The Loom: An Epic Adventure

I have been given a Vintage '70's Brittany Tapestry Loom.  It is in itself a thing of beauty and artistry...of walnut hardwood and skilled crafting.  I took it apart, and I am now trying to warp it.  There is not much information available on the web for this particular loom.  I found instructions for a slightly different Brittany loom (it has side pegs, mine does not) at http://www.herran.com/textile/discuss/messages/6762.html

I have also added a copy to my blog for preservation purposes http://maggiecam.blogspot.com/2016/08/instructions-for-setting-up-brittany.html

Brittany Looms were made in Placerville, CA in the '70's by the parents of the people who now make Brittany Knitting Needles and Crochet hooks in Elk, CA.  I emailed, but have so far gotten no response.  It's a long shot.  I am writing this blog in case someone else needs help with this loom.

The loom has a rolling heddle...the warp threads go in opposite slots and when you roll the heddle it opens a new shed.  Some information comes from Rebecca Mezoff blog  http://www.rebeccamezoff.blogspot.com/2015/02/which-tapestry-loom-is-right-for-me_13.html

The loom seems to have been missing a few pieces, mostly dowels, which I am trying to replace.  A very skinny one is inserted in the rolling heddle while threading and then removed as the warp is placed in the slats, then reinserted to hold the warp in place.  Ingenious.

The parts list also includes a sword, which I think I have and a tension bar which I don't think I have.  I am subbing a dowel for the tension bar until I learn better.  I have seen dowels used in many ways on tapestry looms.  I also have what I think is an hardwood shuttle.

My puzzle this week has been to reinterpret the 3rd sentence of the instructions  "Wrap the warp thread figure 8 fashion around left hand pegs 5 times, then bring warp behind top beam and place in first groove of top beam. "  Since I do not have the side pegs, I am visualizing what else I can use for this purpose...perhaps the corners where the top beam meets the vertical struts. I have the top notched bar and the heddle marked at the middle so I can center my piece.  The first one won't be the whole width.

 Another blog with Brittany resource info and pictures is Resourceful Nomad: A Vintage Tapestry Loom


and one from Sarah Frost  And the Pilcrow A Machine of wood and string, good warping pictures  http://sffiction.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-machine-of-wood-and-string.html

I am all set to warp....cotton yarn, The notches at the top beam only allow for 6 epi.

In my research, I read that it is helpful to stand a loom w/o supports on an easel...either a table easel or a table one.  

WARPED!

I had the most difficulty because I was complicating things.  I didn't need the side pegs that were described in the instructions...probably for a fancier loom.  I just tied on to the bottom like the frame looms...I probably need to refine that, but it will work for now.

Threaded through the rolling heddle...that part wasn't as hard as it looked....put threads in alternating slots and reinsert thin dowel to hold in place.

 

Now on to tension adjusting...for another day.

I am going to try some heading sticks for stability at the bottom of the warp.  I went to the hardware store, and they had some nice hardwood ones for approx. $8 each...a lightbulb went off, and I wondered if wooden yardsticks would do the trick...bought 2x at  $.89 each.  It will be a coup if they work.

Working on the pattern, trying to use a Fibonacci series of 3 color stripes.  I may have to tone the white yarn down with a tea bath...no ivory at the yarn shop.

A few rows woven, a few rows taken out....I found out after-the-fact that I should have started the rows with a row of half-hitches on every two warp threads to establish the spacing....things that are required for this...a length of weft yarn 3x the width of the piece, Patience, and Dexterity...the last two are not my strong suits, but it's never to late to learn....Practice is Learning.  

Finally warped with stronger blue cotton thread...the white yarn must have been old; it kept breaking.  Not a winning solution.

Using silk sari yarn and some hand dyes...small treasure purse project

Lots to learn 💓💓💓💓💓💓

Peacock overshot pattern weaving

milky merino wool fabric

site for nice merino fabric from Australia
http://www.milkymerino.com/page4.htm

Rust Dyeing on the Coast

Sept 9….Rust Dyeing Workshop with Lisa Grey cotton, silk, polyester, paper---spray surface with vinegar, press, press press rusted objects onto surface, cover with plastic, lay in sun, paint with tea solution (guar gum tea solution after, or lemon juice guar gum) Water + time straight vinegar faster rusting

Gardens and Weddings a colorful Yarn

Leftover plants from Wedding bouques yield some lovely color

 Black-Eyed Susan and Coreopsis flowers....Alum mordant

Grevillea robusta leaves...alum mordant

Canned Spring Dyebaths

Many times I find great botanical materials, but I am  not set up to use them right away.  I had this idea today that maybe canning them would preserve the dye color for future use.  I put the plant material and a Tbsp. of vinegar in a jar and filled it with water.  They are now boiling for 10 minutes in a canner.  I am hoping that this will preserve them, render the color, and keep them from fermenting until I am ready to use them.  I put a skein of alum mordanted wool in the one with the Scotch Broom flowers.

India Flint has used the canning method for dyeing material..I have tried that, but sometimes the plants come before the material is ready to be dyed.

4 jars ready to go in the canner

Skein of wool with Scotch Broom flowers

Scotch Broom Leaves

 Loquat Leaves....Green, Brown, Yellow

Bronze Fennel Leaves

After the 10 minute boiling...left to right, Scotch Broom Leaves, Loquat, Wool and Scotch Broom flowers, Bronze Fennel

I hope the colors will deepen as the jars sit, and that the plant material will not start to compost.  We'll see.  The bronze fennel seems to be a beautiful copper bronze, but it will probably change.  I see already that I need to put more material in...really stuff the jars i.e. the jar with Scotch Broom Leaves.

I am hoping this will be not only a good way to preserve dye plants for awhile, but also an easy low-key method to experiment with various potential dye plants.

Eco Printing Mystery Fabric with leaves and logwood

Trying to master the technique of ecoprinting on these cheap "Pashmina" scarves I bought on ebay....labeled 70% wool/30%, but I don't think so.  First one I did, I treated like protein, mordanting it in alum.  It took dye very weakly, so I redyed it using a soy mordant followed by and iron dip, pre-bundling.

That worked well, so I tried it again, eliminating the first alum mordant, and just going with the soy, followed by the iron.

I am happy with the results...this is a present for a friend who has been admiring the first "mistake".

I got fairly good definition, and I like the subtlety of shades.  It feels like wool, and is easy to wear.