Design with me: Kathy’s Snow Dyed Warp, Part 2

Multi colored warp chains laid at an angle to the frame of the image

Last week, I explained my dye process and showed the warp I’ll be working with. This week I beamed the warp, so follow along with me and learn: First I needed to decide what order I wanted the chains in.  Because I “winged it” for this warp, without much planning, I did not take the […]

Design with me: Kathy’s Snow Dyed Warp – Part 1

A pile of warp chains in a random mix of colours that include blues, purples, lime, rusty reds, and a few other variations of those.

Hi Weaving Friends! I have had a warp sitting in a bin for a while (OK, I will ‘fess up, I dyed this warp in February 2023), and I FINALLY have time to weave it up.  I thought that it would be fun to have you join me, as I go through the design process […]

Weaving Resolutions – and some alternatives

I have just returned from a family trip, and while I was avoiding the mountain of laundry that needs to be washed getting back into my routines, I spent some time browsing through the Academy. I noticed that in each members’ profile, there is a section titled “weaving goals”. This piqued my curiosity so I […]

Ending Shaft Envy

Once upon a time, I was under the illusion that more shafts are always better. Because on a loom with eight shafts, you can weave four-shaft designs as well as eight-shaft ones, so you get more design freedom. But why stop there? On a 16-shaft loom, you can weave four, eight, and twelve-shaft designs (not […]

Card Wrap Adventures

Image of a card warp with blue, magenta, yellow, and orange stripes

I am the first one to admit that in the past, I have avoided creating card wraps. I was never quite sure WHY, but every time I had the opportunity to use them, I would essentially turn into an overgrown toddler, stamp my feet, and say “I DON’T WANT TO”. Time has passed, and through […]

The Beauty of a Handwoven Gift.

Image of a gift wrapped in brown paper with a sparkly gold ribbon around it.

‘Tis the season for many people to be at the loom, frantically weaving “a few more shots”, in order to complete a project in time for holiday gifting. No matter what holiday you celebrate, you are likely deep in the planning, weaving, and finishing stages of one or more (many more, for some!) projects. You […]

How to choose colors that stay bright in handwoven cloth

One of the challenges in weaving is brilliantly colored yarns that turn into a dull color when woven together. This can produce fascinating results…but very often, it’s not what you anticipated or wanted. If this is happening to you, how do you choose colors avoid getting “muddy” cloth? It turns out to be quite simple. […]

Tien’s Top 10 – Books on Color in Weaving

Looking for study resources? Here are Tien’s top ten books for studying color in weaving, visual design, and the design process. Color Theory Color and Fiber, by Patricia Lambert, Barbara Staepelare, and Mary G. Fry. The best book available about color in the fiber arts, it covers color theory extensively and discusses how each aspect […]

How to ice dye yarns for beautiful, unique weaving

Ice dyeing is a fun and easy summer project that requires very little room, time and equipment. The results are delightfully unpredictable and never the same! How it works: Ice dyeing is done with cellulose fiber such as cotton, linen, hemp, and rayon using fiber-reactive dyes. Silk can also be used, but colors will impact […]

Pride

Pride frequently gets a bad “rap,” confused with arrogance. But it’s essential to a creative life.

What four prides will power up your weaving? Read on.