However...
you knew that was coming, didn't you?
When I popped into our local quilt shop a few weeks ago with a friend, I saw these:
And I was smitten. Carolyn, the store's owner, said there were classes being offered and before she even finished her sentence, I heard myself quip, "Sign me up!"
I immediately thought this would be a great use for scraps and strips and a good way to use some of that fabric stash. I never take classes because they require more trips to town, but sign up I did and last week I went into town 2 days in a row and before you could say. "What are you thinking?", I was seated before one of these:
This is a Schacht Rigid Heddle Loom called the Cricket.
I knew I wanted to use fall colors for my project so I dug into my stash and pulled fabrics that evoked the feel of autumn for me:
I was intimidated by the threading of the warp, but Lois patiently walked us through it. It was a bit tedious, but I'm thinking I was just anxious to begin weaving. My fingers hurt after tightening the warp threads umpteen times:
And then the fun began:
I found out not to worry about the pretty design on your fabric because its just going to get good and scrunched up and color is the only thing that matters.
My finished runner is 46" x 12" not counting the fringe and I love the rustic look of it.
My friend, C, took the class with me and she decided to make a Christmas version. She is a quilter, but does not have a stash - I tease her about it mercilessly. So, I pulled some fabrics from my bins and sent her pictures to see if they were what she had in mind. I was really looking forward to taking the class. Here's a snippit of our texting conversation:
Me: I want to make a Fall one and a Christmas one and a patriotic one and ... Oh, good gravy! I'm going to end up with a loom, aren't I?
C: I'm thinking you are!
I thought these table runners would make great gifts, but in the middle of the class, I told C that there had been a change in plans and I would be making coasters for Christmas instead. LOL. Those are cute too! NEXT Christmas they would get table runners. :)
I was the last one to finish, but I was using this wooden tool called a beater to draw the fabrics together even tighter, thus I was using more strips. And the fabric has the tendency to turn back on itself and show the wrong side, but that just adds to the rustic nature of the project. Still, I was rather picky about it misbehaving and I spent a lot of time trying to keep it turned the right way. If you used batiks you wouldn't have that problem.
The teacher, Lois Weaver, was wonderful, and she was patient with those of us who were perfectionists and liked to laugh and combine work with play. She weaves beautiful creations that you can peek at, here, on her FB page.
So even though they are forecasting 100° for the next 5 days, I'm thinking it may be time to decorate for fall. Here's my runner on the buffet in the dining room:
I may or may not be saving my pennies.
Don't ask. :)
