Hello, friends. The rigid heddle loom and I continue to spend time together here in South Carolina. A little bit of Maysville 8/4 cotton carpet warp and a bin of quilting fabric scraps can keep one busy for a very long time!
The sampling that I’ve done on the rigid heddle may, with any luck, prove to be useful should I decide to embark on some larger (read: wider) projects on my floor loom. I’ve learned a bit about setts and picks per inch with different fabrics. And even mused about how different types of cotton fabrics behave when used as weft yarn.
Here are some photos of some mug rugs that I’ve made this week. I’ve sett the 8/4 carpet warp at 5 ends per inch (skipping every other slot/hole pair in my 10 dent rigid heddle reed). I like the way the fabrics weft strips “pack in” when woven:
I’m looking forward to experimenting with different setts and, perhaps, different colors of carpet warp in the future. Using the batik fabrics is really enjoyable; it seems to pack in a little tighter than a “regular” quilting cotton fabric strip. Of course, for future projects, I will try to be more mindful about the width of the fabric strips that I use; for now I’ve been hand snipping and “eyeballing” the size of my strips. Using a rotary cutter would be quicker and would yield a more consistent fabric “yarn” width.
My little samples are currently drying outside. I’ll tidy up the ends and then measure the finished pieces for shrinkage estimates in width and length; these estimates will provide a good starting point for future project calculations. The “all done!” photos will be shared on my Instagram page.
Today I think I will continue to organize my next few weaving projects in my head. I’m really liking this yellow rag weaving. I think it would make spiffy placemats or even a small throw rug for a powder room. It is sunny and cheerful, and we could all use a little of that these days, right?
Be safe and well, friends.
Kate K.
Kate Kilgus 