Category Archives: tutorial & how to

Quick tip for cutting hand woven fabric

So many people are afraid to cut their handwoven fabric….

BUT…. conquering the fear of snipping means that you can chop away with great gusto and whip up fabulous, one of a kind garments and accessories! So, YAY!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.crone-findlay.com

I was cutting out a spiffy hat today, and it struck me that I should make a quick little video to show what I do to cut off a length of fabric from my main piece of hand woven. So here’s what I do when I am cutting out the pieces for a project:

2 Comments

Filed under Loom & looms & small loom weaving, tutorial & how to, video tutorial, weaving & handwoven

Steampunk Broach with woven fabric and an upcycled juice can lid

I love weaving jewelry, and I love upcycling.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.crone-findlay.com

So, I have combined these loves by using upcycled elements in some really fun Steampunk inspired broaches that I have designed and made.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.crone-findlay.com

  I weave the backgrounds for the broaches with the Schacht Zoom loom (the new version of the classic Weave It loom).

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.crone-findlay.com

Then, using the lid and base from frozen orange juice cans, I build fab broaches.

I combine all kinds of things, like tatting, found objects, various embellishments that I make, as well as crocheted and woven wire.

This video shows how I do it.

4 Comments

Filed under eco crafts & green projects, jewelry, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, tutorial & how to, video tutorial, weaving & handwoven

How to weave a shoulder bag on the 14 inch triangle loom

Last week, I posted a video tutorial on how to weave a bag using the 3 foot triangle loom LINK

I’ve also designed a shoulder bag to weave on the 14 inch triangle loom, with a little help from weaving sticks :)

This bag is a great way to showcase handspun yarns, art yarns, tarn or other special yarns.

It’s VERY comfortable to wear across your body.

Wearing across like this keeps it closed.

If you don’t wear your bag across, then you’ll want to make a shorter strap, and add a button at the ‘V’.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.crone-findlay.com

The bag is made of 4 triangles woven on the 14 inch Dewberry Ridge triangle loom LINK

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.crone-findlay.com

The hypotenuse of the triangles have cords made on the lucet (a spool knitter works just as well) to stabilize the edges.

The sides, base and handle are woven as one continuous piece on 6 weaving sticks.

(For more fab things to do with stick weaving looms, please check out this page on my website: LINK)

There’s a pocket on the front and also on the back of the bag, for business cards, glasses, cellphones, lip gloss, etc.

I made a video tutorial (with the usual assistance of my dogs… palm to forehead) showing how to make this spiffy shoulder bag:

6 Comments

Filed under Loom & looms & small loom weaving, Peg and Stick Loom weaving, tutorial & how to, weaving & handwoven

Correction for the Boho Bag video link

Oops… in the previous post, the link to the video was not working.

Sorry about that!

Here’s the correct link to the video:

Happy weaving!

6 Comments

Filed under tutorial & how to, weaving & handwoven, Loom & looms & small loom weaving

How to weave a boho or hobo bag on the triangle loom

My daughter sewed me a couple of gorgeous triangle shaped bags that got me thinking….

‘Hmmmm…. could I weave a triangular shaped bag?’

And, the answer was so obvious that it was a palm to forehead moment!

Duh! Use the triangle loom!

So, I did, and here’s the result:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay
http://www.crone-findlay.com

The easiest bag ~ever~!!!!

These bags are so comfortable to use- they hug your body!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.crone-findlay.com

I designed it so there are 2 pockets on the outside for glasses, cellphone, business cards, lip gloss etc

I wove mine on the 3 foot configuration of my Dewberry Ridge Triangle loom LINK to their site.

But, you could weave it on the 6 foot configuration, too, if you prefer.

Demonstrating with the full size triangles was too hard to get into the screen of the video camera,

so I used triangles woven on my 14 inch triangle:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.crone-findlay.com

The finished bag is about 24 inches from the tip of the handle to the base point and about 18 inches across:

It’s such a fun and easy bag to make, I know that I am going to be making a whole lot more of them!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay http://www.crone-findlay.com

Here’s the video tutorial on how to make them:

5 Comments

Filed under gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, tutorial & how to, weaving & handwoven

Video tutorial How to weave on the triangle loom

Weaving triangles on the tri loom is great fun, and very easy, too.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

This video tutorial demonstrates on a small Dewberry Ridge Looms triangle loom, but the technique is the same, no matter what size the loom.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

Weaving a triangle isn’t just weaving a triangle- they can be combined to make squares and rectangles, so your design possibilities are completely unlimited!

I used the 14 inch triangle loom from Dewberry Ridge Looms to weave a stole for my daughter:  Link

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

And I made a video tutorial on  how I used tambour crochet to decorate the triangles: Link

Of course, you can use a tri loom to weave triangular shawls, too…. LINK

triangle-loom-dragonfly-shawl-copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

triangle-loom-dragonfly-shawl-copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

or blankets: LINK

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

or Cowls: LINK

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

 

Dewberry Ridge Looms can be ordered from dewberryridge.com/

Happy Weaving!

2 Comments

Filed under Loom & looms & small loom weaving, tutorial & how to, weaving & handwoven

Weaving a placemat with fabric strips

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

Our placemats (is that a Canadianism? Does the rest of the world say ‘table mats’?) are all looking shabby, so I decided to weave up some new ones.

I love upcycling, so I am using fabric strips to weave the placemats.

I decided to weave the placemats on my 14 inch Dewberry Ridge ‘Lil Weaver’.

I know that this is slightly narrower than conventional placemats, but I figured that when we have the whole family around the table, that the squares will fit better than rectangles.

Because fabric strips are hefty, I decided to work over 2 nails at a time. The nails on the loom are too close together to work well with fabric strips, are lovely when you use 2 at a time.

Also…. there are a couple of secret tips that make weaving with fabric strips go so much more easily….

Here’s the video tute, and happy weaving!

10 Comments

Filed under eco crafts & green projects, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, tutorial & how to, weaving & handwoven

How to weave a hexagon using continuous warping and weaving techniques on the Lily Speed O Weave loom

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

A couple of years ago, when I was working on the designs for The Lily Speed O Weave design book LINK,

I figured out how to weave a hexagon on the loom, using continuous weaving methods.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

The method is slightly tricky (it took me a LOT of experimenting to figure it out!) and has one disadvantage….

You have to use quite bulky yarn or else the hexagon is really loopy and open meshy (aka ‘sleazy’).

I decided that this made it not worthwhile to share the technique, as the knotting technique that was traditional for the Lily Speed O Weave loom allowed you to use absolutely any weight of yarn or thread.

Besides, I had figured out a way of speeding up and streamlining the knotting process, so I decided to just go with that.

But, a few days ago, a lady on Ravelry asked if anyone knew how to weave continuously on the hex loom and wasn’t into the knotting technique.

So, I figured…. okay…. I’ll make a video showing how to do this….

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

The secret to weaving continuously on the Lily Speed O weave looms?

Mashing up triangle loom weaving techniques with the continuous weaving technique of the potholder loom.

AND>>>> There’s a VERY important switcheroo that you have to make, mid-stream, as it were.  :)

Once you have mastered the technique, it’s REALLY quick and easy to weave up hexagons on the Lily Speed O Weave loom!

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

And, here’s the video to show you how to do it:

Happy Hexagons! :)

 

 

 

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Loom & looms & small loom weaving, tutorial & how to, weaving & handwoven

An easier way to weave hearts on the little heart loom

The other evening, I figured out a much easier way to weave hearts on the little heart loom that I designed, and Gary McFarland of Dewberry Ridge Looms makes.

A new & better way to weave a heart on the Dewberry Ridge Heart Loom by Noreen Crone-Findlay (c)

Here’s the new video, showing how to weave hearts this easy peasy way:

And, if you click ‘Heart Loom’ in the categories, you’ll find lots of links for yummy things to  make with the heart looms :)

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

To order a heart loom,  click this link to Dewberry Ridge Looms: Heart Looms

You can weave a Valentine!

4 Comments

Filed under Heart Loom, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, tutorial & how to, weaving & handwoven

Weaving Baskets on Small Looms

I love weaving baskets on small looms.

I have just released a new pattern that has step by step photos showing how to weave these gorgeous baskets, using the easiest little loom ever made, the weaving stick loom:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

This basket was woven with paper ribbon and embellished with buttons that I made from arbutus twigs and coconut shells.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

The heart shaped basket has a plywood heart base (the template for the heart  is included in the pattern).

Here, the heart basket is woven with art yarn:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

Workshop participants who were learning how to weave the baskets asked me:

What can we use these baskets for?

Anything that fits in them that you want to keep organized!  Beads, hair clips, packages of smallness, buttons, thread, bobbins, yarn….

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

The large oval basket in the photo above was woven with strips of torn fabric, so it’s a great eco option.

The yo yo flowers that embellish it’s side are made from scraps of upcycled fabric. (The instructions on how to make the yo yo circles are also included in the pattern).

This basket is great for holding fruit or heaps of little green tomatoes while they ripen, or anything else your heart desires.

Because it’s made of cloth, if it gets soiled, it can just be rinsed clean.

 

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

The green round basket is woven in the same way as the pink and blue one in the photo below, but I pulled up on the warp strands of the upper edges of the green one to curve it in.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

So you can see that a small change makes a huge difference in the look of the basket.

I did the same thing to curve the top edge of the black oval shaped basket that is woven in exactly the same way as the paper ribbon basket.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

The yarn that you use (combine several strands to get neat effects) and how you embellish the basket will guarantee that each basket that you make is totally unique.

The pattern can be ordered from: LINK

Another set of baskets that I designed has recently been released on the Lion Brand website.

I designed some rectangular baskets, embellished with dragonflies, for the Martha Stewart loom.

dragonfly basket designed by Noreen Crone-Findlay

There are 2 different sizes, and the pattern is free.  LINK

Happy weaving, and may your life have baskets full of joy! :)

 

6 Comments

Filed under tutorial & how to, eco crafts & green projects, weaving & handwoven, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, Peg and Stick Loom weaving