Part 3 Stage 2 Workshop 4

Woven structures

Last year I did a workshop with Helen Meakin  who has a studio at Cromford Mill.  This is what I made:

Wire weaving with Helen Meakin last year

It ticks all the boxes for Reveal and Conceal.  The warp on Helen's Dobby loom was wire as was most of the weft.  I had a wonderful day and was pleased with my work.  Now I'll try my own version of this apparently delicate work made out of tough stuff.

I have a Kromski Harp loom and I plan to use a monofilament warp although I know it will bring its problems particularly around the tension and knotting the warp in the initial warping up.

Monofilament has a tendency to do its own thing and I used a combination of another pair of hands, masking tape and a bit of gaffa tape to hold it down.  When it came to cutting my warp I did it one warp at a time.

I was right to be worried about the tension:

The tension was a nightmare

The monofilament stretched in all sorts of odd ways but I'm not easily put off so I ploughed onwards
just to see what happened.

I used a variety of yarns including .2mm wire, silk ribbon, novelty yarns and sinamay.  I was aiming to make something ethereal.  All the photos are lit from behind.

Silk ribbon and organza topped with wire threaded "spiders web"

Sinamay, novelty threads and organza

A variety of the threads used

This is by no means the extent of the piece.  I thought I might need the warp again for another sample so I've left this work on the loom and part of it is hidden:

My work is still on the loom.

I've yet to see what the warp tension is like when it comes off the loom but with a bit of tweeking it seemed to behave during weaving.

Jan Garside uses monofilament warp.  Maybe I need some lessons.

I'll publish pics of the finished piece towards the end of Part 3.

Whilst I have been weaving I have come across a little book called "Follow a Thread".  It shows six contemporary responses to tapestry. One of the weavers featured is Linda Green who has explored space, light and materials that lend themselves to her interest in grid structures.  This is all very relevent to Reveal and Conceal.  The work is just beautiful.

Shred of evidence by Linda Green
17cm x 17cm x 3cm
Twisted paper, horsehair, polypropylene, linen
Constructed textile

Hot off the press by Linda Green
120cm x 120cm x 5cm
Paper and linen fibre, found papers
Tapestry weaving and knotting

Much later -

Today I did another piece of weaving.  I was interested to see if dark colours could offer me the "reveal" I am looking for.  I used sari silk, odds and ends of organza, a bit of ribbon and some net.
On the face of it the piece looked very dense:

Conceal

But held up to the light wonderful things happened:

Reveal

When I had finished this I had to take the brave step of removing my work from the loom.  I held the monofilament warp with gaffa tape again and didn't really know what would happen. Because I can't tie the warp ends I zig zag stitched around the edges of the above piece to make it more secure.

The other piece is off the loom too and I'm really pleased with it.

Maximum transparency

Follow a Thread is an IC:  Innovative Craft curated and produced exhibition for Ruthin Craft Centre.

http://www.helenmeakin.co.uk/

http://www.studiogreen.me/lindagreen.html