Project 4 Update
This project from Nancy Harvey’s second DVD is nearly complete. Last week I was working on two sloping shapes with some floating bars. The shapes are the same color, so there’s a challenge to keep them from merging into one. I like the floating bars of color, they’re like hatching without weaving a solid area of highlight color. It’s just a tad difficult to keep the edges looking clean. Between these two sloping shapes I decided to use a gradation of blues. I wanted to see how this would work out, and I like it. I think that it would really look good for sky and water, especially on a larger scale and with some hatching too.
Moving on the next section, I have a small area where I wanted to try a Hachure (pronounced ah-sure) technique. I chose black and grey for this technique, I think it may have looked better with a different color choice, but I like the look of it, and it was enjoyable to weave. I can see where this would be very useful in blending, especially where I want to transition from one color to another. This is the last section, and I find that I’ve allowed my warps to come too close together. I fight with them to try to correct my warp spacing, but this is one of those things where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
My Nancy Harvey book, “Tapestry Weaving – A Comprehensive Study Guide” arrived. Amazon sent me an email notifying me that it’ll arrive on Tuesday 15, Sept – Today. Of course it comes early when I’m out-of-town. I have no idea when it actually arrived, but it was on the front deck – in the rain – packaging was soaking wet when I came home Saturday evening. Thankfully there was very little buckling of the pages. I got the hardcover and personalized it with a book-plate. I love having digital copies of books and magazines. It would be so convenient having my library available everywhere I go, but I forgot how much I like the feel of a book. This book has some weight to it, and I can’t wait to pour through its contents.
My project is almost done. I’m working on “Overlapping Transparent Shapes”. Placing one shape over the other, but being able to see the shape behind it. At first it doesn’t make sense why we would want to do that. Then I think of Shadows and reflections and adding depth to other shapes, or possibly expressing an underlying thought or feeling in a weaving. My shapes are geometrical, but it’ll give me the practice I need to be able to incorporate these elements in future projects. This part of the project gives me practice weaving shapes too. I want to weave selvage to selvage, and I probably could with the shapes I’ve chosen, but she said to weave each shape separately. We’ll see how it looks when I’m done. So far it looks pretty interesting. I’ll be sewing slits before I know it.
A website devoted to learning, sharing and teaching a wide range of fiber arts. Inkle, Tablet and Navajo style weaving, Spinning, Knitting, Crochet, Sewing and Lace Making. Silver Work, Beading and Tool Making grace my bench as well.
I have been keeping up with your website, which I find very helpful. I have a Navajo loom that I am trying to learn. I have purchased books and watched videos but cannot understand the step after the warp. Are you supposed to sew yarn between 2 warp each and try off at the end? And is that done on both top and bottom before stating your weaving project?
Hi Jackie, I have a few videos that I made on this project, look on my Videos page for them. I wrap my warp around two warp rods, then I twine an end cord to hold both the top and the bottom warp together. This end cord will be a part of the weaving for its life. Then I “sew” the completed warp to two other warp rods. This string will bind the end cord that holds the warp together to the new rods, then the original rods will be pulled out. The new rods with the warp attached are placed on the loom and the warp tensioned. The warp will be completely filled from bottom to top with rows of densely packed weft. The books that I have that best illustrate this are, “Navajo Weaving Way – The path from fleece to rug” by Noel Bennett and Tiana Bighorse, “Weaving the Navajo Way – How to create Rugs, minitures and more” by Caroline Spurgeon, and “The Weaver’s Book – How to weave the Navajo way” by Mary Walker, Liz Monk and Jennie Slick. There is also a video on Navajo weaving for sale by the Yarn Barn of Kansas. I like the video, until they turn their loom upside down, that’s rather unconventional and not for me. There are other important steps that aren’t included in this message, you really need to pour though the books, watch a video and if possible take a workshop. Good luck and keep me updated my email is janean@mystichandworks.com
Thank you so much for your response to my qustions. I have watched your videos on perparing the loom. What I can not see clearly is the part where you sew the completed warp to two other warp rods. This string will bind the end cord that holds the warp together to the new rods. I am very visual and if I can’t make out clearly what or how something is being done, I don’t feel like secure in proceeding. Thank you referecing the Yard Barn of Kansas. I think I’ll try the DVDs of nasncy Harvey and the other one on Navajo Weaving. Thank you again for very helpful guidence.
This is why a video or one of the books will come in handy. They illustrate it very well. I can only close in so much with the camera, and then it still doesn’t show that particular detail well. I wish I were a skilled illustrator, but alas, my skills lie elsewhere.
Jackie
you mentioned you have a loom to make Navajo rugs. May I ask you where you obtained the loom. I would very much like to learn how to do rug making.
thanking you in advance
Jerry Abel
Petaluma, CA
I’ve made nearly all my own looms. The Navajo Style looms are mostly inspired by some I saw at the workshop I attended and the one on Mary Walker’s website, Weaving in Beauty. All the Navajo style looms I own, are home-made. I realize after writing this that you were asking Jackie, but I’ll leave this comment just in case it helps.
Hi Jerry!
I purchased my loom from Mark H. Deschinny. His looms are extreemly well made. He makes Ateed & Yazhi looms. He also makes weaving tools. I believe his shop is in the area of Ship Rock, AZ. but he will ship his products. Please tell him I referred you.
Here is his website: http://www.geocities.ws/dechinny/looms
Jackie, thanks for replying to Jerry. Perhaps I will give his work a look see too. It appears as though this link doesn’t work when I try it. I’ll leave it the way it is in case it’s down for maintenance. If you notice an error in it, let me know and I’ll go in and edit it.
Janean
Sorry there was an error in the link. It should be http://www.geocities.ws/deschinny/looms
Also Mark’s last cell # was 505-906-8391
That link doesn’t work for me either, but I found this one: http://www.geocities.ws/deschinny/DESCHINNY.html
I also received the Harvey book. I searched for the video version but was not successful.
Hi Jackie. I haven’t had much to go through the book yet, but I like it. The only place I’ve seen the videos, and where I found mine were at the Yarn Barn of Kansas, http://www.yarnbarn-ks.com/ . There are three or four DVD’s that Nancy made. I have level one and two. This project is from level two. They also have a DVD on Navajo weaving.