Tag Archives: hand woven

October 9, 2013 · 12:16 pm

Woven Women: Mother Holdfast

The last year and a half or so has been quite a roller coaster ride with worry/anguish/anxiety over our daughter’s health issues. I cannot even put into words what we’ve gone through, so I won’t….

But, things have resolved, and she’s come through surgery and now radiation, with flying colors, so we are all relieved beyond belief.

In the midst of dealing with our daughter’s healing process, our daughter in law suffered a miscarriage, which threw us into more grieving. Things were mighty, mighty rough.

I felt like I had to keep a very tight lid on the volcano of emotions- the worry, fear, uncertainty, sorrow, anguish, grief- you know – all that stuff that roils up when your beloved children are having a hard time.

Plus, we were all working our socks off all summer while dealing with all of this, and it just was so intense that it meant that I simply had to hold a very very tight focus, emotionally.

And, now that we have come through this harrowing passage, I am slowly releasing all that pent up stuff…

For me, the most healing way of doing that is in making art….

This is the direct result of the beginning of the process of transforming my volcano of emotion into a positive expression of beauty, while using all that energy in a directed way.

My husband and I took a break for a weekend at the beginning of September, and went to the west coast to visit sisters.

We came home with our suitcases full of driftwood, sea glass and seaweed- some of my most favorite raw materials, ever.

Three of the pieces of driftwood in particular called out to me.

So did a dried up kelp root, called, a ‘holdfast’, that one of my sisters gave to me- she has treasured it for a long time, and so it’s very precious.

The metaphor of ‘holdfast’, of roots holding a great kelp tree anchored in the ocean spoke so deeply to me as a symbol of what I, as the mother of young women and their loved ones in a time of troubles, was called to do in holding the energy for my family.

So, the name: Mother Holdfast rings true for me.

Here is the holdfast, being held fast in ‘Mother Holdfast’s hands…. which I made from wire.

One of the pieces of driftwood became the head of ‘Mother Holdfast’:

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay www.crone-findlay.com

Another piece of driftwood became her shoulders, and the third one became part of her upper arm:

As soon as I drew, then burned the face onto the ‘head’ piece of driftwood, Mother Holdfast let me know exactly what colors and textures she wanted me to weave.

So, I warped up and wove at a feverish, furious pace…..

And, then, I started layering, stitching, layering more, weaving more….

Until Mother Holdfast was complete….

She is TALL! She is almost 6 feet 6 inches tall….

As well as my woven fabrics and inkle bands, I have also stitched and woven in antique and vintage lace fragments, tatting (tatting goes with me everywhere, and keeps me sane when I am having to wait or watch or…), smaller fragments of driftwood and seaweed, and spool knitted wire cords that I filled with sea glass.

Here’s the lower part of her dress:

‘Mother Holdfast’ has been a powerful healing experience for me to create.

One of my dear friends was looking at her, and then turned and asked me:

‘So, my dear, what does she want you to do next? Where will she lead you?’

An interesting question, indeed…..

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Filed under Loom & looms & small loom weaving, Uncategorized, weaving & handwoven, Woven Women tapestries and woven works

Tagged as 'mother holdfast', hand weaving, hand woven, multimedia tapestry by Noreen Crone-Findlay, Noreen Crone-Findlay, weaving as a healing art, Woven Women

October 5, 2013 · 11:39 am

Geometric Butterfly Motif to weave on the potholder loom

For the last couple of years, I have been working on a new design for the potholder loom.

It’s for a Geometric Butterfly motif- and I have finally finished the pattern for it, and for a bag and wrap made using it.

I have listed the pdf pattern on my website on the potholder loom page LINK

The Geometric Butterfly motif is wonderful for bags:

and wraps

It would also make beautiful prayer flags, pillows, afghans, vests, throws, wall hangings, table runners and whatever else your heart desires.

It’s a great way to showcase handspun yarns, but commercial yarns work just fine with it.

Tarn, or t shirt yarn is also great in the Geometric Butterfly pattern.

The pattern has full color step by step photos and diagrams, and comes with links to helpful videos.

There is a separate pdf that has all the step by step photos and instructions for how to weave all the different shapes on the potholder loom.

Isn’t it amazing what you can do on the simple potholder loom? 🙂

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Filed under Loom & looms & small loom weaving, potholder loom, weaving & handwoven

Tagged as butterfly motif, Butterfly pattern, Geometric Butterfly motif, hand weaving, hand woven, Noreen Crone-Findlay, pdf pattern, potholder loom, small loom weaving, woven accessories, woven bag, woven shawl, woven stole, woven wrap

September 20, 2013 · 7:25 pm

New woven vest with hood

Several months ago, a young woman looked at my woven vests, and then asked if I could weave a vest with a hood on it.

I’d never thought of that… but decided that it was a very good idea indeed!

I’ve been mulling it over, and wove up some fabric for it.

I wanted to add a narrow band that would go up the fronts and around the opening of the hood.

On the Saori group on Ravelry, there is an ongoing conversation about weaving with 7 warp strands.

Well, why not?

So…. I choose 7 different yarns/threads for my warp:

Because I love weaving little square motifs, I combined sock yarns, embroidery floss and various yarns and threads while weaving clasped weft technique.

I wove the band on my Saori loom.

When I finished, the narrow band was just slightly short of 9 yards long.

Golden retrievers are so gracious about modelling!

I didn’t use a pattern.

I just draped the fabric on myself and on ‘Patient Zillah’, the mannequin I made from cardboard and wood:

When the hood is down, it gives a lovely shawl collar.

I decided against stitching a button on, and just pin it closed.

Wow… I look so cross-eyed! (My husband thinks I should have let him take the pictures LOL)

The navy blue edging is spool knitted cord.

There is a problem with this new vest. 😦

I was planning on selling it, but I have fallen in love with it, so, I am clutching it to my heart, and it stays with me 🙂

19 Comments

Filed under weaving & handwoven

Tagged as hand weaving, hand woven, hooded vest, Saori weaving, weaving garnments, woven garments, woven vest

May 21, 2013 · 5:53 pm

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!

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:

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

Tagged as cutting hand woven fabric, fearless stitching, hand weaving, hand woven, handwoven fabric, how to cut handwoven fabric, sewing handwoven fabric, sewing techniques, textile techniques, video tutorial

April 18, 2013 · 4:23 pm

DIY How to turn a computer desk into a loom stand with treadles

A couple of months ago, I bought the neatest loom on Kijiji.

It’s a 2 harness Leclerc table loom, with a weaving width of 20 inches.

It’s a joy to weave on, but my tendons were grousing about the side levers and my back was honking at me.

I figured that there had to be a cheap and cheerful way to build a stand with treadles for it….

and VOILA!!!!! (happy dance)

I have just figured out how to do it! Wheeeeeeeee!

Several years ago, we bought a metal Ikea computer desk at the thrift store.

I didn’t like having half of the top attached at an angle.

So my beloved DH, Jim and I drilled some holes, took the angled section off and re-attached it so it was nice and flat.

I had passed the desk along to my daughter and her husband, and when they gave it back to me last week, I was inspired.

First, to make the desk a comfortable height for weaving, I cut 3 inches off the legs with a pipe cutter- whew!

That was HARD work!

I mulled over how to attach the loom to the top of the desk, as it was just a hare’s breath away from fitting properly.

I took the top apart and played with the sections to see if I could come up with a workable solution- and then- woohoo!

I discovered that the chanels for a sliding mouse pad section that were supposed to be on the under side of the desk top, fitted the crosspiece of the loom perfectly! Jubilation!

I zip tied the sides of the loom to the desk and was happy as a clam…..

except…. for the pesky owees of the tendons grizzling about the side levels, and my back spazzing out on me.

Hmmmmm…..

Inspiration! add lamms and treadles!

I started by cutting a support piece at the side, and bolting it to the side of the stand.

I used 2 angle brackets as the support for the lamms (with a little block to fill in excess space).

Then, I drilled holes in the lamms for cords to the levers and to the treadles.

I tied the lamms to the levers and was verrrrrrrry pleased! Things were moving along quite nicely!

There had to be a way of supporting and securing the treadles, so I used a board from an old pallet, and drilled 2 holes for the legs. Poifeck.

I had a 6 inch length of threaded 1/4 inch steel rod, which I ran through the treadles (which I had cut out of scrap lumber).

The treadles were too wide at first, so I cut dippsy doodles into them to make them fit better.

The most frustrating part of the whole process was finding nuts that would go onto the threaded rod. Grrrrrrrrr!

I finally ended up filing the ends of the rod, as I just couldn’t get anything to thread onto the rod. Once I did that, zip! on went 2 nuts, happy as can be.

I screwed the whole treadle mechanism to the crossboard on the floor, and tied the treadles to the lamms…..

and held my breath…… what if it didn’t work? eep….. that would have been 3 hours down the tubes….

BUT! Joy! and whee and halleujah! It works like a dream!

So, if you would like to have a floor loom, but don’t have the ca$h, watch for a table loom on the various online places, and convert a desk into a stand for it.

You’ll need to have some basic carpentry skills, and I couldn’t have managed drilling the holes through the sides of the treadles without a drill press, but I bet you could do it if you had to.

Here’s the video that I made about how to convert a computer desk into a loom stand with treadles:

Here are some notes to keep in mind if you would like to adapt my project for your table loom:

Things to look for in a desk or table that you want to use for a loom stand:
1: Being able to bolt or screw the lamm support piece along the left hand side of the table/desk legs is essential.
2: Being able to shorten the legs to drop the height of the table to a comfortable ergonomic height is also essential.
3: Being able to attach the loom to the table is one more essential. (Clamps? Zip ties? A channel like the one on mine was a piece of beautiful serendipity)

7 Comments

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

Tagged as diy, eco project, green project, hand woven, how to hack an old Ikea desk into a loom stand, how to turn a computer desk into a loom stand, Leclerc table loom, loom stand, Noreen Crone-Findlay, treadles, video tutorial, weaving

March 22, 2013 · 11:13 am

Woven Women- Our Lady of the Waters

Today, on facebook, the National Parks of Canada said that it is ‘World Wide Water Day’.

So, I decided to post a photo of my newest tapestry:’ Woven Women: Our Lady of the Waters’

And, here is her poem:

Our Lady of the Waters

Moving in us, through us-

Fill us with awe

with wonder

at the beauty

the Every Thing….

Fill us with delight

in the power of

the sacred drop of water.

What color is water?

It is, ‘Yes’.

It is, ‘Life’.

It is ALL.

‘Woven Women- Our Lady of the Waters’ is a mixed media tapestry, including wool yarn, stones, wire and pounded metal.

I wove her with several different looms: A tapestry loom, a 2 harness table loom, a 2 harness Saori floor loom, a peg loom and also used a spool knitter.

She’s 28 inches tall by 11 1/2 inches wide.

I think that she is probably my favorite piece that I have ever woven.

Here’s a closeup of a section that I wove on the table loom at 15 epi.

I used tabby, inlay, soumak, clasped weft and embroidery.

It was VERY slow to weave:

14 Comments

Filed under Loom & looms & small loom weaving, Peg and Stick Loom weaving, tapestry, weaving & handwoven, Woven Women tapestries and woven works

Tagged as 'Our Lady of the Waters' by Noreen Crone-Findlay, ecology, hand woven, mixed media, nature, spool knitter, tapestry, tapestry about water, the environment, woven, Woven Women tapestry

March 1, 2013 · 4:27 pm

Woven Women- Sun setting, Moon rising

This week’s Woven Women tapestry has a long title:

Sun setting

Moon rising

Small wave at ocean’s edge

touches Her foot…..

Woven 2012-2013

7 inches wide by 14 inches tall

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Filed under Loom & looms & small loom weaving, tapestry, Woven Women tapestries and woven works

Tagged as Goddess image, Goddess tapestry, hand weaving, hand woven, tapestries, Woven Women tapestry by Noreen Crone-Findlay

February 23, 2013 · 9:52 am

Woven Women- In the Heart of the Flower

In the deep mid-winter, I long for flowers.

My studio is full of plants that bloom, and I am grateful for their beauty.

Even though I can’t have flowers growing outside in the deep deep snow and ice,

I can dream of flowers and weave yarn songs to blossoms and blooming……

Here is my homage to flowers and blossoms:

She is 15 inches wide by 39 inches tall.

See: Woven Women-Dreaming the Well LINK for a photo of how I weave these tapestries on peg looms.

Woven Women- Out of the Mist

My mother passed away recently, and one of the ways that I have been processing my grief is to take it to my looms and weave about it.

Because I am deeply focused on weaving tapestries and woven pieces for my solo show, ‘Woven Women’, it was natural that this weaving would take the form of a Woven Woman.

My mother suffered from a form of dementia, I have been feeling is how sweet it is for her to be released from that dreadful fog of confusion……..

And, so, I have woven a piece on my Saori loom with supplemental embellishment with my stick weaving loom, that I call:

“Out of the Mist”. She’s approximately 30 inches tall by about 10 inches wide at the widest point:

‘Out of the Mist’ by Noreen Crone-Findlay (c)

One of my close friends gave me a seashell instead of a card, and it felt natural to have it become part of this piece.

I made a Kumihimo cord and tied a Celtic everlasting knot, which is stitched to her forehead, but barely visible under her cowl.

Weaving this tribute brought me great peace and comfort, and I think that my Mom would like it a lot.

Yes, I think that she does…

62 Comments

Filed under Peg and Stick Loom weaving, peg looms and weaving sticks, weaving & handwoven, Woven Women tapestries and woven works

Tagged as 'Woven Women' by Noreen Crone-Findlay, death, grief, grieving, hand weaving, hand woven, healing, healing through weaving, Noreen Crone-Findlay, Saori weaving, weaving, weaving loom

August 3, 2012 · 1:04 pm

Mirrix Loom Weave Along Soumak Pouch- 1- Warp and Weft

In September, I will be leading a Weave Along, using Mirrix Looms.

I will be posting the pattern, video tutorials, instructions and step by step photos for the Weave Along here on Tottie Talks Crafts.

The project is a Business Card Pouch, which also works well as a cellphone pouch, woven in Soumak, embellished with corded edges and chain stitch embroidery.

I have designed it to be welcoming to entry level weavers, but also, with options that will appeal (I hope) to more advanced weavers, too.

Because it can take awhile to get orders cleared and shipped, I am posting some suggested warp and weft yarns, as well as the links for ordering them now.

Hopefully, your yarns will arrive before September first.

Here are a few photos of some of the Business Card pouches that I have woven so far:

This is the first Business card pouch that I wove, using:

Harrisville Warp LINK

and: Wool weft: Harrisville Variety Yarn Pack: Brights LINK

I wove the second pouch with the Harrisville warp and for weft:

Harrisville Variety Yarn Pack Jewels LINK

I quite like both p0uches, but …. OOPS!

They are slightly too small for their intended purpose! EEGADS! Business cards don’t fit in them!

So, I went back to the drawing board, and altered the pattern.

By then, gorgeous yarn had arrived from Lion Brand yarns: LINK TO BONBON YARN

The photo doesn’t convey the scale of the balls of Bonbon…

They are tiny, perfect little balls of loveliness. Each of them is 2 1/2 inches (6cm) tall.

The cotton is simply gorgeous to weave with. I love it.

I wove these Pouches in Bonbon cottons, with Metallic chain stitch embroidery:

I used the ‘Nature’ colorway for the pouch in the photo above, and ‘Beach for the pouch in the photo below:

The Metallic yarns come in six packs, as does the cotton. I used yarns from both colorways: Party and Celebrate, for these pouches.

My daughter in law suggested that I add a swivel snap hook to the upper corner of the pouch.

I thought that it was a great suggestion, and so I have added it.

The swivel clip allows you to clip it to your bag, or the belt loop of blue jeans.

If your cellphone is one of the larger ones, you may need to upsize your pouch if you would rather use it as a cellphone pouch instead of a business card pouch.

I used Lion Cotton for the warp for these two pouches, because I wanted to use yarns that you can order at the same time to make this all easier for you: