Weaving Letters into Bands

Three years ago, I made a sample headband and wove in META to show a simple way to make personalized headbands.

My oldest granddaughter saw it at one of my presentations a few weeks ago and asked, "Where is my headband with my name on it?"

So I finished ADELAIDE's and ISOBEL's this week!  Finally!

These were made with a 7 Pattern Thread set up... Print out the sheet below and make some bands.

Valentines Weekend at the Vesterheim Museum, Iowa 2016

A week teaching weaving in Decorah Iowa.

On the left is the museum block that houses the Norwegian American history and items from the early settlers of the area.  Household items, tools, costumes and Band Looms.

Although it was a little chilly, low teens most days, the ground was covered with a fresh coating of white and hearty Iowa folk were out with their usual activities.

Roger taught a bowl turning class for 3 days and I sat nearby getting some weaving done. I finished the 3 headbands for my granddaughters and started on some samplers.

On Saturday and Sunday our Valentines Day Band Weaving Class took place. The Vesterheim has many old Norwegian Looms and Bands and we were lucky to be able to see how the looms and bands were made up close.  The Looms were individually carved so each one is unique. Imperfect slots and holes do not hinder the weaving but instead, turn the Loom into a work of folk art.

Here is a Band pattern I had not seen before. It is now on my list to try out once I chart the pattern.

The Norwegians used these colorful bands to decorate clothing but also were useful as belts, swadling bands and ties.

Our second year went very well and we all enjoyed each others company creating lovely looms and bands. We work together, the weavers and the carvers in the same room and between periods of quiet concentration, we talked about the carving, weaving, materials used and how it all works together to make the experience a success.

This was a great class idea. Couples working together is a class we plan to do again next year and again during the year for others who want to share the wonderful craft of carving wood and manipulating wool, cotton and linen into bands of cloth.

If you are interested in hosting a class, please let us know! More information and my book, Tape Loom Weaving...simplified... is available on my web site, www.eastknollpottery.com

Check out this blog for past posts on weaving by my search bar, 

find some old looms and weavings on my pinterest page...https://www.pinterest.com/potterymom1 and sign up for my blog to receive notice of future patterns and free stuff.  

Free Blank Charts for you to download... posted on January 1, 2016.

Happy weaving... and carving!

Norwegian Style Red Bodice with Traditional Weaving Pattern

I just finished my new bodice to wear when I go to events and teach classes. This shows off how you can decorate your clothing with these wonderful tape or band patterns that you weave on your little looms.

The pattern is an old pattern, fairly simple to do. I used cotton background warp and wool pattern threads, weaving the weft with the same white cotton. I have one row of each, white, red and black for the borders.

The red wool bodice is lined with cotton checked fabric.











A few years ago, I found a tin box of old hooks and eyes at a tag sale. They are not the flimsy style you get today at stores, but larger and stronger.

After sewing on the hooks and eyes, I used a piece of linen/cotton binding that I wove to hide the hook attachments on both sides.






























Vests used to be popular.  I like these old style bodices with the bright woven ribbons to decorate them. Old style bodices and jackets can be found a www.digitaltmuseum.se (Sweden) or www.digitaltmuseum.no (Norway).  I have posted some more of the old style bodices on my pinterest page... https://www.pinterest.com/potterymom1/period-clothing/

I look for a style of bodice or jacket that I like and then come up with a nice pattern to weave for the decoration.  It is a lovely way to create these bands and have a use ready for them.

Not interested in weaving these narrow bands yet or need more information? You can search this blog, contact me or buy my book on tape weaving... Tape Loom Weaving... simplified  at Amazon.com or through my web site www.eastknollpottery.com (yes, I am also a potter)

Find a bodice you like and then weave a pretty band... it is very rewarding!

Blank Charts free download

Blank Charts

Here are the three styles of charts that you can download and printout to make your own weaving patterns.

Blank Stripe Pattern Chart

Blank Pick Up Pattern Chart

Inkle Loom How-to do Pick-up Patterns not found in Anne Dixons Pattern Book!

I was recently browsing around on Amazon looking for more pick-up patterns.  I bought Anne Dixons Inkle book a few years ago when it first came out. Back then, I was writing my own book for Tape or Band weaving.  As I wrote here before, I had no clue 15 years ago on how to use the old tape loom in my attic and needed to know how to thread the darn thing, and how to pick-up.

Pick-up Patterns

I love Dixons book. It has many new and exciting patterns. But again, she misses out on the basic how-to of setting up and learning how to separate the threads for pick-up patterns.  On Amazon, she has great reviews from experienced weavers looking for new pattern ideas.  A few book buyers were disappointed that she did not review the basics.

That is why I wrote my book. To teach the beginner how to set up the threads and how to pick the pattern threads for those complicated looking designs.

And the transfer of patterns from Inkle to Tape loom, can also be used from my Tape loom instructions to Inkle!

The set up for Inkles is a little different only in the use of string heddles on the Inkle loom and rigid heddles on the Tape or Band loom. 

If you have an Inkle and need pick up instructions, check out my book. Just set up the Inkle loom transfering the "Hole (H)" threads on my charts to the "Heddle (H) threads on Inkle charts.  Transfer the "Slot (S) on my charts to the "Unheddled (U)" threads on Inkle charts.  And then follow the directions for pick-ups.  

Inkle looms use H - heddle and U - unheddled.  Tape or Band looms use H - holes and S - slots.

Thats all there is to it!  Have questions? Just Ask!  I love weaving theses small bands.  I weave for historical interest so I use the older styles of looms, but I also appreciate the Inkle loom. Its adaption from the Swedish floor looms was a great idea.  The inkles also have the opportunity to do wider bands because the threads can be spaced over those pegs whereas band looms need to be wider (more holes and slots) for more threads.

Stoorstalka Band Loom

Ashford Inkle Loom

At any rate, making bands of cloth is a great fill in activity for established weavers, for those who want to learn a simple way of weaving at low cost, for those who take their weaving on vacations and those who need to make bands for handbags, guitars and belts.  

Pick a loom. Weave. Be Happy!

Band Weaving Classes at The Vesterheim Museum in Decorah Iowa in February

Roger and I are invited back to the Folk School at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Iowa again this coming February.

Last February, we offered a special Valentines Day couples weaving class. An unusual event, we had 8 couples attend and more on our waiting list. One member of the couple carved an old style Norwegian band loom by hand with Roger. The other member of the couple learned how to weave bands on one of my frame looms with me.  A two day class.  At the end of Valentines weekend, the carver presented the weaver with this special loom and the new weaver took it home to make the special bands.


Not familiar with band weaving? Bands of cloth were woven on simple small looms to create ties, ribbons and decorations.  Bright colors and elaborate patterns are easily woven on a loom that is small and portable.  Today, not only is it a fun craft to learn, but woven bands have a variety of uses. And the looms themselves are a wonderful work of folk art to hang on your wall when not in use.

Why a couples Valentines Day class event?

There is an old tradition in Norway. A young man who had his eye on a young woman would carve an elaborate loom with hearts, flowers and birds. Many times he would add her name and the date. He would leave this loom on her doorstep. If she accepted the loom, she would be accepting him. If she did not, he would have to carve a new loom for his next young woman.

Mangle Board

They also carved a special board called a Mangle Board as a betrothal gift. A mangle board is a board to press linen cloth. There is a saying that also applies to the band looms... "Beware of the man with too many mangle boards"... for he has had too many refusals.

We all worked together in a large Vesterheim classroom. The two days of work on carving looms was well worth the time spent.  The 7 men and one woman (yes we women can carve too), carved elaborate looms putting a little bit of themselves into each one.

The 7 women and 1 man (he was a great weaver already), learned the basics of weaving on this simple loom and quickly went on to weaving the more elaborate patterns.

And it was great fun!  The Vesterheim is a friendly place, we all interacted with each other and shared the experience together.

So we are going back!  I look forward to sharing this wonderful time with great people, a lovely museum filled with wonderful folk art and tools from local Norwegians and spend two days in a quiet little town in the farming country of Iowa.

Check out their web site and loom up the classes they offer, and sign up early for the Couples Class. We are sure to have a great time!

-Reggie

http://vesterheim.org

Can't get time to travel to Iowa in the middle of winter? There is still time to order my how-to book for Holiday gift-giving or for yourself on my web site or Amazon.com.

Tape Loom Weaving... simplified, will tell you how to make a simple loom and how to set up and weave your own bands.
www.eastknollpottery.com

And yes, I am a potter too!

Miniature Pottery Sale... Holiday Gifts and my old High School

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I graduated from high school lets see... 43 years ago! So long ago. Fair visitors often ask me how long have I been making pottery, I tell them I started 45 years ago... at Regional #7 in Winsted CT. It sounds so cool that I have been making pottery for so long, and yet 45 years means I am getting old.

My love for pottery began with Kenneth Dyer the pottery instructor. I was 15, and I spent most of my free time playing with clay. Mr. Dyer played classical music on the record player as we worked. When I graduated, I took 2 semesters of adult night classes with him at the school. It was a chance to make pots at home too and he would fire them for me. Come June, he told me I was making too much stuff and I couldn't come back... "Go home and get your own equipment", he said. So I did.

I started with a kick wheel and bought a Paragon kiln the size of a washing machine from a little old lady who did paint your own pottery. I still have that kiln and it still works. Soon I realized that I had to find a style that people would buy. Loving history, I decided to make yellow ware. Yellow ware was made in England in the 1700s. They had lovely yellow burning clays with a beautiful feathery pattern. I sold yellow ware to gift shops, museum stores and went to trade and crafts shows for 30 years.

I started making mini pots when my two girls were young and had doll houses. One day while demonstrating at my first fair job, Goshen, I made some minis in front of folks and they said, "mm", "ah", "oh" and "wow". "They are so small!", "How do you make them so small". I inhaled the compliments and made more.

So now I am known as the "Reggie the Miniature Potter".  Which is fine. I still make yellow ware, but I sell thousands of this little pots across the country now and last year I ran out!  I love to make these little jewels, I can use a variety of clays, sometimes I did my own, I pick up clay across the county, people bring me clay too. My favorite is still the lovely yellow clays from the mid-west and our own Sheffield, Massachusetts red clay.


I glaze them with a variety of colors and styles... bright reds, soft browns, overlapping colors, sgraffito, slip decorated tiny drawings and mocha patterns. Vases for tiny flowers, face jugs, "fake" salt glazed crocks, dollhouse bowls and pitchers, tea pots, piggy banks... oh, there is no end to what can be made small!

So here is your last chance this year to see my new batch and take one home. I made this batch while demonstrating on my wooden treadle wheel at the Dixie Classic Fair in NC and  the South Carolina State Fair in SC last month.  I have some new vases... some new faces... just fun stuff!

Stock... ready for the Fairs!

Come to my old high school, Northwestern Regional #7 in Winsted CT  for their Holiday Craft Fair, this Saturday, November 21st from 9-3. I will be in the New Gym. My minis sell for $4 each, but you can get a special of  3 for $10.  I will also have some bigger face jugs and a few yellow ware pieces. I do not sell at my shop in Torrington any longer, so this is your opportunity to pick up a lovely gift for you or someone else.

Hope to see you there!