Tag: League of NH Craftsmen

Fine Craft Shows, Weaving - general

Summer Show Season 2018

by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment on Summer Show Season 2018

Hello, friends. In addition to readying our currently over-sized home to move to a more reasonably-sized home, I am weaving in anticipation of the summer and early fall fine craft show season. There are no shows on my calendar for June or July (the business of moving can really mix up your schedule), so my first big event will be the League of NH Craftsmen Summer Fair, Newbury, NH, August 4-12. I will be in Tent 1, Booth 105, same as last year.

Here are a few pictures of some of the pieces I have been working on recently for the Fair:

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Alpaca silk scarf with log cabin borders

 

I’ve done a few variations of this log cabin scarf, a design I drafted last year and wove in bamboo. By reworking the thread count, sett, and beat for the finer alpaca and silk yarn, I believe I’ve crafted a lightweight, insulating piece for those of us who reside in colder climates.

 

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“Orange Peel” overshot with my bubbly treadling variation

My centerpiece-sized tabletop textiles found many homes last year so I’ve added a few more of those. I did the circle-y treadling in royal blue, garnet, and black. (I’m waiting to work on hemming while my loom is out of commission during the move).

 

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Summer and Winter placemats!

I love weaving these summer and winter placemats! I put on a pretty long warp for these, which seemed like a fine idea at the time, but now that I’m half-way through the weaving of my intended project, I have found that I might be running low on 5/2 mercerized cotton. In my semi-state of panic in trying to get everything packed before the movers arrive to load our lives into a truck, I have already stuffed my yarn inventory into boxes.

(Maybe I will just order two cones of 5/2 white cotton and make my life easier. Don’t tell.)

One last picture…

 

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Harrisville, New Hampshire

Here is just one lovely view of the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire, our soon-to-be new home. Weavers and other fiber enthusiasts will most likely recognize “Harrisville” as a most familiar locale. Yes, we are moving to Harrisville, THE Harrisville, of Harrisville Designs. The historic mill complex and lovely shop are a mere one mile walk from our new home.

 

How did I get so lucky?

Signing off for now. Be well, friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kitchen textiles

Weaving a favorite

by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment on Weaving a favorite

Hello, friends. I’ve woven a fair number of placemats using my “Cityscape” design and have moved onto kitchen towels. I love to weave kitchen towels! “Farmhouse Plaid” towels have been a customer favorite since I designed them nearly eight years ago:

 

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Farmhouse plaid towels on the loom – red and ivory

 

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China Blue and ivory cotton kitchen towels

 

For these towels, I sett the 8/2 unmercerized cotton rather closely at 24 ends per inch. This results in a cloth that strikes a good balance between drape and thickness after finishing.

In addition to weaving in anticipation of summer and early fall exhibits this year, my husband and I are embarking on a rather big project. Here’s a hint:

 

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And so it begins…

My husband and I will be “right-sizing” now that our children are grown and flown. We’re looking for a place that will allow for ample opportunity for gardening, cheesemaking, baking, and, of course, weaving.

Be well,
Kate K.

PS: Be sure to stop in at the latest League of NH Craftsmen exhibition, “Fairy Tales & Fantasies” in Concord, NH. The exhibit runs through June 15, 2018. My handwoven “Truffula Trees” placemats are part of this exhibit.

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Handwovens for the table

“Truffula Trees” and “Cityscape” weaving

by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment on “Truffula Trees” and “Cityscape” weaving
“Truffula Trees” and “Cityscape” weaving

The “Truffula Trees” placemats are finished and I’m pleased with the results. A set of four mats will be my entry into the next League of NH Craftsmen exhibition, “Fairytales and Fantasies,” which opens April 6, 2018 in Concord, NH. In case you’re not familiar with “Truffula Trees,” I encourage you to read “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss! It is a wonderful contemporary fairy tale and has a message that is relevant for our times.

 

The mats feature hemstitching so that the mats are reversible. (I like both sides!) I used 5/2 mercerized cotton in the warp, as the tabby weft, and also as the pattern weft (used doubled). The mats are machine washable in a gentle cycle.

The following mats, named “Cityscape” thanks to our son, Andrew, are a variation of the same threading. Andrew noted that the interlacements reminded him of the bricks on Bay State Road in Boston, where he is a university student:

 

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“Cityscape” placemats in turquoise and purple

I liked these mats so much that I decided to keep two for our table! They pair nicely with our Fiestaware dishes.

The placemats are so much fun to make (and feel so substantial!) that I have decided to see how a more traditional design would look and feel. These mats (and possibly companion table runners) feature overshot weaving:

 

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“Square and Compass” overshot

The color in the chart is a little underwhelming (I was trying to conserve printer ink by using a muted shade). It will be interesting to see how these go together.

That’s all for now, friends. Happy weaving to you!

Be well,

Kate K.

 

 

 

Handwovens for the table

Black and White Encore Exhibit; new work

by Kate Kilgus2 Comments on Black and White Encore Exhibit; new work

Happy New Year, friends. I hope that today finds you in good health and spirits. May your days be merry and bright in 2018.

I’m preparing to take up new work for a League of NH Craftsmen gallery exhibit that will open on January 12, “Black & White Encore.” Although it is scarf-wearing season here, I decided to submit handwovens for the home:

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Black and white placemats & overshot runner

I am continuing to work on the eight-shaft overshot self-drafted runners and am on the last one of three. The darker-colored pattern weft yarns seem to do a nice job of bringing out the half-tones in the pattern. Here is an example, in black and ivory:

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Black and ivory overshot on the loom

A new run of towels is waiting for its turn on the loom. I designed this cloth using a combination of four shaft straight and point twills. Let’s hope that the cloth resembles something close to the computerized design!

Asymettrical plaid draft closeup
Twill tea towel doodle

That’s all for now! Time to get back at the loom in earnest. (It is better than organizing paperwork for taxes).

Be well,

Kate K.

 

 

 

 

 

Handwovens for the table

Summer and Winter Placemats

by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment on Summer and Winter Placemats

This week’s work at the loom involves another two shuttle weave, summer and winter! Like overshot, two weft shuttles are used alternately throughout the body of the cloth; one shuttle is used for the plain weave (to give the cloth stability and structure) and the other shuttle is designated for the pattern design. The really fun thing about summer and winter is that it makes a cloth that is reversible. I think that this feature is especially handy when it comes to placemats; it is like getting two mats out of one! Here is a photo  of the two sides of the same placemat design to illustrate:

 

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Summer and winter placemats in sage and white

 

Nifty, right? So the “summer” refers to the lighter hued version of the cloth, and the “winter” refers to the darker side. Here is a black and white version of the placemats:

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Summer and winter / black and white

The black and white placemats (a set of two) will be heading to Concord, New Hampshire in January for a League of NH Craftsmen exhibition that will highlight (you guessed it) black and white fine craft. I am also going to exhibit this overshot piece:

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Black and white orange peel overshot

Most of the orange peel overshot pieces that I worked on last week are finished. If you’re interested in reviewing the specifics of these pieces, please head over to my shop. Feel free to contact me with any questions, too.

Don’t forget, I am still offering free shipping on all US deliveries this week! Stumped about what to gift to your office mate or host/hostess this holiday season? Kitchen towels fit the bill! They’re priced right and ship easily. My prior customers have shared that they’ve designated these for Yankee Swap gifts, too. I have six of each of these in stock and ready to ship:

Handwoven kitchen towel / red & ivory farmhouse plaid

Handwoven kitchen towel in red and unbleached cottons. Plaid border is woven into all 4 corners. Machine stitched ends. Size: 16.5" x 24". Care: Machine wash & dry, press as desired.

$28.00

Handwoven kitchen towel / blue diamond twill

Handwoven cotton kitchen towel. Diamond twill features a variety of different blue yarns including turquoise, royal blue, sky blue, and powder blue. 16” x 24” with machine stitched hems. Care: machine wash and dry, press as desired.

$28.00

Thanks for checking in! Be well, Kate

Fine Craft Shows, kitchen textiles

Codman Estate wrap-up; this week’s weaving

by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment on Codman Estate wrap-up; this week’s weaving

My first year at Codman Estate Fine Art & Crafts Festival, Lincoln, Massachusetts, was very enjoyable. The grounds are lovely (I recommend a field trip if you live in the vicinity) and the show was well-attended and well-organized. Kitchen towels found new owners as did table runners. I’m especially pleased that this Whig Rose table runner in colonial blue found a new home:

Whig Rose in blue on loom

This week I am continuing to weave a rather sizable (for me) custom order of two dozen kitchen towels. The weaving is proceeding well (I’ve worked this pattern in a variety of color combinations for over seven years now). Here is a look at this towels in process:

 

Colonial blue towels on loom
Farmhouse plaid kitchen towel in colonial blue and unbleached cottons

I’ll be updating my shop listings this week. There are still several waffleweave washing cloths available in addition to some kitchen towels. I’ve just sent off new work to two fine craft galleries this week, too, Littleton Fine Craft Gallery and Nashua Fine Craft Gallery. If you are leaf-peeping in New Hampshire this fall and fancy strolling around a fine craft gallery, I highly recommend a visit to any of the League of NH Craftsmen Fine Craft Galleries!

Thanks for stopping in & be well,

kate k.