a smaller sample weave or additional wraps would have most likely flagged up the issues with the proportions of the various materials. I need to take more time to sample and resist the urge to get straight into a project.
For this sample I decided to develop one of the pieces I prepared for the interlude. The collaged images were originally inspired by the word "Bleak" and I assembled a range of yarns and other materials to reflect one of the images. From the collage I created the preparatory yarn wrap.
The resulting piece aims to recreate the image. However, I originally made the wrap assuming following the lower edge working right to left. For this reason, the mounting on the board is arguably upside down!
On reflection, I think the piece works better working left to right across the lower edge, anchoring the heavier, more solid elements at the bottom of the piece. Looking at it afresh, with the wool and plastic at the top it seems top-heavy so I think it should be displayed the other way up. (Interestingly, I wove it following the colours and textures in the image left to right).
Starting with a rough grey Herdwick wool (a hill sheep specially adapted to living in the bleak, harsh conditions in areas such as the North Lakes so very appropriate). This represented the rough, snow-covered ground.
Grey, biodegradable, recycled packaging bags for the fencing.
More wool to anchor the plastic and create more rough, snowy ground, followed by a layer of loosely woven waste synthetic quilt wadding. This made great snow.
A black and grey boucle yarn and a deeper grey wool were woven together using a curved weft to create undulating snowy/gravelly ground. Next I added two rows of Soumak using strips of soft, sheer polyester fabric remnants. A further layer of snowy boucle scrub leads into a final sturdy layer of denser hedgerow.
Thoughts:
My first thought here is about the longevity of the piece. In using a biodegradable plastic I've probably given myself a bit of an issue in the longterm. Next time I'd either use a less environmentally friendly plastic or swap this for a different material, perhaps a grey/black tweed or similar wool-based variegated fabric.
There is some visible hemp warp here but it blends well with the other colours in the piece, giving the impression of rough grass stalks. It also needed to be sturdy to hold the stronger materials such as fabric, plastic and strong wool. A finer warp might have frayed or broken.
The upside-down mounting aside, I really like this piece. The monotone colour scheme creates harmony and the different materials give texture and interest. My piece isn't perhaps quite as bleak as my images but it still works well for me. Using an abstract concept was an interesting thing to interpret as a woven piece.
Action points:
Consider materials used and any specific needs. Using a short-life plastic for a piece that may be expected to have to last a number of years in a display setting, particularly, for example, if mounted outside or in bright sunlight would be potentially disastrous.
Although I had evaluated my yarns and done a yarn wrap, a smaller sample weave or additional wraps would have most likely flagged up the issues with the proportions of the various materials. I need to take more time to sample and resist the urge to get straight into a project.
Monday, 18 November 2013
Assignment 4 - Project 9 - Woven Structures - Stage 3 - Part One - Experimenting with Different Materials
(DISPLAY BOARD PIECE - BOARD 5 OF 10)
This second attempt at warping was far more successful - quicker and right first time! Warping correctly gave a little over a metre of continuous warp to work with. I made individual looped heddles made from short lengths of knotted hemp (the warp was also hemp) which took a while but these will be re-usable and it was easier to maintain the tension on the warps than it was when wrapping a single thread around the heddle dowels.
For this piece I worked with a colour range of pinks, purples and greys using wools and a number of more unusual materials, plastic bubble wrap, straws, plastic, fabric and wadding.
Thoughts:
It was fun to work with a variety of materials, however, more attention is required when tensioning the weft. As I left some of the warp open, I would have to consider whether it would be necessary to fix the wefts in place in some way to prevent the wefts sliding out of place.
I have done this by painting the wefts with dilute pva in the past so this is something I might try. The tricky part would be any textured yarns and avoiding flattening or spoiling the textural qualities in the wefts. (Perhaps focussing on fixing on the warps above and below the weft threads?).
The bubble wrap was particularly interesting and refracted the light well. This could be used successfully to add light, reflections or sparkle. Being translucent, of course, care would need to be taken with the colour of the warp. (Is there a translucent fibre that would be strong enough as a warp or are all translucent threads too stretchy?).
The straws were fun but I can't see an immediate use for these as to me they looked too much like, well, straws.
Action points
Warping is a long process and I could have tried a smaller sample on cardboard (as in the earlier exercise) to see how these materials interacted before I committed myself. This could have been a time-consuming mistake in a larger piece.
I think I should also consider whether using unusual materials such as straws really works and not include them just because they are unusual. Having the confidence to go back and re-work or remove parts of a design that doesn't work is something I should be seeking to develop. Again, more sampling would have helped as maybe a different style of weave above and between the straws might have made the design work better.
This second attempt at warping was far more successful - quicker and right first time! Warping correctly gave a little over a metre of continuous warp to work with. I made individual looped heddles made from short lengths of knotted hemp (the warp was also hemp) which took a while but these will be re-usable and it was easier to maintain the tension on the warps than it was when wrapping a single thread around the heddle dowels.
For this piece I worked with a colour range of pinks, purples and greys using wools and a number of more unusual materials, plastic bubble wrap, straws, plastic, fabric and wadding.
Thoughts:
It was fun to work with a variety of materials, however, more attention is required when tensioning the weft. As I left some of the warp open, I would have to consider whether it would be necessary to fix the wefts in place in some way to prevent the wefts sliding out of place.
The bubble wrap was particularly interesting and refracted the light well. This could be used successfully to add light, reflections or sparkle. Being translucent, of course, care would need to be taken with the colour of the warp. (Is there a translucent fibre that would be strong enough as a warp or are all translucent threads too stretchy?).
The straws were fun but I can't see an immediate use for these as to me they looked too much like, well, straws.
Action points
Warping is a long process and I could have tried a smaller sample on cardboard (as in the earlier exercise) to see how these materials interacted before I committed myself. This could have been a time-consuming mistake in a larger piece.
I think I should also consider whether using unusual materials such as straws really works and not include them just because they are unusual. Having the confidence to go back and re-work or remove parts of a design that doesn't work is something I should be seeking to develop. Again, more sampling would have helped as maybe a different style of weave above and between the straws might have made the design work better.
Assignment 4 - Project 9 - Woven Structures - Stages 1 and 2 - Preparation and Basic Weaving Techniques
(DISPLAY BOARD PIECE - BOARD 5 OF 10)
Warping up
First, a spot the obvious mistake question. Yes, that's right, instead of taking up warps from just one side of the warp bar, I somehow managed to pick alternate warps from either side :-(
After reading and re-reading the warping instructions and watching a number of online tutorials, I realised that I'd warped only half the required number of ends and what should have been a rolling warp of 40 ends was in fact only 20. To make up the desired 40, I was effectively weaving the two warps together.
Fortunately, there was enough movement in the warp as it was to make the first sample piece.
Selecting the yarns
For this I selected yarns, threads and other materials in a range of shades of blue.
Starting to weave
I used a hemp warp and a hemp edging, then wove in plain weave using 2 shades of a basic blue knitting yarn.
I continued with short lengths of naturally indigo and woad dyed wool, making Ghiordes Knots across the warp, using 9 4-ply threads per pair of warps. I worked 2 rows of plain weave, followed by another row of knots.
Several rows of thick wool followed by a row of 3 rows of Soumak, interspersed with 1 row of plain weave. For the Soumak, I worked 2 of the rows weaving right to left, the third row I reversed the direction of the wrapping and worked left to right. Pairing a left with a right direction created an interesting effect, rather like chain stitches.
After several more rows of wool plain weave, I wove a section using curved wefts.
After levelling the warp with several rows of plain weave, I finished the piece.
Before cutting the piece from the warp, I trimmed off the knots to give a satisfyingly dense and fluffy texture.
After cutting the piece off the warp, I knotted the ends in pairs.
Thoughts:
Setting up the warp was complicated and time-consuming (as evidenced by the fundamental error). However, once weaving was underway, it was fascinating to watch the fabric grow and it progressed relatively quickly.
This first piece was purely experimental, however, it was interesting to note that, when viewed from a distance, the fabric had a very landscape feel to it. The lower section was reminiscent of sea with foaming waves (the knots). The Soumak created a horizon line above which the tonal dark blue/brown gave the impression of hills surmounted by clouds and sky.
Action points
Although this piece was not formally planned, it's clear that it would be possible to recreate quite complex and attractive imagery using this technique. It would also be interesting to explore possibilities offered by the knotting process, perhaps making a graduated fabric varying the colours used in each knot across (or up the piece) as it progresses to achieve subtle shading.
Making the curved wefts took a little practice to persuade the pieces to fill in without gaps and also to get the tensioning right.
The hemp warp used was strong and had a certain amount of grip which made the wefts easier to push together. However, for a proper project I would need to consider carefully how to finish off the top and bottom edges. Perhaps binding with fabric? The hemp was too stiff to be readily woven in and wouldn't hold a twisted cord/plait readily. The hemp could have been softened first but this would have potentially made the warp too floppy and difficult to keep tensioned. This is something which needs further research.
Warping up
After reading and re-reading the warping instructions and watching a number of online tutorials, I realised that I'd warped only half the required number of ends and what should have been a rolling warp of 40 ends was in fact only 20. To make up the desired 40, I was effectively weaving the two warps together.
Fortunately, there was enough movement in the warp as it was to make the first sample piece.
Selecting the yarns
For this I selected yarns, threads and other materials in a range of shades of blue.
Starting to weave
I used a hemp warp and a hemp edging, then wove in plain weave using 2 shades of a basic blue knitting yarn.
I continued with short lengths of naturally indigo and woad dyed wool, making Ghiordes Knots across the warp, using 9 4-ply threads per pair of warps. I worked 2 rows of plain weave, followed by another row of knots.
Several rows of thick wool followed by a row of 3 rows of Soumak, interspersed with 1 row of plain weave. For the Soumak, I worked 2 of the rows weaving right to left, the third row I reversed the direction of the wrapping and worked left to right. Pairing a left with a right direction created an interesting effect, rather like chain stitches.
After several more rows of wool plain weave, I wove a section using curved wefts.
After levelling the warp with several rows of plain weave, I finished the piece.
Before cutting the piece from the warp, I trimmed off the knots to give a satisfyingly dense and fluffy texture.
After cutting the piece off the warp, I knotted the ends in pairs.
Thoughts:
Setting up the warp was complicated and time-consuming (as evidenced by the fundamental error). However, once weaving was underway, it was fascinating to watch the fabric grow and it progressed relatively quickly.
This first piece was purely experimental, however, it was interesting to note that, when viewed from a distance, the fabric had a very landscape feel to it. The lower section was reminiscent of sea with foaming waves (the knots). The Soumak created a horizon line above which the tonal dark blue/brown gave the impression of hills surmounted by clouds and sky.
Action points
Although this piece was not formally planned, it's clear that it would be possible to recreate quite complex and attractive imagery using this technique. It would also be interesting to explore possibilities offered by the knotting process, perhaps making a graduated fabric varying the colours used in each knot across (or up the piece) as it progresses to achieve subtle shading.
Making the curved wefts took a little practice to persuade the pieces to fill in without gaps and also to get the tensioning right.
The hemp warp used was strong and had a certain amount of grip which made the wefts easier to push together. However, for a proper project I would need to consider carefully how to finish off the top and bottom edges. Perhaps binding with fabric? The hemp was too stiff to be readily woven in and wouldn't hold a twisted cord/plait readily. The hemp could have been softened first but this would have potentially made the warp too floppy and difficult to keep tensioned. This is something which needs further research.
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