Bright Idea - Set the Weaving Reed as a Ruler

 

I stumbled on a series of YouTube vids from The Curmudgeon Weaves, not realizing until later than he had been here in Oshkosh for the Echoes of the Past Trade Show back in February last year.  I spoke with the other weaver there, but missed him.    Maybe I'll catch him this year?

In this video, he demos a great idea for turning a reed into a measuring stick.  This seems like such an incredible no-brainer.  It's already measured out -- all you have to do is add colored yarn to mark the inches and 5-inch demarcations.  

I'm planning to do this will all my reeds now!

 

Here is my 12-dent reed which I'll be using for the epic Coverlet project coming up.

The red yarn marks the center of the reed.

White yarn marks each inch -- 12 slots per inch on a 12-dent reed.

Green yarn at the 5-inch mark.

 

This is how it looks seated in the beater.  It's subtle and practical.

 

I finished the next step in preparing to weave again ... Cut off the last project, and counted heddles for the Great Coverlet project.  Turns out, I have enough heddles, and did not have to buy any new ones.  

I only had to add a handful of heddles to each shaft.   Not as bad as I thought it might be ...

The next task will be to sley the reed with 2 thread per slot, but that is for some other weekend.

Cathedral Windows Revisited

 

Here's a follow-up post to the Cathedral Windows Revisited from a few weeks ago.  I finished one of the blocks --almost entirely by machine.  Although the prep work in preparing the white background squares seemed to take longer than you'd expect, actually sewing down the bias edges over the colored patches did NOT take long at all.  I was amazed!

You can't really tell from this angle, but there's a little bit of stuffing behind each of the colored patches. I used some left-over quilt batting -- about 2 teaspoons worth!

  Here's a shot of the colred patches laid out, but not yet sewn down. 

 

I'm taking you backwards and deconstructing the white background squares.

Here is the background grid without the colored patches.  The colored bits cover the edge-joined seems shown above. 

 

Here's a close-up of one of the satin-stitched edge-joined seems. I am still working on the perfect technique for this -- stitch length and width.   

 

Here it is from the back. 

 

Once the patches are sewn in, it makes a nice orange peel pattern on the back. 

The little bit of stuffing on the front side helps add the definition.

Did I mention that at this point, the block is finished--done and quilted. There is not batting in this kind of quilt.

 

Here's a detail shot of that stitching pattern from the back.  I can see that I may want to be a little more conscious of what's happening on the back and I'm stitching those bias edges over the colored patches. 

This is only my first try with the new method. I was so impressed, I thought it was worth a follow-up blog post.

I don't know how long I'm going to work on this, but I went through my scrap bucket and cut all the 2-1/2 inch squares I could wrangle from it.

I have a lot of Avalon muslin left from dying days.  Turns out it was treated with some kind of permanent press thing which seems to prevent it from taking up the dye color as I would have hoped.  So it needs to be put to some other purpose: It seems to be working well as a substrate for Cathedral Windows!

Warp Run

152 ends of 14.5 yards of 10/2 American Maid Cotton 

1 of 4 sets of soon-to-be warp chains

My big accomplishment for the weekend: I ran the warp for the epic Mountain Cucumber Coverlet I've been planning for much of the past year.

14.5 yard warp of 10/2 American Maid Cotton with 644 ends total.

This is the longest warp I've ever done. I'm so glad I had my warping mill. I never would have been able to it on a conventional warping board, as there would have been tension issues and body pains. This  mill is a game changer!  Thank you, DH for making it for me! 

I had to run 4 sets of 152 ends (plus 1 more with some extras for repair strings), because that's all I could manage for this size warping mill.   

I had 4 1-pound cones and ran 4 strings at a time, using a slotted spoon. This one is plastic.  Last time, I used a metal spoon with holes in it, but that seemed a little rough on the yarn.  This plastic one was "kinder and gentler" on the fiber.

 

1 of the warp chains contained in a zip lock bag.

 

Here's the label to remind me of just what it is.

That's a lotta warp strings!  

It's a wonder that they stay neat and tidy, and don't turn into a snarled mess. Those weavers of old knew a thing or two!

Whew!  That's a big job out of the way.  Next task is to make sure I have enough heddles on each of 4 shafts on my floor loom.

Antique Mountain Cucumber Coverlet - Purchased

Ok Ok -- One last antique wool coverlet.  I've been watching this one on ebay, and knew that I would be very sad if it sold to someone else, so I made the seller an offer for lower than the list price, and they took it.  I am going to try to weave one in this pattern known as Mountain Cucumber, sometimes called Governor's Garden or St Anne's Robe.  I have not seen any other ones of this pattern on the market, so one more reason to NOT let it slip on by.  Tell Marie Kondo this one definitely sparks joy for me!  And if the one I make turns out to be a disaster with the panels not matching up, and the border botched, well then, I'll still have a "real one."

There is so much going on in this pattern that is holds my interest with an eternal fascination.  I love the squiggly, wormy lines along with the wagon wheels and the tables.  And the borders, too.    I am going to try to replicate it this year.  We'll see how far I get. This will be an ambitious project!

From the original eBay post:

eBay item number:125619730002

Antique Vintage Linsey Woolsey Overshot Coverlet Blue Textile Weaving 184 x 74

Antique Vintage Linsey Woolsey Overshot Coverlet Blue Textile Quilt Weaving 

Available is this large antique 1800’s Linsey Woolsey.  It is a gorgeous piece of antique hand made weaving and features a nice design in alternating blue and off white.  The piece is antique linen homespun and navy blue wool.  The linen warp is unbleached or has yellowed a bit over time.  There is a seam up the middle where two smaller sections have been joined together.  

The piece is quite large for a weaving of its type at 184 x 74.5 inches.  It does have some condition issues, irregular borders, a few small holes, repairs, a patch, and stains.  It displays nicely and is still in good overall condition.  From an estate - exact age and history are unknown. 

Item specifics

Condition:Pre-owned:

Seller Notes:“Please review photos and written description - some condition issues”

Pattern:Geometric

Time Period Manufactured:1850-1899

Material:Linen, Wool

Fabric Weight:Medium

Brand:Unbranded

Style:Country

Antique:Yes

Color:Blue

Original/Licensed Reproduction:Original

Type:Bed Cover

 

Cathedral Windows Quilt - A New Project and a New Tutorial

Cathedral Windows 2

After purchasing a couple of vintage and antique cathedral window quilts, I am inspired to give it another try.   I worked up some of the white foundation / background patches this weekend, and I've been cutting 2-1/2 inch squares from the scrap pile ...  We'll see how this test piece goes and just how big it grows!

I stumbled upon this video for making a Cathedral Windows Quilt (mostly) by machine.  It inspired me (along with my recent collectables)  to give it another try with some different techniques that I think will make it go a little easier and faster than my previous try at it.   Hers came out so nice, and I do have a lot of scraps around these days.  Although I am not planning a bed-size quilt, I may do a wall-hanging.

Although Cathedral Window Quilts traditionally have no batting, she did  stuff the windows with a little poly fill batting.  I thought that was a nice touch, and something I want to try.

Here's the small one I did years ago.  It still pleases me to see the patches of color -- I can tell you what projects each one came from.  

I don't have that kind of intimacy or past with the vintage Cathedral Window Quilts I purchased--although I have a healthy respect for the work, skill and materials used in those -- and the fact that I did NOT have to do all the work on them. 

Weaving the Numbers

 4 pattern repeats of Mountain Cucumber.

I love those wormy lines!

Today was a day for calculations and more preparations for The Great Coverlet Project.

I finally decided on a pattern: Mountain Cucumber, aka Governor's Garden, and sometimes St Anne's Robe.

There are 288 threads in a single pattern repeat; At 12 inches, I can fit 2 pattern repeats on the weaving width of my loom--hence the printed blocks above.  There are nearly 300 treadle changes per pattern repeat (not counting the tabby lines).  This is a big project!  

Although I toyed with the idea of adding borders, I gave that up as too complicated.  This will be challenging enough to keep a constant beat and matching up 4 panels once it's all woven up.  

I worked out the numbers for the threading -- and what I need to do to thread it when the time comes.  I worked from iWeaveIt, but because I thread from the back of the loom, I have to do some transposing and reversing, and I don't trust my brain to get it right when I am actually threading at the same time.  So I map it out on graph paper ahead of time, and keep my place with a post-it note.

It's hard to believe that all those numbers in time and space work out to the amazing pattern at the top of this post.

I worked out the treadle changes last weekend.  One day soon, I'll program the beads for this colossal work -- but not before the loom is warped!

I was hoping to run the 14.5 yard warp this wkd, but UPS had other plans. That will have to wait another week -- or more.  I ordered more of the 10/2 cotton for the warp and tabby lines.  I also have a cone of 20/2 cotton which is what the book says to use for tabby, but that seems too thin ...  so I'll have to do some experimenting.

Winter on the Christmas Tree Farm

Polar Springs Pines

My dad has a Christmas Tree Farm.  That's what he decided to do in retirement more than 25 years ago, after a career in teaching.  With the trees, he can be his own boss, and he's on the land every day--which he has thoroughly enjoyed.  And my mom's birthday was Christmas Day.  ;-)

So I was inspired to make some pine tree blocks.  There are multiple methods for making these simple triangle blocks from improv to paper piecing to templates.

• Modern Christmas Tree Block  
• Suburbs Tree Block 
  
• Rustic Pines
• Pine Hollow   
• Crazy Christmas Trees
  

I went the template route.  Though I may mix up the methods in the final quilt, and use some non-traditional scraps (ie not cotton).

I picked out some greens from  my mom's stash, and have been piecing together some larger scraps from my own stash for the trees.  Though I feel a little short on the lighter backgrounds. We'll see how this develops ...

 

Here's an easy pattern for the classic red truck, too.  

And the Newfie block.  Newfs can draft / pull loads -- Yes, it's true.  You can hook them up to a lightweight wagon and let them pull things -- like Christmas Trees.  Though you have to be very careful not to damage them (the dogs) by letting them pull too much or over-strain.  We've never actually had our Newfie work in the Christmas Trees, but she could!

 

This one shows the pine trees a little better than the photo at the top of the post.

 

Here are some of the individual blocks:

 

This one is made from a too-small velvet jacket from St Vinnie's.  I liked the sparkle!

 

Made from an orphan block leftover from a quilt I made Oliver when he was a kid.

 

I think both the snowflake background and the batik tree fabrics are leftover quilt backs.

 

I know it's hard to see, but this is a wool plaid scrap.  I'm not sure where it came from -- 

Janna? or Karla?

 

Scrappy blue Tree with metallic sparkles.

 

 

This one is a scrap of velvet leftover from a vest my mom made me years ago.  

It has a wonderful rich luster that is lost in this photo.

I was in need of some mindless but pleasing and satisfying sewing these days, and this fits the bill!

A Few of My Favorite Things: Scrappy Crumb Blocks

 Crazy Crumb Blocks

I took some time yesterday to make up a few blocks made entirely from my scrap pile.  I use a 5-inch foundation fabric to start with.  Then I pick a suitable starting fragment, and add scraps around it until the whole block is filled up.  Then I trim it back to the 5-inches.   I explained the process in this post about Scrap Management.   I think I have over 80 blocks now!  It may be time to start laying them out for a new quilt!

The beauty of these blocks is that I can tell you where else I used those bits of fabric.  That is what makes a scrap quilt to satisfying, sentimental and nostalgic. 

• The blue jean patch and the light blue calico were left over from The Midnight Blues Backpack
• The blue denim pinstripe was left over from a sling bag I made during the pandemic
  
• The  hour glass centers were leftover from the Farmer's Wife Quilt
• The green plaid gingham was salvaged from a beloved jumper I wore a lot in the 1990s
• The apple blossom was leftover from potholders for France last year
• A couple bits are from the Morning Star Quilt
  
• The red-cream-green strip was leftover from the Rail Fence / Bookends quilt I made Mary Bayorgeon [See detail block at the end of this post.]
  
• The blue-lilac-green-blue sequence is leftover from the borders on the gi-normous quilt I finished from my parents a few years ago
• The oranges come from my sister's quilt
  
• There are a few scraps from projects you haven't even seen yet because they are not yet finished enough to post here!

I will admit that it doesn't really seem to make a dent in the scrap pile, because I am always adding more to it.

 

 

Quilt Sandwiches

 

 The Plum Pudding Quilt - sandwiched with a Quilters Dream Wool Batt

This quilt always reminds me of the week between Christmas and New Year's--those dog days when the glitter and shine of the holidays starts to wear off, but there are still sweet treats left to eat.

Looking back, I have not had a lot of quilt finishes this year.  I can attribute that to the end of the pandemic, going back to work on site (rather than working from home), and being gone some weekends to clear out my mom's sewing room, and devoting some of my time to weaving projects.  That said, it helps to have some quilt sandwiches ready to go when the mood strikes to finish them.

 

 The Twilight Lagoon Quilt has a cotton batt.

I explained the process of using basting boards in these previous posts:

From the Deli : Board Basting a Quilt Sandwich

From the Deli : Board Basting a Quilt Sandwich Revisited