September 2008 Showcase

Once a picture has been showcased on the Complex Weaver's site, it is kept around in a previously showcased section. September's showcased picture was "A Menu of Stripes", by Heather Hubbard. Heather Hubbard, who designed and wove this sample, writes, "I have often admired the figured, striped patterns of historic textiles. Johann Michael Frickinger's Weaver's Tie-up Book from 1740, which contains some of these figured stripes, provides a wonderful menu of mix-and-match stripe possibilities. You can see it at www.complex-weavers.org/shwcs08.htm

August 2008 Showcase

Eva works on a combination of shadow weave and log cabin. She writes: "I have always been intrigued by weaving patterns that appear complex but structurally are very simple. Shadow weave, a color-and-weave effect and mostly plain weave structure, has amazing possibilities...

CW Seminars 2008

July 2008 Showcase

Those of us who were fortunate enough to attend Seminars 2008 carry home many wonderful memories. We took pictures of each other taking pictures. At the Silent Auction, we admired the beautiful and practical items for sale as well as the ability of some people to write their names and bids upside down. In the Paean to Peter, in classes, in discussions, in the cafeteria, and especially at the Fashion Show, we appreciated each others' fiber work and ideas. In addition, there was Robyn Spady's talent on the Kazoo to enjoy.

We watched and listened in admiration as, by video, Peter Collingwood talked about his life and work and demonstrated his methods. At his request, we toasted him in a glass of white wine. The set of two DVD's of the interview with him and the views of his studio with him at work explaining his methods are available from CW for $15 plus shipping. Contact Marjie Thompson at marjie@maine.rr.com for USA, Canada, or Australia.

Complex Weavers June Showcase

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests: "Here is a soothing summer scene for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere and a reminder of what is to come for those in the Southern Hemisphere. Jane Evans writes:'I make pictures of serene places where I feel most alive, where I can think and dream. These pictures blend several textile methods and materials to give a distinctive impact. Currently I integrate warp painting, split-shed weaving, and free-motion and hand embroidery. The complexity of combined methods has added freedom, challenge, stimulus, and deeper enjoyment to my creative pursuits...."

Complex Weavers May Showcase

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests: "Star and Flower Hearts Star and Flower Hearts by Ivy DeHart Since in many countries around the world, Mother's Day is celebrated in May, this month we showcase Star and Flower Hearts in Two-tied Weave, by Ivy DeHart."

April CW Showcase

This month we showcase a Bateman Sample by Sue Freeman. Sue writes:"I chose this weave structure because I find the Bateman tie units interesting and challenging to design with. This pattern is from the book, Bateman Blend Weaves, edited by Virginia I Harvey. I tried quite a few variations on the computer, settling on this one as it looked like little fish. Since this was going to be used as a table runner for Easter, it would work perfectly. I used the same size bamboo for both the warp and pattern threads. U used a fine sewing thread for the tabby. I chose the bamboo because, having just received a new shipment to the shop, the colors were perfect for Spring. I didn't have any problems with the fiber. It was easy to work with and feels so nice!" "Warp: Bambu 12" This work was part of an article featuring work by members of the Complex Weavers Study Group: Tied Weaves . The article was published in the October, 2007 issue of Complex Weavers Journal

March CW Showcase

Complex Weavers: This month we showcase 'Golden Ogee I' by Jan Paul. This work tempts the Webmistress to say, 'Oh, Gee, Wow!': Jan writes that the techniques used are Ciselé (cut, uncut, voided) velvet with bouclé loops; and the piece is hand-Jacquard woven velvet; the materials are silk, metallic thread, wood frame and plexiglass. This work was part of an article on Blue Ridge Handweaving Show winners who are also CW members. The article appeared in the June, 2007 issue of Complex Weavers Journal. In the 2004 BRH Show, Jan won a second place award in the category 'Decorative, Non-Functional - Professional'. The original work, including the frame, measured 15' x 15-3/8' x 1-1/4'.

February 2008 CW Showcase

This month we showcase "Window Into the Past" by Gay McGeary. Gay writes: "For my 2007 contribution to the exchange for the Early Weaving Books and Manuscript Study group, I ... used the Biesecker draft for my sample contribution. "In May 2007 I purchased an early coverlet in the window pattern style from an auction in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I was struck by the similarity to my sample. The colors of the red and green were almost exact, while the dark blue I used was lighter than the coverlet I purchased."

CW Seminar 2008 at Eckerd College

In October, our agents visited Eckerd College and took some pictures. We liked these pictures of the grounds. In the picture shown here, our agent (identifiable by the CW Seminar 2008 tote bag she is carrying) is looking away from the building, probably at a magnificent live oak tree. Hurry to get your registration in soon so that you can attend some great seminars and visit this lovely campus.

December Showcase

This month we showcase Lillian Whipple's "Rose Window, National Cathedral, 1993". There is further information on how Lillian creates her cards in Complex Weavers Journal, #85, October 2007, page 54. You can see many other Christmas cards at Complex Weavers Journal #85 Color Pictures

November Showcase

This month we showcase Pat Donald's "Modified Diamond Overshot". Warp: 10/2 Cotton Tabby Weft: 20/2 Cotton Pattern Weft: Jagger Spun 2 ply merino wool Sett: 24 epi, sleyed double in 12 dent reed Weave structure: Modified overshot Pat wove her sample for the Study Group Sample Exchange - The Old Fashioned Way The group is featured in the February, 2007 Complex Weavers Journal. You can see larger versions of "Modified Diamond Overshot" CW Journal # 83 Color Pictures

October Showcase

In October, we showcased Bhakti Ziek's "Black Locust". Although we chose this work for its lovely fall colors, Bhakti had something entirely different in mind. She writes: "...As I start to work on my new TC-1 loom, the challenges I put forth for myself are to create sensuous work that speak of my passion for weaving, my belief that textiles do have a unique expression derived from their innate processes and that it is possible to create intriguing work that speaks to our times, using modern technology, but still has its roots in the past, honors that past, but speaks to the future. It is not an easy challenge - I certainly hope I can persevere and succeed." Bhakti writes in more detail about her work in the June, 2007 Complex Weavers Journal. You can see larger versions of "Black Locust" and other work by Bhakti at CW Journal # 84 Color Pictures

Complex Weavers September Showcase

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests: "September Wedding Shawl This month we showcase Lynn Smetko's 'September Wedding Shawl'. Lynn writes: 'This shawl was created to commemorate my daughter's special day. I dyed the warp and weft (Treenway's 20/2 spun silk) in the colors she used for her outdoor September wedding: aubergine, like the bridesmaids' dresses, and bright autumn colors, like the bouquets. '"

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests: "'Teddy Bears' by the Goodwins This month we showcase the Goodwins' 'Teddy Bears' The late Roy Goodwins wrote (in Complex Weavers Journal, Sept 2003, 'OzBod Weaver': 'Part of my joy of weaving is that I am free to do as I please, I rarely set out with a purpose. I find patterns and yarns and put them together to make cloth, others can find uses for it ... What I weave becomes anything from dish cloths to shawls to coats to rugs. Shown here are Teddy Bears made by Roy's wife, Maureen, from his woven scraps. The silk came from their own silk worms. They raised the worms, unwound and cleaned the silk, spun it, and Roy wove it. For an obituary about the late Roy Goodwins, see the October 2006 Complex Weavers Journal"

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests: "This month we showcase Margaret Marshall's 'Birds of Paradise Scarf' Margaret writes: 'The actual weave for my scarf is satin weave, a demanding if not Complex weave. The complexity came from the total concept involving materials (handspun and commercial silk), design principles, especially balance and unity, weave structure, and above all, colour."

Crafty Geometry: Science News Online, Dec. 23, 2006

This is terrific! Are we weavers restricted to the Cartesian plane? Crafty Geometry: Science News Online, Dec. 23, 2006: "Crafty Geometry Mathematicians are knitting and crocheting to visualize complex surfaces Erica Klarreich During the 2002 winter holidays, mathematician Hinke Osinga was relaxing with some lace crochet work when her partner and mathematical collaborator Bernd Krauskopf asked, 'Why don't you crochet something useful?' Some crocheters might bridle at the suggestion that lace is useless, but for Osinga, Krauskopf's question sparked an exciting idea. 'I looked at him, and we thought the same thing at the same moment,' Osinga recalls. 'We realized that you could crochet the Lorenz manifold.' [see the origianl location for pictures] For years, Osinga and Krauskopf, both of the University of Bristol in England, had been studying the Lorenz manifold, a complicated surface that emerges from a model of chaotic weather systems. The pair had created an algorithm to generate 2-dimensional computer visualizations of the surface, but Osinga found the flat images unsatisfying. When Krauskopf asked his question, she suddenly realized that the computer algorithm could be interpreted as crochet instructions. 'I had to try it,' she says. Eighty-five hours and 25,511 crochet stitches later, Osinga had a Lorenz manifold almost a meter tall and about 25 centimeters in diameter, which now hangs in the pair's house as a decoration." [there's lots more - go to http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20061223/bob10.asp]

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests

Complex Weavers: 'Sedona Shawl' by Bonnie Inouye This month we showcase Bonnie Inouye's 'Sedona Shawl' Bonnie writes: "The colors in this shawl were inspired by a visit to the Sedona, Arizona home of another CW member, Linda Sunstad, followed by a 16-day raft trip down the Grand Canyon in 2005. I watched the colors on red rocks shift in changing light and wondered if I could create fabric with similar shifting colors. The shapes in the draft also came from these weather and water-shaped rocks."

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests: This month's showcase is 'Christmas Cheer' by Barbara Nelson Barbara writes: 'My 'Christmas Cheer' hand towels were woven as gifts this past holiday for family, friends and business associates. I was excited about this project because I put on my longest warp ever using my new sectional beam and AVL warping wheel. I wound on a 48-yard warp that was 24-inches wide and used 10/2 mercerized white cotton. I never tired of weaving these towels because I loved my 14-harness twill which used 10/2 red and green 10/2 mercerized cotton weft. This was also my first opportunity to use a temple that a friend of mine said I would love to hate. She was right. I hated how often I had to move the temple but loved the results of my even selvages.' This work won the CW award at Dallas Handweaver and Spinners Guild, 'Sleight of Hand' Dallas Public Library, Dallas, TX, April 15- May 30 2006 To see earlier works showcased, go to To see the other items showcased in 2006, click Showcase 2006

New Showcase at Complex Weavers

In April, we feature Cynthia Broughton's Kokopelli. She gives us many details of the problems she overcame in making a tied weave which shows both a Kokopelli and a semi-background plaited twill! Go to http://www.complex-weavers.org/. You'll like her subtle shades of blue and green, though we couldn't really capture them onscreen. In March, we featured Jeté Jardin D'Eau by Nicole Grenon but I forgot to post here to remind you. Go to http://www.complex-weavers.org/shwcs06.htm to see. Can you guess (or do you remember enough French to figure out what Jeté Jardin D'Eau means? Remember, you can always see the previous showcases by going to http://www.complex-weavers.org/shwcs06.htm http://www.complex-weavers.org/shwcs05.htm http://www.complex-weavers.org/shwcs04.htm http://www.complex-weavers.org/shwcs03.htm

January 2006 Showcase

The January 2006 Showcase features "Cobwebs" by Stacey Harvey-Brown, which she wove on a learning trip to Florence, Italy. See it at http://www.complex-weavers.org

December Showcase

We selected one of Sue Dwyer's brightly decorated Christmas tree towels for the December Showcase. Sue created them as part of a sample for the Complex Weavers' Tied Weaves Study group. You can learn more about the TW study group at http://www.complex-weavers.org/study27.htm

Fall Colors in showcase

Fall colors are alive in Ruth Blau's kitchen towels which we feature in the November Showcase at www.complex-weavers.org/index.htm . She used turned polychrome crackle with four colors in the warp and one in the weft. It looks like a lot more colors!

October Showcase

The October showcase at http://www.complex-weavers.org/ highlights Sara Nordling's turned overshot for the Sixteen's Study Group. Her sample features shades of white, natural, and gray cotton.

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests

Complex Weavers Sharing Information - Encouraging Interests: "Joyce Robards contributed this sample (a small part of which is shown here) for the Sample Exchange - the Old Fashioned Way Study Group. She writes: 'I have been fascinated by all the weaving options there are on what is essentially a huck threading-from the traditional Interpretation as a lacy 'linen' weave to the very interesting interpretation in Helene Bress's The Weaving Book, in which she illustrates huck threadings woven as bound weave. Many years ago, along the way, I became acquainted with Klara Cherepov's 1972 original, self published book Diversified Plain Weave and have done much exploration with the structure and offer a workshop in it as well as including it in virtually all of my workshops on huck. 'This spring I took a 'busman's holiday' to take a Thick'n'Thin workshop with Barbara Decker and that re-kindled my long term interest in diversified plain weave. Despite the ease and 'neatness' of Madelyn van der Hoogt's 'new DPW', and in most cases, despite the design limitations, I prefer the 'original' version for its variation in surface structure."

August Showcase

The August Showcase is up at Complex Weavers. Sue Peters sample for the Fine Threads Study Group has lovely colors. See www.complex-weavers.org/

New Showcase at Complex Weavers

The July showcase for Complex Weavers is up, thanks to a very interesting sample by Deb McClintock. She wrote us about some of her methods and you can read it and see a picture at www.complex-weavers.org/ Happy weaving!

Another Showcase

There is a new showcase item up at www.complex-weavers.org/ Enjoy!

May 2005 Showcase

The May Showcase is up at www.complex-weavers.org View Mary Marker's color gamp using single embroidery threads. What admirable patience it must have taken to separate all those strands from the skeins! Mary is a member of the Fine Threads Study Group.

New Showcase item at Complex-weavers.org

A new showcase item is up at www.complex-weavers.org/ This month we showcase a lovely weaving of butterflies by Sigrid Piroch, using a TC-1. You can also see more good things at her website, www.artsstudio.org/ You can even see a picture of her at the TC-1, with weaving the butterflies in progress at www.artsstudio.org/jacquard_weaving.htm .

New Showcase Item

This month the Complex Weavers website showcases another Study Group - This time it is Ecclesiastical Weaving. See the picture at http://www.complex-weavers.org/

Heritage Yarns Newsletter

Heritage Yarns specializes in handpainted yarns. I'm going to be spending some time at Heritage Yarns website. They don't just sell yarns, the newsletters have lots of information. For example, look at Issue # 5 - Introduction of Tencel Facts page; tromp as writ treadling option; Bonnie Inouye's tips for weaving with hand painted skeins and warps. Bonnie Inouye's tips there suggested some ideas which were completely new to me. And hers were not the only useful tips on that page.

February showcase

The February showcase is up on the Complex Weavers website. This month, we are showcasing the Bobbin Lace Study Group. You have to see it to believe how delicate and lovely this edging is on a handwoven silk scarf. Go to www.complex-weavers.org/

Weaving Showcase

Every month, a new item of work by the members is showcased at www.complex-weavers.org The new item for January 2005 has been posted. In 2004, the emphasis was on Study Groups. Those are still available from a link at www.complex-weavers.org

Metal heddles vs Texsolve heddles

I've seen a lot of discussion on the weaving lists recently on the relative merits of inserted eye (wire) heddles, flat metal heddles, and Texsolve heddles. But nobody yet seems to have just said, "It depends." On what does it depend? Whether you need the weight (as with a jack loom), need the non-weight (as with a portable loom), or just plain like a certain kind. I'll confess, I like the flat wire heddles because that is what my Baby Wolf came with and that's what I am used to. My weaving friend, here in town, swears by inserted eye, wire heddles. Funny thing, that is what her first loom came with and that is what she ordered for her second.

Blue Ridge Handweaving Show Pictures

A complete set of pictures of the Blue Ridge Handweaving Show 2004 is now posted. Go to http://home.att.net/~brhs

Click on "Blue Ridge Handweaving Show Gallery Page 1"

The pictures are presented as thumbnails of groups. By clicking on a

thumbnail, you can see a larger version. Note that these larger pictures

will take a while to download.

Pictures of the winners' works are also available at the same location.

Click on "Blue Ridge Handweaving Show Winners Gallery"

The complete catalog of the show will be available online later.

Blue Ridge Handweaving Show ready to go

All the entries are in and we will have to wait with bated (not baited) breath to see them in October.

Blue Ridge Handweaving Show Deadline

August 31, 2004, is the deadline for sending in your entry form for BRHS 2004. No slides or pictures needed. For further info, go to http://www.main.nc.us/wncfhg/brhs.html

Just beginning

This is a test of blogging. My website is at http://home.att.net/~joowl/