Jahanara's E-Portfolio » Uncategorized

William Jefferies Tapestry Workshop!

weavemage — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:48:36 +0000

Well it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here. I’ve been busy with many other things. I did finally take some time out for weaving related things!
I traveled to London to participate in a William Jefferies Tapestry Workshop hosted by the Handweavers Studio!
This was a very exciting trip, because this was my first time taking a Jefferies workshop and my first visit to the new HWS locale!. The new shop space is fantastic. It’s got most of the same great products we’ve come to expect from HWS, but in a more spacious and well lit environment.
The workshop was also everything I expected. William is a fantastic weaver and teacher. I went to the workshop hoping to learn how to weave a circular tapestry and to learn soumac, so I can begin to weave tapestries in the 7th C Persian style! I learned both these techniques and so much more.
William has a style of weaving that is very different to what I had learned so far. I learned how to more efficiently use my tapestry bobbins, how to effieciently work with several bobbins and a better way of ending and beginning with new threads! I was able to weave a roundel and incorporate soumac into the tapsetry.
I also learned so much about teaching weaving! William has a very organic style of teaching, which really lends itself to tapestry weaving. His teaching style is very much like tapestry weaving himself. He doesn’t talk about what you’re going to do. He demonstrates and gets you started on each step without bogging his students down with too much vocabulary or too many instructions all at once. He also doesn’t have students work with cartoons right away.
This really threw me in the beginning, but by lunch time I realized this is an excellent way to get students tucked into their weaving and that once students are comfortable with what they’re doing you can talk about cartoons, vocabulary etc.
This workshop has really improved my weaving and I think will prove to help me improve my own weaving teaching style.
Namaste,
Jahanara

Diamond Twill Hood

weavemage — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:42:27 +0000

Started this lovely diamond twill fabric, which will later be made into a hood for my partner, Eldgrimr. The threading isn’t perfect and I need to comtemplate fixing the threading errors. I think fixing two of them would just mean rewarping a few threads, however the last one may mean rewarping about 30 or so threads. That one may stay as it’s less noticeable than the others and threading errors are period!

Though I know I’d be happier with the time spent if I suck it up now and rewarp the errors!

It’s been a wonderful journey already, watching the lovely yellow wool go onto the loom, then fixing a few initial errors and finally now beginning to weave. There is something very satisfactory in weaving cloth as our oldest ancestors had done, rigid heddles have been found as far back as the Roman Era. The weaving is a bit slower than my 4 shaft floor loom, in terms of weaving. The differences trade off, this style weaving warps much faster, but weaves a bit slower. The floor loom takes a bit more time to warp (or seems to), but the weaving is much faster. I’m not sure if I will continue weaving textiles for Medieval re-enactment using this authentic equipment, or if I will choose to use my modern loom and weave even more cloth more quickly! This rigid heddle loom is still a modern loom with modern rigid heddles, so it’s a bit 50/50 in regards to that as well.

Alas my quest continues!

The wheels are turning

weavemage — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:57:00 +0000

As I wrap up the robe project. I’ve started on a matching hat (see previous post), that will be embroidered with gold vines and green leaves, as well as one gold crescent moon. The crescent moon is a symbol of our burgeoning Principality. I’ve also been letting the idea of a 7th Century Persian diadem, in silk and rich embroidery. I have decided to style this after the image below. The hat will mimic the look of the hair, without the top knot. The cloth bit will be about 3″ tall with a band of gold silk embroidery encompassing green embroidered ivy. I will include three gold embroidered roundels, compassing a single purple lotus blossom each. I hope to mock up a solid purple filet for the upcoming Coronet Tourney to see if my current pattern for this will work, before spending the time embroidering the final product.

The matching robe, can be worn as shown below, or more often worn as a jacket. I hope to evoke the same imagery with my latest 7th C Sasanid ensemble.

This is a 7th Century Sasanian Plate, depicting a banqueting couple. The diadem showing their royal status.

7th C Persian Hat

weavemage — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:04:43 +0000

Embroidery begun

Oppulence and Whew!!!

weavemage — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:37:18 +0000

Nearly done! I now have to patiently wait while the lining settles before putting on the finishing touches!

Opulence

weavemage — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:19:00 +0000

I’ve been working my fingers and sewing machine to their nubs making a set of matching Persian and Viking robes for my partner, Eldgrimr, and me! I’ve just gotten down to the last bit of work to do on his Viking robe. He is out of town, so his will have to go on hold for over a week. Lacking the actual model to try the robe on, I put it on myself (as our measurements differ only slightly). The only word I can use to describe this robe is opulence. The vibrancy of the blue and gold colours scream opulence. The feel of the silk, opulence. There is no other word, except perhaps luscious!

Be hold opulence in textiles.

Timeline

weavemage — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:28:21 +0000

The first Insulae Draconis Coronet Tourney is only three weeks away. I have put a lot of work into making this happen. So even though my sweetie and I are not participating in the Tournament, I want us to look our best to show how proud we are in this momentous step forward for our region. So in three short weeks, I want to accomplish the following:

2 Blue Robes

Outers sewn already
Sew Liners x2
Sew Liners into Robes x 2

Matching Persian Hat
Trace out gloves and liners
Embroider outer gloves ?
Sew liners, so they can be worn as gloves on the day?

Check one off the list

weavemage — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:22:34 +0000

Whew, I’ve finished the hoods for Thorvaldr and Fiona. My goal is to have these, a pair of robes (for Elgrimr and I), a sew of embroidered gloves and perhaps a headpiece done for Coronet in just a few weeks. If I complete 1 project per week, which is fairly reasonable for the robes but not as reasonable for the embroidery, it can be done! We’ll see how that goes. For now I’m just so happy to have one this off the list!

Decadence in Weaving!

weavemage — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:40:17 +0000

The chimney was swept, hopefully with care, on Monday! Since then my partner has been plying his skills in firemaking! This has lead to many nights by the fire in the studio. I find it very relaxing to weave with the crackle of the fire place and his company. I’ve managedd to get half way through my colour gamp samplers, as well as getting some sewing, and planning done.

So here are the fruits of my efforts:

I’ve got it!

weavemage — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:25:46 +0000

Thanks to YarninmyPocket and all those who helpd answer my questions on Weavolution and Raverly! I finally got my head wrapped around the 2/1 rigid heddle twill. Thank goodness I asked for help when I did. It only took me one evening to redo the first half of the stripes, plus I got another one too! So i’ve got 9 stripes through the back heddle. The front heddle should go even faster!

The crazy thing is that once I stopped thinking of it as a rigid heddle draft and strated thinking of it as a normal draft it all clicked! I’ve got to say that I would love to be able to attend regular local guild meetings, but in the absence of that Raverly and WWeavolution are really just as good if not better, because they’re always there!