All posts tagged: weaving

art deco.

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I recently discovered that Michaels hosts free online craft workshops and demos. I signed up for a few jewelry classes that caught my eye. The first was this art deco necklace taught by Danielle Wickes of John Bead. The workshops come with handouts and access to the recording afterwards; you just need to to supply your own materials. In each jewelry class, the instructor features a product that Michaels carries, so their suggested materials list has all the items that you can buy at Michaels (but you can purchase from other places, too, of course). This class featured John Bead Superduo Two-Hole Czech Glass Beads. I’ve always been curious about “weaving” with beads and working with beads with two holes. This project involved both. Danielle went thru the steps pretty quickly for this project. It’s definitely worth it to watch the demo first and then attempt the project later with the recording. I tried to keep up as much as I could and then finished the rest after the class. Not only did I learn …

cardboard loom.

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I taught a weaving class with Craft Buzz back in May and we created cardboard looms. Since I haven’t restocked my acrylic looms in a while I thought I’d share the how-to for this simple, find-materials-at-home DIY, plus some weaving reference videos, so you can get weaving, too. All you need to create a cardboard loom: A piece of sturdy cardboard. The larger the cardboard, the larger you can make your weaving. The one I used is about 9 inches x 10 inches. A ruler Pencil/pen Scissors I like to leave 1-inch margins on the left and right sides of the cardboard (so I have cardboard to hold as I weave). Between the margins, mark every 1/4 inch at the top and bottom of the cardboard. Cut ~1/2 inch slits at each mark, at the top and bottom of your cardboard. That’s it! Prep and weave as you would on a wooden/acrylic/bamboo loom. For a quick weaving tutorial, view my short videos: Setting up your loom Tabby (basic) stitch Rya (tassels) Tabby stitch variations Finishing …

weave along.

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This past weekend I hosted my first workshop on the interwebs (on Instagram!), and it was so cool because people actually joined me and crafted along! It was a free class, but I sold weaving kits complete with Crafterateur loom and assorted yarn for those who needed materials. Class was two and a half hours. I demonstrated a weaving from start (setting up the loom) to finish (adding a stick and hanging), and shared tips and tricks along the way. I also took questions as much as I could, but it was definitely a different experience not being able to see my students during class. Here’s the piece I worked on, plus some of the weaving stitches and techniques I shared. And here are some of the in-progress and finished works from makers across the state and nation! Tap through for weaving/photo credits; I’ve tagged all the makers’ Instagram handles. Thank you to everyone who joined my first online workshop! As a bonus I’ve recorded a few low-budget videos so you can craft along, too. …

macraweave.

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I created this macrame piece for Craftcation 2020; my friend Rebecca and I were going to host a community weaving project and use this as the base for the weaving. But Craftcation was cancelled, so I continued the weaving on my own. For the macrame base I used a 3 foot dowel and 48 strands of 12-foot rope, plus more for hanging. From top to bottom, I included Lark’s head knots, square knots, double half hitch knots, ‘loops,’ and finishing knots. Check out my fiber arts station – it’s a bike rack. 🙂 For the weaving I stuck with using roving and super thick yarn so it would fill in the gaps nicely. First mustard, then some white, then lots of earthy colors leftover from my soap felting project. And then I filled in the rest with white. I used variations on tabby stitches and soumak weave. Since this project was quite large and I wasn’t working in straight lines, I found it best to work in sections. Also, the roving is delicate and passing …

clover weave.

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I thought today would be an appropriate day to share these Clover brand weaving looms. See what I did there? I was suppose to teach two weaving workshops (sponsored by Clover!) at Craftcation 2020 in April, but unfortunately, Craftcation has been cancelled given the latest COVID-19 developments. I thought I’d share anyway because these tools are so fun! Thank you to Nicole of Craftcation (and Dear Handmade Life) for sending me a Clover mini weaving loom to play with! It’s such a nice portable craft tool. I particularly like the ‘lift’ it gives you when you’re working on your piece. Also a plus – the tines are removable so you can weave until the very top and still take your piece off the loom (versus leaving some warp blank for tying). Here are a few samples I’ve been working on, made with three basic stitches: tabby/basic stitch, rya/tassels, and soumak. Mixing up colors, yarn textures, and size of your tapestry can add so much variation. With this tool you can also …

a weaving rainbow.

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My friend Vilasinee of the Loome came out with a few new maker tools, including a rainbow loom! Ka-yoot. I was very excited to try it out. For this craft you will need: Rainbow Loome tool Non stretchy cord Assorted yarn Felt Fabric or hot glue Fabric scissors Crafting needle The complete details can be found in V’s super helpful how-to video using the larger of the two rainbow looms, but in general: Use the non stretchy cord to set up your loom (this is called the warp). Weave a rainbow using a basic/tabby stitch (this is the weft). V recommends starting your weave at the top of the rainbow; I agree. This helps with achieving a more defined arch shape. Once you fill in the open arch shape, remove the rainbow from the loom. Untie the knots made in the warp, then remove the warp from the notches, one at a time. Alternate pulling the loose warp cord to secure the weft. I started from the middle and worked outward. Sew loose weft and …

weave.

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Hooray, huzzah! I’m so excited that my weaving workshop has been picking up. The Fall/Winter is the perfect time for this cozy craft! I absolutely love teaching this workshop. Also, I really, really love creating yarn rainbow displays! Here are a few snaps from my last two classes – @ Craft + Work In my workshop I review all the tools (we use my brand loom and tools!) and materials needed to create a tapestry weaving, how to prep a loom, variations on the tabby/basic stitch and rya/tassels, and how to finish a weaving. Everyone leaves with a finished (or nearly finished!) piece. @ Mischief It’s always fun to see what everyone creates with just two weaving stitches and a rainbow of colors! Are you a be-weaver? Share below!

summer weavings.

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I’ve been trying to weave more, but like watercolor, it’s something I find challenging to do at home because home priorities and other craft distractions. So I’m trying this thing where I bring crafts on the go. Plus I’ve got this super cute bag from Rennie that I’ve deemed my weaving project bag. I’ve been going to many tennis events this summer (yay Hubby!), so I’ve been bringing my weavings on the road and all of these weavings are named after the tennis match. Last Regular Season Match. The last regular season match was held at Alameda City College. It was so cold and windy (#bayareasummer) so I had my blanket (also woven!) and my weaving in hand. This is a nice place to watch tennis because they actually have spectator seating not blocked by a fence. I use this as a sample for my Weaving Basics class because it demonstrates all the things I teach in the workshop: tabby stitch, rya (tassels), interlocking weave, and tips for adding texture. This piece measures 5.25 inches …

special projects.

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted about special projects. So, here we go! Flower crown. First up, a custom flower crown in peaches and pinks. My panda makes a good model. Golden Gate bridges. Shweet Shtuf asked me to cut felt Golden Gate bridges for Karl the Fog plushies. So many bridges! These are available for purchase and are made to order. Pennants. I got a pennant request for a bouquet of graduation pennants – one design for the middle school graduation year and the other for their future high school graduation year. Super fun! Plus a custom pennant request for a Georgetown College alum. Go tigers! And my friend who works for the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Branch at the California Department of Public Health requested this custom #syphilisishard pennant for her coworker. I was given artist’s choice for colors so I made it super colorful. Paper signage. Here’s a paper sign I whipped up for an office baby shower. I practiced my calligraphy cutting. Wall hangings. Here’s another colorful project – a …

weave party.

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I threw a little weaving party at West Elm. I taught a Weaving Basics workshop and had a few of my weavings for sale. Plus snacks! We demoed the Anton solid wood dining table plus bench and the Ellis dining chair. Every time someone considered buying the table I said it was good crafting table. 🙂 I set up my yarn rainbow. And some treats. My friends Connie and Laura were my students today. With special guest – Pebbles (she demoed the Trinket Pouf ;)). West Elm paparazzi took some candid and not so candid photos of us. Finished weavings! Thank you to Laura and Connie for spending the crafternoon weaving with me! I hope to host more of these!