Monday, April 27, 2009

The Insanely Closely-Sett Project

I sent Scarf One to Marlborough for the Marlborough Guild (not Nelson/Marlborough/Buller Area of the National Guild) exhibition. Scarf One looked marginally better from a distance, and had better marginally selvedge. The difference in hand was marginal, and that Side A looked like Side B didn't bother me. The opening is this Friday but it doesn't sounds like I can go as Ben thinks he has to work late.

The piece is ugly when hung flat. I don't like the color scheme, and I'm not fishing for compliments. I mean, just look!! (Please excuse my laundry mess. Scarf One is on the left.)

The warp looks green overall, regardless of the wefts, (gold on the right, mocha brown on the left,) with the yellow parts overly saturated for harmony. Had I thought ahead, I might have used dark blue browns instead of blue grays and black at the other end. I know I would have liked it better if the pieces looked bluer. The scarves look wonderfully harmonious under water, so I'm going to overdye one of these, perhaps in dilute dark blue or blue brown. Any suggestions?

I requested, on the submission form, that it be shown folded/twisted/scrunched or whatever necessary, not hung flat, and I attached sample photos of Scarf Two being folded/twisted/scrunched.

I have trouble with making nice hems, particularly with cottons, so I tried washing Scarf Two before hemming in vein. I think this is a known tension problem I've been meaning to post about for a couple of years; I don't have a pic now but I'll revisit this one.

The warp-wise movement of the draft is overwhelmed by the colors, and very difficult to see. I can only hope whoever come to wear these pieces, like I, will notice minute things after years of use, so I'll reserve my judgment. The weft-wise movement is a little easier to see, but because the draft is more or less diamonds changing size, the elongated diamonds accentuate the "stripes" created by the warp colors.

I have about three meters of the warp left, and I have been thinking of resleying at 96EPI. I am quite surprised how much this heavier, “wetter” hand grew on me and am now wondering if I’d even have liked 96. Why jump from 160 to 96, you ask? I thought I’d just grab the 16 ends from each dent and transfer to the 6-dent reed as I had intended in the first place. That doesn’t involve recounting nor the possibility of crossing the warps behind the reed.

I would like to thank you all for putting up with this prolonged project and standing/sitting/laughing by me. I am a slow weaver, but this was positively ridiculous.

5 comments:

  1. Like the 60's bed sheet in the background of the bottom pic? My first floor loom, portions of which is now a loom bench, came wrapped in it, and I don't have the heart to throw it away, so it covers my warping mill.

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  2. It would be hard for anything to look good hanging in a laundry room!!!!

    I like it....the folded and scrunched photos of it are beautiful. What does it look like when you wear it? You can fold it in half to wear and feature the edge that you like better, right?

    I have no advice for you.....I'm not that strong a weaver, and I can tell you're chasing a creative ideal and I don't want to get in your way.....I have the sense that you're not where you want to be with this piece....

    You've been speedy at this project compared to me!!

    Sue

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  3. I'm so unsure about colors, Sue. I try to work with them, but I usually end up just learning from then while they hang on this very rod and I sit at the loom looking at whatever is hanging while weaving the next one. Or not; sometimes I just like or dislike the colors and thank my good luck or try not to look.

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  4. I don't like it hanging there either. How can they look so different from your other shots?

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  5. Well, this is my scarf/shawl hanging place, and this is the only place I can stand back without moving anything or installing extra implements and still see the stuff from different directions.

    While the scarves are hung, I have to have the florescent lights on, whilst eye candy shots use natural light; only the sun if possible, but some reflections if necessary. This lot, just the sun.

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