2011 Midwest Weavers Conference Guild Exhibit

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2011 Midwest Weavers Conference Guild Exhibit Aurora Borealis: Northern lights, ever changing, always in motion, a whisper of color and never the same.

challenge for its members, to weave a scarf that depicts this theme.

1 2011 Midwest Weavers Conference Guild Exhibit Aurora Borealis: Northern lights, ever changing, always in motion, a whisper of color and never the same. Midnight Streamers Weaving Indiana (Indianapolis, Indiana) Living in Indiana, most of our members are unfamiliar with the beautiful night sky seen from the more northern states, so our guild set up a challenge for its members, to weave a scarf that depicts this theme. The Weaving Indiana guild has members ranging from beginning weavers to weavers with over 40 years of weaving experience, and all were encouraged to participate. Each weaver selected an aurora borealis photo to inspire their color selections and a weave pattern that they felt would instill a sense of motion in the finished piece. The only restrictions placed on them were that they needed to weave their scarves using 8/2 Tencel yarn, with black tencel as either the warp or the weft. We chose Tencel as the fiber because of its shimmer and shine. The resulting scarves use plain weave, simple twill, advancing twill, overshot, crackle, echo weave and network drafts. Color variations were placed in vertical strips, in horizontal color changes or even in hand dyed warps. Have a look for yourself and see how each weaver rose to the challenge. The following pages show each weaver s scarf, along with the inspiration photo they chose, the drawdown, yarn specifications and comments from the weaver. We think they all did a wonderful job. Be inspired!

2 Aurora Borealis: Northern lights, ever changing, always in motion, a whisper of color and never the same. After completing her challenge scarf, one weaver offered her humorous twist on how her scarf met the challenge. Ever changing except for that black weft thank heavens! Always in motion 84 for?? hours and days...i don t want to know. A whisper of color glad I chose to put that in the warp, not the weft! Never the same my beat! (but I tried) Addendum: I would like to take this opportunity to thank my end-feed shuttle. I couldn t do it without you! ~ Sara Schultz

3 Contents Weaver Scarf Name Kim Allen Across the Sky...4 Sue Parker Bassett Hoosier Aurora Borealis...6 Alice Burr Aurora Borealis Ribbons...8 Mary Alice Donceel Rippled Sky Mary Alice Donceel Rippled Sky Linda Flanagan Tencel Twill...14 Sharon Howell Sultry Nights Donna Hudson Meigs Mountain...18 Nina Kennedy Dancing Aurora...20 Jessica Madsen Crackling Lights...22 Carrie May Aurora Borealis Lights Carrie May Aurora Borealis Lights Mindy McCain Streaming Network Patti Mink Blue Night...30 Sara Schultz Loon Haunt Nights...32 Peggy Siders Sparkling Lights Patricia Troth Fairbanks Memories...36 JoAnne Tuffnell Network Borealis...38

2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Kim Allen Across the Sky 3/1 Twill Handweaver s Pattern Directory Warp Weft sett width in reed 10.

4 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Kim Allen Across the Sky 3/1 Twill Handweaver s Pattern Directory Warp Weft sett width in reed /2 Tencel, hand-dyed 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 9.25 x 92 Washing method Hand washed gently, air dried, touched up with iron Weaver Comments This is my first guild project and only my 4th weaving project on a floor loom. I have had my floor loom for less than a month. My selvedges need work and I learned on this project that I don t know anything about finishing! I really liked working with the painted warp. 4

5 Midnight Streamers Scarves Inspired by the Aurora Borealis Download the WIF KimAllen.wif 5

2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Sue Parker Bassett Hoosier Aurora Borealis Echo Weave original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 9.

6 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Sue Parker Bassett Hoosier Aurora Borealis Echo Weave original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 9.5 8/2 Tencel, hand-painted skeins 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 8.5 x 72.5 Washing method Machine washed in cold water using Orvus soap and gentle cycle. Dried using delicate setting. Steam pressed on wool setting. Weaver Comments The design was created to show my interpretation of the northern lights I witnessed at my home one summer night. The sky had beautiful deep red billowing cloud-like areas that continually changed into new forms oozing across the sky. I created a 12-shaft design in an echo weave as I wanted to continue to explore the 2 sides of every cloth idea from a recent workshop. The warp and weft float lengths were limited to 3 to maintain structural integrity for this size warp and weft. Echo weave is threaded similarly to a shadow weave, alternating an end of one color with that of another color for the entire threading. I chose to use yarns from my stash for the warp a solid color deep red tencel and a hand painted tencel in reds and purples. The weft is black tencel. The design weaves best with selvage threads. 6 The finished scarf has more warp color emphasis on one side with the weft color dominant on the reverse. Those who do not have 12 shafts can still weave the design just omit the parallel threading of the echo. The treadling is a simple advancing 5-step up and then reverse, easily changed to reflect the number of shafts used.

7 Midnight Streamers Scarves Inspired by the Aurora Borealis Winner Popular Choice at Midwest Weavers Conference 2011 Download the WIF SueBassett.wif 7

8 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Alice Burr Aurora Borealis Ribbons Network Drafted Twill Bonnie Inouye s Advancing Twill Workshop Warp Weft sett width in reed 8.5 8/2 Tencel, aquamarine 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 7.5 x 70 Washing method Hand washed in Woolite; spun excess water out in washer; dried in dryer with other clothes and Bounce dryer sheet Weaver Comments I planned the weave structure for use with a series of color stripes and wanted to keep the swirls centered in each color stripe for bolder effect. I wish I had considered changing the treadling to make a bolder statement with the swirls, once I decided to use solid aquamarine in the warp. This was an exciting guild project. Each weaver came up with a unique weave structure and color choice to honor the aurora borealis. 8

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10 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Mary Alice Donceel Title Rippled Sky 1 Pattern Name Source Advancing Twill original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 10 8/2 Tencel, black 8/2 Tencel, hand-dyed in 8 colors 24 epi Dimensions After washing 7.5 x Washing method Machine wash warm after twisting and knotting fringe. Machine dry medium. Steam press on lowest steam setting Weaver Comments My goal was to not have straight lines. I designed this on weaving software and then after weaving several inches, had to go back to the software to do some tweaking, and partial rethreading, more than once until I liked the fabric. I also wanted black fringe so that left me dying the weft, which in hindsight was insanity. Trying to keep all my color changes distinct, and having to detangle this after the presoak and again after dyeing, just wasn t worth it. I should have just dyed each color individually and simply changed bobbins. Live and learn. With the complexity in the threading, and the treadling was interesting enough to keep me focused, this was fun to weave. 10

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2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Mary Alice Donceel Title Rippled Sky 2 Pattern Name Source Advancing Twill original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 10 8/2 Tencel, hand-dyed 8/2 Tencel,

12 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Mary Alice Donceel Title Rippled Sky 2 Pattern Name Source Advancing Twill original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 10 8/2 Tencel, hand-dyed 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing x 114 Washing method Machine wash warm after twisting and knotting fringe. Machine dry medium. Steam press on lowest steam setting Weaver Comments After the mess of untangling the weft of Rippled Sky 1 multiple times, I decided to paint a warp for a second scarf with my leftover dye. I dyed it as two warp chains, but at the same time, using the greens leaning more towards yellow for one chain and using greens leaning more towards the blue for the second. I tried to keep the color progressions similar. I then tied them on (first time ever doing this) to the previous warp, alternating each of the warp chains every inch. Even the second time around, I had fun weaving this. *Note the difference between Rippled Sky 1 and Rippled Sky 2. The same threading was used, but the warp of #1 is black, and the weft of #2 is black. Just the slightest difference is seen in the finished fabric. 12

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2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Linda Flanagan Tencel Twill Undulating Twill N/A Warp Weft sett width in reed 10 8/2 Tencel,

14 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Linda Flanagan Tencel Twill Undulating Twill N/A Warp Weft sett width in reed 10 8/2 Tencel, Peacock and Emerald 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 9.5 x 70 Washing method Hand washed using hot water and Dreft detergent. Weaver Comments 14

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16 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Sharon Howell Sultry Nights Undulating Advancing Twill Barbara Elkins Warp Weft sett width in reed 12 8/2 Tencel, hand-dyed 8/2 Tencel, black 27 epi Dimensions After washing 10.6 x 71 Washing method Warm water soak for 15 minutes, spun and dried at low/delicate. Weaver Comments 16 This was a fun project to work on! As soon as the challenge was set, I received a series of aurora borealis images from a family member who thought they were cool! As soon as I opened the file, I knew exactly which one I wanted to re-create. The dyeing process was an exercise in letting go. Although mathematical at heart, this one was a free-form, no scientific measurements, no weighing, as in I won t be able to recreate it in a million years. The weaving pattern came from Halcyon Yarns. Threading took forever, but once it was done, the weaving process was fairly easy. I learned three things from this project: 1) The pattern repeats can be altered to shorten or lengthen the waves in the design (just make sure you don t accidentally create floats on the back side!) 2) There are several grades of Tencel on the market. The first time I wove with this fiber type, the edges shredded miserably. This time I made sure to use a yarn with a higher twist and more resistant to abrasion. I also doubled the last two weft edges. That seemed to work for me. 3) I tend to have very little waste on my loom, so repeat after me... remember to dye all the way BEYOND where you think your fringes may end; else you will be over-dying the edges after your project comes off the loom!

17 Midnight Streamers Scarves Inspired by the Aurora Borealis Download the WIF SharonHowell.wif 17

2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Donna Hudson Meigs Mountain Turned Overshot Bertha Gray Hayes Warp Weft sett width in reed 8 8/2 Tencel, Dark Teal, Grayed Teal,

18 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Donna Hudson Meigs Mountain Turned Overshot Bertha Gray Hayes Warp Weft sett width in reed 8 8/2 Tencel, Dark Teal, Grayed Teal, Spring Green, Gold, Mauve, Orange 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 7.25 x 76 Washing method Hand washed warm, hung until nearly dry, pressed. Weaver Comments I wanted to capture the flickering of the aurora borealis and the changing colors and the movement across the scarf captured it for me. While threading was a challenge, weaving with only the black weft minimized weaving errors. 18

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2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Nina Kennedy Dancing Aurora Point Twill Elaborate Point Twill from A Weaver s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns Warp Weft sett width in reed

20 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Nina Kennedy Dancing Aurora Point Twill Elaborate Point Twill from A Weaver s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns Warp Weft sett width in reed 9 8/2 Tencel, black 8/2 Tencel in red, peach, silver gray, medium blue 24 epi Dimensions After washing 8.25 x 83 Washing method Hand washed in warm sudsy water, rinsed, draped over shower rod to dry. Light steam iron. Weaver Comments While I knew that a warp dyed with a variety of colors would most likely provide a sense of movement in the scarf I wanted to see if I could weave on a plain black warp with a weave structure that seemed to move and some colors in the weft. I tried playing around with different drawdowns in my weaving computer program but discovered what I wanted in the Weaver s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns. I like the weave structure but am not as pleased with the blending of colors. Some colors blended better than others, as can be seen. I guess this point twill woven with tabby would be called woven as overshot. 20

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2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Jessica Madsen Crackling Lights Crackle Weave Source Warp Weft sett width in reed 8.

22 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Jessica Madsen Crackling Lights Crackle Weave Source Warp Weft sett width in reed 8.3 8/2 Tencel, black 8/2 Tencel, light green and teal 24 epi Dimensions After washing 7.75 x 56 Washing method Hand wash in lukewarm water. Hang to dry. Press lightly on both sides. Weaver Comments Interpreting a photo of nature in a woven piece was a new experience for me. The first challenge was determining which aspects of the photo to interpret. I spent a lot of time staring at the photo. I loved the colors the intensity of the green, the subtle difference between dark blue/ teal and black! Then, I had to figure out a way to make my piece have curvature and motion like the green light in the photo. Crackle weave was certainly one way to do it, and even though it was a new structure for me, I jumped right in and tried it! The end result is not exactly the same as the photo, but I love how the light areas move and curve through the scarf! 22

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2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Carrie May Title Aurora Borealis Lights 1 Pattern Name Source Networked Twill original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 10 8/2 Tencel, hand-dyed 8/2

24 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Carrie May Title Aurora Borealis Lights 1 Pattern Name Source Networked Twill original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 10 8/2 Tencel, hand-dyed 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 9.25 x 80 Washing method Machine wash gentle, hang to dry, steam iron on cotton setting. Weaver Comments The warp for this scarf has been hand dyed with Procion MX dyes. I tried to get a range of colors matching what was in the inspirational photograph of the Aurora Borealis. The pattern is made up with an advancing warp trying to recreate the look of waves of color in the night sky. 24

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2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Carrie May Title Aurora Borealis Lights 2 Pattern Name Source Networked Twill original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 10 8/2 Tencel, hand-dyed 8/2

26 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Carrie May Title Aurora Borealis Lights 2 Pattern Name Source Networked Twill original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 10 8/2 Tencel, hand-dyed 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 9.25 x 80 Washing method Machine wash gentle, hang to dry, steam iron on cotton setting. Weaver Comments The warp for this scarf has been hand dyed with Procion MX dyes. I tried to get a range of colors matching what was in the inspirational photograph of the Aurora Borealis. The pattern is made up with an advancing warp trying to recreate the look of waves of color in the night sky. 26

27 Midnight Streamers Scarves Inspired by the Aurora Borealis Download the WIF CarrieMay.wif 27

2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Mindy McCain Streaming Network Network draft original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 4.

28 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Mindy McCain Streaming Network Network draft original design Warp Weft sett width in reed 4.5 8/2 Tencel, hand-dyed 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 4 x 76 Washing method Machine wash warm after twisting and knotting fringe. Dry flat. Steam press with lots of steam. Weaver Comments I had never tried a network draft before and thought this would be the perfect project to experiment with it. I entered the straight draw threading for a network pattern, and then added the tie-up from a favorite 20-harness twill drawdown I had. The results were very interesting. 28

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2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Patti Mink Blue Night Balanced Twill Marguerite Davison Warp Weft sett width in

30 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Patti Mink Blue Night Balanced Twill Marguerite Davison Warp Weft sett width in reed 9 8/2 Tencel, black 8/2 Tencel, aquamarine 24 epi Dimensions After washing 8.25 x 72 Washing method Hand washed, steam pressed Weaver Comments 30

31 Midnight Streamers Scarves Inspired by the Aurora Borealis Download the WIF PattiMink.wif 31

2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Sara Schultz Loon Haunt Nights Undulating Twill Source Handwoven Sept/Oct 1989 Warp Weft sett width in reed 8.

32 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Sara Schultz Loon Haunt Nights Undulating Twill Source Handwoven Sept/Oct 1989 Warp Weft sett width in reed /2 Tencel, blue, green purple, red, salmon 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 7.5 x 82 Washing method Hand washed in very warm water. Ironed to bring out the sheen. Weaver Comments Looking through my weaving files I found a yellowed drawdown I had done by hand B.C.G.P. (Before Computer-generated Programs!) at Penland in the early 80 s. I like the movement it gives the eye. Why not use it for this project!?! Our guild challenge was to use black totally in the warp or weft. I decided it would be easier not have to change weft colors, so I chose to put my colors in the warp and to use black for the weft. I challenged myself to try shading to train my eye to see the subtle differences in progressing from greens & blues to reds, magenta, salmon! (Mother Nature knows her stuff!) The printout of the image I used turned out to be the perfect width for my planned scarf! I took the printout and literally taped strands of the yarns I d chosen onto the print. Using the printout like a cartoon, I was able to just sley the number of ends of each color right through the reed (warping front-to-back). FUN! I like how the cool and warm colors set each other off. Warping front-to-back some of the ends (as I tried shading ) wanted to fight for their space the only problem with winding on! I put enough warp on for a second scarf and may try a different weft color (or colors). 32

33 Midnight Streamers Scarves Inspired by the Aurora Borealis Download the WIF SaraSchultz.wif 33

2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Peggy Siders Sparkling Lights Turned Taqueté by Barbara Elkins, purchased from Webs Warp Weft sett width in reed 7.

34 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Peggy Siders Sparkling Lights Turned Taqueté by Barbara Elkins, purchased from Webs Warp Weft sett width in reed /2 Tencel, hand-dyed alternating with black 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 7.25 x 72 Washing method Hand washed with Eucalan, dried flat, steam pressed a little. Weaver Comments I enjoyed this a lot. I even added some sparkle to represent the stars in the sky. 34

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2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Patricia Troth Fairbanks Memories Plain weave Recycled Sari by Gwen Handler in Sixty Scarves for 60 Years, Weavers Guild of Greater

36 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source Patricia Troth Fairbanks Memories Plain weave Recycled Sari by Gwen Handler in Sixty Scarves for 60 Years, Weavers Guild of Greater Baltimore Warp Weft sett width in reed 13 8/2 Tencel, hand-dyed 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing 12 x 100 Washing method Hand washed with Eucalan, washer spun, air dried in dryer, ironed. Weaver Comments The warp was sleyed on 4 shafts starting with a double sley of black and then an alternate of the painted warp and black for the body of the warp, finishing with a double sley of black. The black tencel for the warp was purchased from one source, the black tencel for the weft from second. I chose to get movement in the weave by moving the colors in the painted warp; I chose to darken the fabric by the addition of the supplementary black warp. After not weaving for about 15 years, the planning and doing was fun, and tencel was an excellent fiber for the project. 36

37 Midnight Streamers Scarves Inspired by the Aurora Borealis Download the WIF PatriciaTroth.wif 37

2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source JoAnne Tuffnell Network Borealis Network Drafted Twill WeaveZine (Bonnie Inouye) Warp Weft sett width in reed 12 8/2 Tencel, Teal,

38 2011 Weaving Indiana Guild Project Weaver Title Pattern Name Source JoAnne Tuffnell Network Borealis Network Drafted Twill WeaveZine (Bonnie Inouye) Warp Weft sett width in reed 12 8/2 Tencel, Teal, Lt. Green, Dk. Green, Red, Magenta, Purple 8/2 Tencel, black 24 epi Dimensions After washing x 114 Washing method Hand washed in warm water, hung to dry, light steam ironed. Weaver Comments Although I tried to observe the note repeating the last 4 picks several times creates a vertical line, and I tried to observe the directions for making the line curve back the other way, I still ended up with some noticeable lines. I decided they could be highlights in the sky s display of the Aurora Borealis! I do wish I had known how to weave it correctly to achieve curving lines without interruptions. 38

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Adventures in Not-So-Parallel Threading, Part II by Sandra Rude

Adventures in Not-So-Parallel Threading, Part II by Sandra Rude After experimenting with two-color and three-color echo weave for a while (see Complex Weavers Journal No. 79, October 2005, page 36), I