All the looms in my studio have been full of happy warps.
As well as working oh so hard on a couple of new books (one on potholder loom weaving and one on Lily Speed-O-Weave looms) as well as designing for magazines, I have been weaving up a storm.
Here’s a little of what’s going on:
copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay
I am working on a new freeform weaving jacket that is all in creams, whites and naturals. This is the first sleeve.
copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay
There are several yards of the jacket fabric on ‘Patient Zillah’, my ‘paper doll’ manequin- the jacket fabric is the widest, plain cream, highly textured layer under amost a hundred yards of narrow strips of fabric. I wove the jacket fabric on a rigid heddle loom.
copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay
I am also working on a tunic or shirt for me and am going to be piecing strips of narrow fabric together for it.
The narrower lengths of fabric were woven on my Structo loom.
copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay
I am madly in love with small loom weaving, and dearly love my old vintage looms.
I have had to do some fixing up to make it work, but it’s been pure delight to get it fully functional again.
I put really really long warps on them and have had a delightful time playing with clasped wefts as well as different patterns.
I love the freeform philosophy of weaving- it’s all about feeling free to play and express your creativity in any way that ignites your imagination.
So, when I was learning the ins and outs and ups and downs of the Structo looms, I felt quite free to change my flight plan whenever I got bored with a pattern or became interested in a new one. It’s all about the learning process and I love that.
My shirt/tunic will be a record of some very playful weaving.
I am hoping that he will let me break loose and weave him a much ‘jazzier’ vest to go over the serene shirt!!!
I wanted to do a beautiful, artsy photo of the miles of fabric, draped over the branches of the apple tree that is right outside the studio window. It’s heavenly – stuffed full of glorious blossoms, and oh so beautiful!
BUT!
The mosquitoes are so vicious and the clouds of them are SO intense, that I am barely able to go outside, let alone be draping miles of fabric in the tree! so, you’ll have to use your imagination, and just envision all kinds of lovely fabric strips hanging in this tree:
copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay
Would you like to see a little of what I have been up to with my potholder looms in the last year, as I work on the new book?
copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay
This is the ‘Gossamer Wings Woven Butterfly Shawl’ to weave on the Potholder loom.
I love this shawl so much that I decided to release it as a stand alone pattern.
You can read all about it, and order the pattern, if you’d like, 🙂 at:
http://www.crone-findlay.com/Crone-FindlayCreationsPotholderLoomWeaving.html
I decided to take a little break and finish the book on weaving on the Lily Speed-O-Weave loom.
I’ve been working on this book, on and off for several years, and finally, after a whole bunch of people have sent me notes, asking for it, I decided: Okay… Just do it!
Of course, I totally under-estimated how long it would take to do it, as I have been re-writing, re-photographing, photo-shopping, then re-doing it all over and over… you know how it goes in the editing and polishing… and besides, I got all inspired and excited and came up with a whole bunch of new projects.
One of the things that struck me this week, is that I really needed to put in at least one project that shows a traditional pattern on the Lily Speed-O-Weave. I have been so busy with coming up with innovative ways of working with the looms, that I forgot that there will be people who want some of the ‘classic’ stuff, too.
So, here’s for the fans of the ‘classics’…. the standard flower pattern…. although, I present it in a way that is a heck of a lot easier to understand than some of the old old booklets.
copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay
So, there you have it! A little of what’s been going on in my studio!
Happy springtime and happy yarntime!
And, as always, big hugs all round 🙂
Tottie Talks Crafts Blog 
Oh my goodness! You HAVE been busy – wonderfully busy. Lovely lovely work Noreen. I’ll look forward to seeing the finished pieces, but the work in progress is just gorgeous.
Happy Weaving!
Terri
LikeLike
Thank you so much, Terri! And… LOL… I didn’t show the guzbillion projects from the new books… (huge grins)
It has been a busy and productive time!
🙂
LikeLike
Wow, Noreen. The saori woven yardage is beautiful. Can’t wait to see your finished garments. What fiber are you making your musician husband’s shirt of? Bet its going to look great with all that music surrounding it.
We’ve inherited a few older looms over the years, too, and I love to work on them. And saori weaving is perfect for getting the creative juices flowing, IMHO. Just need more time. Or maybe I should write a book to give me an excuse to play on them, too. Hmmm. How could I wing that one? Do you think the sheep would believe it? I just have to play, er I mean work, on this little loom for a while longer yet, you see I’m working on a book. gggggg.
LikeLike
Hi Chris
Thanks so much!
Jim’s shirt is a combination of cotton and mystery thread from my stash. I hope it’s going to be super comfortable and feel like a loving embrace when he wears it!
Oh, I sure hear you when you speak of wishing for more hours in the day! And, maybe more minutes in those hours? Yes.. that would be so good!
Inspiration is never an issue is it? 🙂
And, if you feel that you have a book in you, then definitely get started on it. The wonderful thing about self publishing is that there is no deadline – you simply start at the beginning and keep working until it’s done. And, then keep working some more and more and more, because it’s never ~really~ done LOL!!!!! Somehow, you’ll work it in around your sheepie’s needs….
What kind of old looms have you inherited? I have such a soft spot for vintage looms. 🙂
LikeLike
Wonderful imaginative fabrics as usual! I love the butterfly shawl,you are such a wicked enabler, 😉 ! And that Speed-o-Weave book has just hit my wish list. I never got the original instructions with my old loom and I’m sure yours will be far more interesting and fun!
LikeLike
Hi Caroline
Thank you so much!
I am having such a wonderful time weaving the yardage for all the various celebrations of summer 🙂
I am very excited about the Speed-O-Weave loom book- I have been having a blast coming up with neat ways of working with the Speed-O-Weaves!
LikeLike
Oh! Oh! Oh! Such beauty! These are breath-sucked-in, mouth-watering images. I am in awe of your creativity and your energy.
LikeLike
Hi Aleksa
Aw, thank you thank you thank you! 😀 😀 😀
LikeLike
OOh, I’m very excited you’re working on a Speed O Weave book – I’ve got several sets around here. I’ve also got a couple of vintage Straits Adjustable Looms, one came in perfect condition original box w/instructions and little sample yarns.
LikeLike
Hi Zann
As you know, I love playing with geometry, and learning about sacred geometry, so that adds another layer of interest for me. Working with hexagons is intriguing on so many levels! There is the process of figuring out all the different stitch structures that you can achieve on a hexagon, (very different than on a square) and then, how to work with the finished hexagons. It’s all fascinating!
I hope that you will be pleased with my explorations!
🙂 And, to make the book even more comprehensive, I am including a section on working with the square/rectangular Lily Speed-O-Weave looms, so that information might be transferable to your Straits looms. Otherwise, I would use them like a potholder loom. 🙂
LikeLike
Really beautiful !!! You always have wonderful ideas .
LikeLike
Thank you so much, Alice!
Big grins here, because I haven’t posted pics of the TONS of other fun fun fun stuff that I have on the go!
But, will keep working on it so that I CAN share the photos! 😀
LikeLike
i found you va you tube. love how you teach. i have one quick question thou….. on the “How to weave with yarn on the potholder loom” i follow what you are doing till you get the last peg. it only has two yarns on it as the others have 4. do you just work it with the next to the last one or do you work it by it’s self?
hope i make sense. if not let me know and i’ll send a picture of what i am tring to say
thanks
lori
LikeLike
never mind i figured out what i was doing wrong.
thanks
LikeLike
Pingback: Sewing a tunic from fabric handwoven on a vintage Structo Loom | Tottie Talks Crafts Blog