Tag Archives: Folkwear patterns

The other day, I had a big ‘aha’ moment.

My husband is a jazz musician and composer and completely awesome bundle of wonderfulness, and I love weaving beeeeeuuuuutiful shirts for him to wear when he’s performing. (last year’s Jazz festival shirt: Link).

I have been weaving away on fabric to make him a new shirt for this year’s Jazz Festival, LINK

But…. oops… it’s cream and ecru with lotsa colors…. and, the color that the guys mostly wear to perform in is black.

Our daughter made Jim a gorgeous black shirt from the Folkwear Victorian Gentleman’s shirt pattern, so it’s kinda dumb to weave him another one….. sooooooooooooooo the big AHA was…………… weave him a VEST!!!!!!

Ding! Lights go on, whee’s and skippetty hops and happy dances ensue….

When our son got married, I used the Folkwear pattern to make him and my hubby kilts, (oh my word.. the grooms men, hubby and our son, all wore kilts and they looked FABULOUS…).

The kilt pattern has a really spiffy vest pattern, which Jim likes (that’s essential- why make it if he doesn’t like it?)

Oh oh, whenever I go on the Folkwear pattern site, it makes me want to buy more patterns. I love their patterns and have been wearing them for more than 3 decades. We actually got married in clothing I sewed from Folkwear patterns, and our children grew up in Folkwear.

(No profit, affiliations etc, just love their patterns)

Okay, just had a brief noodle through their website, and am seriously in love with the Siberian Parka….. hmmmm… that would be fun to weave the fabric for…. hmmmmmm.

Anyhow…. in the midst of meeting design deadlines, and new projects that are so delicious and tantalizing and time consuming,

I am in the throes of weaving up narrow bands for this vest, and loving it!

The vintage Structo looms are kind of like the ‘Featherweight’ sewing machine – tiny, perfectly formed workhorses that are beautifully engineered and much sought after.

Although, after I spent hours the other evening, warping the black cotton, I would have cheerfully sold the blessed loom to the first taker. (Warping black thread at night is not so much fun).

Luckily, I got over my snit, and am now utterly enchanted and weaving merrily away.

Which is good, as the Jazz festival is getting closer and closer…. eep… I need to go meet some deadlines and then get weaving!

😀  Happy weaving!

PS: I carved the shuttle in the photo a few years ago.  🙂

My dear friend, Terri Bibby, is a Saori teacher and weaver extraordinaire, who told me about some shuttles that don’t have a metal rod through them.

This intrigued me, so I made myself one to see how I liked it.

I absolutely love it. I made it small and low profile to fit the small shed of  Structo and Peacock looms. Thumbs up, indeed!