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Finishing February

Yep. Today is March 10 and I’m just getting around to the post for the 3 shawls I mentioned in my last post that just needed wet finishing. I am definitely compulsive enough that I made it a point to finish them on February 28 so I could count them for last month’s tally.

I really do like weaving lace. A lot. Since I haven’t woven lace in a while I was eager to get back to it.

handwoven shawl-cream lace diamonds

I’m very happy with the lace design. Not only do I find it visually pleasing, it’s one of the first (maybe the very first) time that I was able to look at a photo of a fabric I saw online and turn it into a weaving draft! This is a skill I’ve wanted to learn for a few years, so I was thrilled that I made it work this time. It only took several hours. 🙂 I spent hours with Fiberworks one evening, not getting anywhere, and around 11PM decided I had to go to bed as I needed to get up early the next morning. Of course, simply getting myself horizontal had no impact on shutting off the brain. All of a sudden the lightbulb went off! I got a brainstorm, got out of bed, spent about 15 minutes at the computer and voila – there it was! I could then fall asleep.

I warped for 2 regular shawls and a mobius with a natural 5/2 pearl cotton from my stash.

I’m a person who almost always prefers lace with the same or very similar color in both warp and weft. So the all-cream piece is my favorite. But I didn’t have enough of the cream yarn for another, so had to choose among my limited range of other 5/2 cottons. Using up more stash – yeah!

The other flat shawl uses a red earth colored weft. Here you can see both sides of the lace.

red earth lace diamonds shawl

For the last piece, the mobius, I used a spring green.

spring leaf lace mobius

In addition to working on that Happy warp I showed you last time, I started March by doing a little sewing. Cindie over at Eweniquely Ewe made some, and put a link to a YouTube video with the instructions. I’m happy to share it here, too.

I had some cute cotton fabric ready to go to the craft thrift store, and a broken tape measure from my son, so made these 3 bags. Easy peasy. Especially after the first one.

3 snap bags
I’m giving the middle one as a birthday gift to a friend, using the hot pepper one in my purse to replace a worn out little bag, and so far not sure what I’ll do with the third. I’m thinking that if I weave some scraps at the ends of future warps I can make some with my handwoven fabric, at least for the outside fabric, and then I can sell them in my booth. We’ll see.

4 comments to Finishing February

  • Alma

    In your groupings there is always that sings to me – – it’s the green one!!

    A friend (the one who received my fabric) fell in love with the snap bag idea. She has a place now at the Eastern Hills crafters mall area, and I’m wishing her luck. She’s the one who made my new fabric bags!!

  • Peg Cherre

    Theresa – yes, Cindie does find the neatest stuff. And you both inspire me with your range of handiwork. You are the reason I even considered sewing again. An inkle shuttle bag….hmmmmm…so many options!

    Cindie – Yep, I know I’d have to use handwoven that was quite firmly woven, which isn’t what I usually weave, but you never know. Thanks so much for the link-and your inspiration!

  • Love the lace.
    So glad you made some of the snap bags – aren’t they addictive?!! I have made some with handwoven scraps for the outside, cotton fabric on the inside and casing, just make sure they’re firmly woven so they don’t catch on something when thrown in a purse or bag……or stabilize the bag of the handwoven fabric

  • I love the earth colored shawl myself, although they are all so beautiful and I’m betting feel wonderful over the shoulders. Doesn’t Cindie find the neatest stuff? I have 3 different sizes of those snap bags she made for me one Xmas and the longest one holds all my assorted inkle shuttles.

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