Look what I found

Inspiration !

Today textile artist Julie Ryder did some research for an up and coming project and called in to the handmade markets. There was a large selection of hand made goods and also a recycled clothing store called Material Pleasures and these were smiling at me but a size 10 so the lovely lady let me take a photo. They are just my colour !

Finally some Lacroix sampling

Well over the past week I have been playing and weaving colour samples and some ground fabric to play with some stitching for Lacroix Sweetie.

Lacroix sampling, silk and wool warp and silk, metallic and rayon wefts

Lacroix sampling, rayon warp and 100% copper weft

             

Lacroix sampling, rayon warp and silk and rayon weft

Mel and I have been a little neglectful of our blog lately so I will start to post fortnightly ( I would like to think more often than that but at least its a start). Mel its your turn to post!

Not that successful

Almost there, blue warp is threaded shafts 9-10 repeat 20 times, then 11-12 repeat 3 times  9-10 are threaded singly through reed and 11-12 are double. 

Spacing threads, should have added plain weave! I will when I restart this sample, with the new lift plan.

Floats are on the top and not the bottom, so now I have to redo the pegs

To much pink and not enough copper

Just a big mess really!

The original draft for the image below. I have crammed the warp with 4 threads per dent instead of 2. I have now added the blue ikat warp to the side and it is threaded onto shafts 9- 10 then 11 and 12. Lift has had added 9-11, 11, 10-12, 12 repeated. so that has to change so floats are on the bottom.

Rayon warp, copper and man-made metallic thread in the weft. Hand woven 2012  Belinda Jessup

Hi Melly I have been busy this morning starting at 6.30 with a walk with the puppies. puppies were very happy to be out and about.
So I finished threading up and tied on. I have started to weave but the draft is not right, the floats are on the top and not the bottom. I also should have started with some plain weave but was just to excited to get it started. I will be patient and put on some plain weave and sated again. I am adding some photos so you can have a look at my day in the studio. I also pull 10 things from my desk beside me so thats also a start.

4 magazines - recycling
1 printing barren - give to Jill
2 printer inks - recycle if I cant find anyone with a printer they fit. my printer died
1 packet of matches - bin
1 fernwood gift card -bin
1 plastic sleeve - bin 

Reworking the Sample Lacroix Warp

Now just a reminder where the inspiration for this warp started, the blouse in the right hand side image

quick sketch of new draft. This is going to make me think! its just adding the new warp to 4 shafts right?

Sorry not a good photo of the tencel warp, will get another one when I am at the studio next

Rayon warp before re-denting

Well lets rework the sample warp. I have re dented the rayon as it was not showing the design very well. I have had fun dying a tencel warp and am adding to the side of the rayon to play with a new design.
so now to work out the threading and lift plan.  I think this is going to be fun once I have worked it out.

301 Post and warp samples

Well Melly this is our 301st post. I have been sampling on my warp today and having a bit of fun even if I only had 1.5 hours in the studio. Its better than none.

Belinda Jessup Copper and Rayon weaving

I have used copper in the weft and a hot pink mederia metallic thread. I started with a fine copper thread and when i went to wind a new bobbin discovered I had some copper that was much thicker and I think it shows the pattern a bit better. The last bit of sampling was with the metallic thread added. I am still not that happy with it but its a start. My first real lacroix sample.

Belinda Jessup, Copper, Metallic and Rayon Threads

Warp Progress

Today was an unusually day. I started with some gardening, a quick trip to the shops and I am fancying myself as a decorator! Cake decorator that is. I haven't done any in a veeeeeerrrryyyy long time so thought I would pick up this book and give it ago soon. Just gotta love Costco, gets you in every time and books would be the one thing I can addicted to, cook book especially.

Next a friend dropped by to deliver 2 new chairs I had purchased  a few months ago and hadn't got around to having delivered. Well it was more that I was never here to accept the delivery at a convenient time. ( notice Rocky's ears!)

Then finally I got to go to the studio. It has been a while and I knew I wouldn't be able to sit at the loom for long but I so desperately wanted to get out there and get this warp threaded so I can get a little sampling going.

Finally threaded but Melly how do I keep the rayon from sliding off the beam when you tie it on? Oh wait I think I know!

Presto! marking tape will be my new best friend I think.

Now for a draft. I think this may have come from you or the weave-away blog I read on occasion.

So for my inspiration image   ( top right hand image) , I want to play with copper weft and texture. so lets start playing? Well now I have to wait until Wednesday to go back to the studio as family and work commitments will take up the next 3 day. So lets hope I have not over done the back today as I promised myself I would only sit at the loom for an hour but in the end stayed at the studio for 3 hours. I did get up and walk to visit Nancy Tingey in her studio a few times to rest my back. You would think that some one would develop a loom that was a bit more user friendly by now.   Belly

It´s Lacroix!

My friend Helen showed me two pieces of her Lacroix - beautiful!

 This print is from a silk shirt from the early 1980s. The silk was devine - it was like liquid! And the colours were stunning - so beautiful!

 This is from a quilt cover set - I love the designs of the embroidery - so Lacroix!

--mel

Beads!

A quick post - I found these amazing beads at Vinnies the other day. I´m guessing from shape, colour, size, shape and the threads and paper with them, that these are from around the 1930s - so excited! they´re beautiful - and I´m sure they´re going to be of use for Lacroix!

--melly

For Christian

Not the best photos but you get the idea.  Still lots more playing but am enjoying the process now. Thanks Melly you are a great friend in a crisis, keeping me calm and all you help thank you!   

A Grande Day Out

What a great day we had! Belly visited me in Mittagong today and we made great headway with Lacroix work.

 This is Belly's inspiration image.

 And her new warp.

 My inspiration image.

 And a new warp for us both to play on - as well as make a couple of scarves.

This is the image we decided that we would use to make some drawings from - can't wait to see what we come up with - I'm so excited!

--mel

Lacroix round up

 So I was thinking I need to review exactly what I was aiming for. After much pruning, the followig photos pull the strongest response from me. 

Colour, combinations of materials, embelishment, sumptuous, pattern, texture, folds.

--mel

Bottocelli flowers

These are some of the flower sections I'd like to work with for some pick up or brocade for the lacroix weavings. I'll play about and stylize them a little - glam them up maybe?

There are apartenly over 40 different flowers in the paining (Primavera) all with specific meanings. Research is continuing..

It will be a good thing to do on the train trip tomorrow.

--mel