*unbeweaveable

How do you keep a weaver busy?

2012-01-31T14:47:00.002-04:00

How do you keep a weaver busy?? Warp!!

Today I measured off four (4) warps - future projects, if you will. Each one is destined to be table runners. Or at least that is the plan. They are colorful, cotton and ready to go on the loom. Now, which one will I choose to go on first??

From left to right:

Peacock (turquoise, royal blue, emerald green)

Sunset (framboise, red, light orange)

Zebra Wood (chocolate, honey, vanilla)

Des Colores

The colored pathway down the center was warped in the rainbow colors using red, light orange, warm yellow, emerald green, royal blue, turquoise and framboise. It is flanked by natural cotton.

All of the runners will be woven with cotton chenille. Photos to come as they are finished!!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-28T13:36:00.003-04:00

Christmas has come and gone. Turkeys have been devoured. Gifts opened. Naps taken. Overall, a grand success!

I want to take this opportunity to thank all my customers, near and far, for their support during this holiday season. 2012 is going to be a big year in the studio as I celebrate 10 years of *unbeweaveable. Scarves are being designed and planned, new ornaments for 2012 are in the works and inventory will be available all year at Botinicals on Queen Street in Fredericton - as well as at craft shows!

Stay tuned as 2012 becomes the year of *unbeweaveable!!

A looming of owls

2011-12-01T09:14:00.005-04:00

Owls seem to be all the rage this year as a folk art decoration. I had some remnants of handmade wool fabric laying about, so I jumped on the band wagon and started making felted wool owls. The fabric is felted in the washer and dryer, then cut into the shapes of owl heads. I needle felt the eyes on and put on the finishing touches of creative faces. They are super fun to make and I've used up all my remnants. Not too shabby. Limited edition 2011 owls - a looming of them, no less.

Oh the scarves!

2011-12-01T08:56:00.006-04:00

silver fine wool warp with black cotton weft

I'm really here. Really!

I've been so busy prepping inventory for holiday craft sales that I've been negligent on updates to the blog. My apology comes in the form of photos of my latest work. This is only a sample - there is lots more. I'll post more photos soon.

The wool I use is from Briggs & Little. Their woolen mill is only 10 minutes from my house! What a great opportunity for a weaver :)

Enjoy!

silver fine wool warp with mixed wool/mohair/bouclee yarn weft

wool scarf - black warp with turquoise weft

wool scarf - black wool with royal blue weft

wool scarf - brown/blue warp mix with plum weft

wool scarf - brown/blue warp mix with cream weft

cotton warp beige/olive with synthetic/wool mix weft

wool scarf - cream warp with mulberry weft

wool scarf - cream weft with blue heather weft

wool scarf - mixed wool stripes warp (plum/lavender/grey/blue) with grey heather warp

2011 scarves continued ...

2011-10-13T11:14:00.006-03:00

fine wool (variegated) warp and pale green cotton chenille weft
spring shades (lavender/blue/green/yellow/grey)

The chenille scarf collection was a long time coming. I bought the warp yarn when we were in
China (2003-04) and it has stayed in my cupboard all that time waiting for the right project. The time finally came this fall. I warped the variegated wool (very fine) and used my stash of cotton chenille as the weft. The result? A velvet touch. Lovely drape. Light weight scarf. If only I had more of the China yarn, I'd make these again and again. Now I'm on the hunt for a similar quality wool to do this with in the future...the search continues.

fine wool (variegated) warp and pale pink cotton chenille weft
spring shades (lavender/blue/green/yellow/grey)

fine wool (variegated) warp and soft grey cotton chenille weft
spring shades (lavender/blue/green/yellow/grey)

fine wool (variegated) warp and light brown cotton chenille weft
summer shades (beige/light brown/cream/blue)

fine wool (variegated) warp and vanilla cotton chenille weft
summer shades (beige/light brown/cream/blue)

fine wool (variegated) warp and weft
autumn shades (burn orange/red/rust/brown/green)

fine wool (variegated) warp and cranberry cotton chenille weft
autumn shades (burn orange/red/rust/brown/green)

fine wool (variegated) warp and olive green cotton chenille weft
autumn shades (burn orange/red/rust/brown/green)

fine wool (variegated) warp and weft
spring shades (lavender/blue/green/yellow/grey)

fine wool (variegated) warp and camel cotton chenille weft

autumn shades (burn orange/red/rust/brown/green)

Proof

2011-10-03T09:23:00.008-03:00

Some proof that I've been a busy little bee in the studio this past month....Only a sample. Lots more to come!

variegated wool warp with cranberry cotton chenille

very yummy to touch. feels like velvet!

variegated wool warp with olive cotton chenille
very yummy to touch. feels like velvet!

Briggs & Little wool scarf
rosepath design - slightly felted. very nice for cold days!

oh where oh where have u gone?

2011-09-28T10:13:00.001-03:00

I'm back in the studio...after 2 years of baby raising. Darling son is now old enough to come in with me and keep busy playing in the all the yarn - and in the loom.

Christmas sales are fast approaching. It's the last week of September and the first sale is November 5. This year I'm trying something new...scarves. I've made them before, so they're not new, new. But I've never focused so much time and energy into making them for a sales. My second decision was to limit myself to my yarn stash. So far so good. I'm on warp #4 and have one more ready to go after this one. Then I'll make some more warps and get working again.

I'm hoping to take photos later - it's a beautiful sunny September day.

Keep posted for those updates...in the very, very near future!!

Well, hello there!

2011-09-14T19:53:00.004-03:00

my little helper

I have been away from this blog for far too long. It all comes down to not being in the studio. But now I'm back in. I finished my teaching degree this year and am now a supply teacher. To fill my time between supply calls, I'm weaving. The best part? My little guy likes to come in the studio with me to play at the "woom" (aka loom). He's a great helper.

September featured a piece of mine in an alumnae show at UNB, ars de centum.

So, I'm making scarves. Oodles and oodles of velvety scarves. I'm not usually a scarf weaver, but I am prepping for Christmas sales, and they are a good item to have on my table. They make a great, practical, fashionable gift.

Stay tuned to see what's new!

vacation = procrastination

2010-08-20T14:33:00.003-03:00

We've been on vacation for two weeks. Camping in beautiful New Brunswick. First to Grand Manan Island and then to Campobello Island. Ah, the beauty of the Fundy Bay.

baby & mommy head to the beach

But....

For all the lovely time on vacation, there has been not one moment spent in the studio. Family time came first. But we're back and it's time to get down to work. There is a runner on the loom now, the Olive/White one to match the one I took off as a wedding gift commission last month. When that comes off, there is a rug to put on.

The rug is a commission for a sweet little girls room. It will be fun to do. The yarn is ordered, and I anxiously await it's arrival at the post office. But not to anxiously, of course. I have to get the runner off first. Hopefully that will all be complete early next week.

delivered

2010-07-24T09:22:00.003-03:00

There is no greater satisfaction than delivering a commissioned item on time.
I finished the table runner (white/white) and delivered it yesterday. I wasn't able to get a photo before of the fringed runner, mostly due to lack of time. But I did get a detail shot. It was lovely. Subtle. Elegant. One-of-a-kind.

photo taken before washing. detail shot.

Now I have the white/olive one to finish. I started it and it's completely different! I love that my choice of weft (yarn that weaves into the loom) can have such dramatic outcomes, even when the pattern is the exact same.

Next project ready for the loom is a blanket. And not for anyone in particular. Just to add to inventory. That will be nice.

the rag rug

2010-07-16T09:17:00.004-03:00

me with some of my rugs

left to right: blue with blue threads (2x4), burgundy with stripe (runner) ,
checker board (4x6), burgundy with stripe (runner)

When I was a student learning weaving, I was mesmerized by rugs. Of course, the easiest ones for me to work on were rag rugs. So, away I went. Designing and playing within the boundaries of rag rug territory. I loved it.

Now, I don't get to make them as often as I used to. They are a lot of work, but well worth it. Here are a few of my favorites from over the years.

the one that started it all
Rainbow Rug (3x5)

blue rug with mauve dyed threads (2x4)

The rugs I made were cotton warps, some dyed cotton threads and broadcloth rags. Now, technically, that would be strip weaving...since the cloth is bought new and cut to use. But the technique comes from rag rug weaving..so I stick with the name rag rugs.

These days, when I make one, they are cotton threads in solid colors (stripes usually) and then broadcloth strips...sometimes even flannel, which makes for a really SOFT rug on the floor. They are always machine washer & dryer safe. Very easy to live with and seem to live forever...or at least the ones in my house don't seem to show wear. They just get softer and softer with time.

So, how much would one cost?? Good question. I charge $25 per square foot. The sizes I usually make are 2x4, 3x5 and 4x6. I've made hall runners too that were 2x8. Width is my limitation on the loom...so 4 ft is as wide as I can go.

I don't keep rag rugs in stock. Too much money tied up in inventory that might not suit a persons house. Instead, I make them special order to fit a specific room. Interested? Message me!

threading the loom

2010-07-12T10:03:00.004-03:00

This is probably the most time consuming part of weaving. Threading the loom. But it's worth the extra time to make sure I don't make any mistakes in the pattern. Even when I'm doing a simple 1-2-3-4 threading, mistakes can occur if I go too quickly.

I thread the loom from front to back. Most weavers do it the other way round. But I was taught front to back and that's how I roll with it. In fact, I often do my color designing "in the reed" (the comb part) as I thread. I always have the colors picked out and counted out ready to go, but sometimes as the last minute, change my mind on how they should be arranged in the reed. It's fun!

through the reed

Today I'm threading a cotton warp (the threads that go through the loom) that will be a table runner. It's a commissioned wedding gift. So I need it done this week. The pattern is a broken twill that will make lovely diamond "W" shapes. I'm making two: one white/white and one white/olive. We'll see which one is best when they're both fringed, washed and ironed. My gut says white/white. But who knows?

Photos to come of finished project.

wedding season is upon us....

2010-06-20T10:35:00.006-03:00

my wedding day June 7, 2008

It's funny, but every spring, usually starting in May, I start to get requests for wedding gifts.

"Do you have any table runners?"

"What about at throw?"

"Can you suggest something you have in stock that would be a good wedding gift?"

hand woven guest towels

Ultimately, the wedding is usually sooner rather than later which can make selections harder. But these requests are something I enjoy fulfilling. What a wonderful gift to give to a young married couple, something hand made.

hand dyed and woven table runner

Some of my favorite wedding gifts that I've made over the years are overshot blankets, wool blankets, table runners, and pillow sets.

overshot blanket - cotton and wool

Are you going to a wedding this summer and want to take a gift that won't be a duplicate? Contact me for hand woven gift ideas. This summer I actually have a few good gifts in my cupboards ready to go!

store window featuring my hand woven work and teddy bears

rub a dub dub

2010-06-12T10:29:00.005-03:00

I just took bath mitts off the loom and am in the process of sewing them up. Bath mitts, if you're unaware, are wearable wash cloths woven in cotton & cotton chenille. Very soft! And the best part is that they are washer/dryer friendly! I love creating woven items that can easily be added to a busy life.
Bath mitts are for everyone! Men, women, kids alike. I usually bundle them with a locally made soap by Lavish. Their soaps are so nice!

They also have made lovely hostess gifts, teacher gifts and just because gifts!!

Pillows Pillows Everywhere!

2010-06-01T08:09:00.005-03:00

Sometimes I find that I have hand woven fabric left over from a project, or yardage of sampling that needs a purpose. In those cases, I make pillows of all different shapes, sizes and textures. Here are just a few of the most recent.

hand woven felted wood pillow (red/charcoal/black)

hand woven variegated texture pillows

hand woven wool pillows (blue/green)

Grade 3 Here I Come!

2010-05-31T12:22:00.000-03:00

I got a really interesting email this winter asking me to be a part of the new Grade 3 Social Studies text book in New Brunswick. I thought it was spam. But then it turned out to be legitimate! How cool. So, after I realized I'd need a photo of me in the studio - something I just didn't have at the time - I called Dad and asked him to use his new found photography skills to help me out. It didn't take long to do and was fun to get new shots of the studio with me working away.
They emailed me last week to say it goes to print in June! How exciting. Students, and maybe someday Connor, will learn about craftspeople in New Brunswick and I will be one of them.

I can't upload the page from the text book they sent me, but I'll share the photo that I submitted.

MORE *unbeweaveable blankets

2010-05-28T13:17:00.000-03:00

fringe detail

I just found some photos of other blankets that I've made in the last few years. I want to share them. I love making blankets because there is no reason for any two to be the exact same. I've redone only one blanket pattern in the last five years. And have never repeated any others. There are too many options!

birch and khaki blanket

birch and khaki blanket detail

blue and brown blanket

blue and brown blanket detail

vibrant green blanket

vibrant green blanket detail

Customers can choose the colors (maximum 5) for their blanket and then I get to choose the pattern. They are all 40" X 75" woven (finished 38" x 72" plus fringe). If you would like one, they are $250 CAD with a $75 CAD materials deposit.

Bound weave

2010-05-28T12:46:00.000-03:00

I've recently acquired a new camera and have been snapping photos of my studio and my work left, right and center! I thought I'd take some pictures of the work that hangs in my studio as inspiration. Most of it is work from my student days.

Bound weave was a stressful learning curve for me. Mostly because I prefer to weave items that I can get off the loom quickly. That's why I'm a production weaver. But I had to learn patience to do bound weave.

Bound weave sampler

Bound weave rug sampler

Next was needle felting. I really enjoyed needle felting. It's dangerous if you don't know how to use the super sharp needle, but I survived! I enjoyed the 3D possibilities as well as how you could paint with yarn on felt. So many lovely ways to use fleece!

Sunset on the Kennebecasis

Before I can even think about a new project, I find myself staring at my yarn closet. I've recently "spring cleaned" it and now it's more organized to style of yarn. It used to be by color, but I had too much of certain colors for that to work and not get tangled. The sad thing is that I'm not supposed to get more yarn until I use up what I've got. But at least I've got lots of good stuff!!

Across the Ocean

2010-05-25T19:56:00.001-03:00

The bulk of my work for the last year has been in blankets. Here's the one I did last spring for a friend from high school. Her brother commissioned it for her birthday. Nice brother! It's now living in her home in Ireland.

This blanket is called "Oromocto Lake". It was first woven as a commission for a wedding gift. The woman who ordered it lives at Oromocto Lake in New Brunswick. She asked for blues. This blanket is more than blues, it's bliss.

Hooray!

2010-05-25T19:50:00.001-03:00

After almost a year, yup a year, I have completed the project that was on my loom. It's a beautiful blanket woven in tan, burnt orange and brown heather yarns. It's for a friend and I'm so glad that I will get to deliver it in person rather than by mail. Much more fitting indeed!

I don't have a camera to snap a full length photo. However, I used the web cam to shoot a close up detail of the blanket.

close up detail shots

Now that the loom is empty, I don't know what to put on. I think it should be bath mitts. A local store, Botinicals, has been asking for them and I didn't have time. They're also a fast project to weave off - but they do require sewing. I guess I could do that after the babe is sleeping for the night.

Or I could put on another blanket....the choices are endless! It's nice to be motivated to weave again.

bad blogger

2010-05-19T08:58:00.000-03:00

I've been super busy being a first time mom, that I have completely ignored my weaving studio for the last few months. On the bright side, I have a lovely son. On the downside, I'm struggling for creative balance so I can do some fun stuff too.

The only weaving project that I've worked on was to be a participant in the new New Brunswick Grade 3 Social Studies Textbook being printed this summer. I will be featured in the text book as a New Brunswick artist, along with two other artists - a glass blower and a sword maker. Very cool.

I'm hoping this week to get into the studio after the babe is in bed. Fingers crossed!

Been Lazy Poster these days....

2009-07-29T08:38:00.001-03:00

SO...I've been trying desperately to finish a blanket for a dear friend of mine...but being 23 weeks pregnant isn't helping. Loom is dressed. I'm ready to weave. But my body is tired all the time. Then yesterday, a heat wave hit and we're getting daily highs of 30 degrees celcius with a humidex of 35+! So there won't be woolly play this week. Had hoped it would still be raining and then I would have the cool temps to work in.

I would love to weave some baby blankets for my baby. Hoping to do that. Cotton probably. Maybe one in *gasp* acrylic - but it is baby friendly! Fingers crossed on this one.

Will show pics of the blanket once done. It's going to be beautiful...taupe, brown and rust. Very earthy and wooly.

a rainy day in the studio

2009-04-21T08:37:00.000-03:00

I've got a blanket to thread this week, and I've almost got the loom dressed for weaving. It's going to be a rainy day today, and usually that's my favorite time to go into the studio. But alas, it's Tuesday and I teach music lessons on Tuesday afternoons (and also have many books to return to the library today before they are past due). So it looks like my studio time will start with a Weaving Wednesday this week. I hope to have the blanket finished by Friday because I have another blanket that needs to get on there, and then bath mitts for the stores.

The Bath Mitts and Hand Towel sets are the projects that go on after the blankets are done. Here are a few images from a while back. They are all made with 100% natural unbleached cotton and woven with cotton chenille. Very soft, luxurious and machine washable!!

the *unbeweaveable blanket

2009-04-16T09:02:00.000-03:00

I started making blankets when I was a student, but lately I've changed their design and purpose to meet the needs of being "Made in NB". I used to do overshot designs in cotton and wool, but I can't source the cotton in the province, so I moved to wool only. Now I use only Briggs & Little Wool, from Harvey NB and love it.

Customers can choose their favorite colors, then I take over the design and make the colors fit and work in a blanket that measures 42" x 80" woven. Here are a few samples. Sadly, I don't always get to take a photo before they go, but I did for some and here they are.

If you're interested....blankets are $250 CAD and a $75 CAD deposit is requried for materials. Plus shipping if needed. They are truly a lovely blanket to be cherised for years to come. I've made them as birthday gifts, wedding gifts and "just because" gifts!

Enjoy!

the unbeweaveable truth

2009-04-16T08:52:00.000-03:00

I have been weaving for 7 years, and I love it. In fact, to me, it's unbeweaveable! I named my studio unbeweaveable in my first summer. I had just spent a very long day proudction weaving rag rugs in 35+ degree weather (celius) without any air conditioning or fans (I might have been crazy then) and thought to myself, "this is unbeweaveable!"...and well, it stuck.

I still think that. I live in a beatiful village in rural New Brunswick and have the luxury of my own studio in house. I recently went back into the studio full time when I lost my job and now and enjoying the creative moments that I once had to supress.

I will post my projects, ideas and photos on here as I go along. Enjoy the ride!

*unbeweaveable (noun) - enjoying hand woven items for you and your home.