latest projects

Here are some newer projects.

Rag Jacket

I made this jacket after taking a workshop at my Guild with Trudie Roberts, developer of the "California Rags" technique. The fabric is made by cutting a commercial fabric into strips, keeping them in order and then weaving them back together using plain weave on a suitable warp alternating with another yarn as weft.

I chose an ikat-dyed commercial fabric that was fairly loosely woven to begin with. My warp was 20s/2 cotton that I had hand-dyed in another project and happened to match pretty well. My weft was a peach-colored rayon chenille. I thought it would be too light in value but I like the result.

Red Bag

This bag was woven as a response to my Guild's annual "challenge" for 2003. The theme was "Cheesy Tomato" since the color theme was red and one of the materials we had to use was some cheesecloth. The bag is woven in honeycomb weave. The "cell walls" are outlined by the cheesecloth, which I dyed and then cut into strips. The ground yarn is a 20s/2 red cotton. The handle is a round kumihimo braid which I then plaited in a normal 3-strand braid. The ends of the handle are embellished with beads and sequins to form a flirty little tassel. The bag has a zipper closure.

Bag - "Lagoon Ripples"

Here's another "challenge" project. The theme for 2004 was "Making Waves", in which we were to take our inspiration from the ocean. I chose colors that made me think of the sea. This bag was woven using pique weave, in which the main fabric is "stitched" down by tie down threads that stay hidden most of the time. I had never done pique before, but it turned out well for a first try, and it gave me a chance to try out my second back beam for the first time as well. The straps are a 24-strand flat braid, and some of the braid elements are raffia, which makes the handle stiff - but part of the challenge was to use the raffia! The lining is fabric dyed using "shibori-in-a-jar" technique that Estelle Carlson taught at a Guild workshop. I brought "Lagoon ripples" with me when Walter took me on that wonderful trip to Tahiti...