Beadwrangler Special Feature
August 2, 1997

	Ileana Somerson's Weave World
	August 1997

Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot
Weaver's
Piecework

Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Summer '97

The Handweavers Guild of America has done it again! The Summer '97 issue of Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot is chock full of goodies. News and Information is just that--and includes data on a new scholarship at Harrisville. The Books & Videos reviews weaving, spinning, sewing handwovens, and basketry books.

Betty Hancock Smith, in "Right From the Start," discusses the relative merits of warping from the front or back, this month concentrating on front to back, next month the opposite. A must-read.

Check out also the Guildview pages--they are worth reading. The Gallery has some wonderful works photographed.

In "Well Begun, Well Spun," Judy Ede Jackson shares her recent experience as a participant in HGA's Teaching and Learning Through Correspondence program. Spinners' Alert: read this carefully!

Next, Peggy Whitney Hobbs shares a visit with "Lore Kadden Lindenfeld: A Life in Textiles." This is a most inspiring report on the life of a German-trained weaver who took her education even farther.

We've all seen Poppana at many of our conferences and wondered what to do with it. Donna Kaplan, in writing "The Potential of Poppana," explains not only what to do with it, but how to prepare your own. Recyclers alert: Read this carefully!

Seven great tapestry weavers are high- lighted in Micala Sidore's "Doing It Up Right," a look at Rachel Brown and her Taos tapestry gallery, Weaving Southwest. All of the weaving is done with hand-dyed yarn, and it is all outstanding.

The next Learning Exchange concerns "Glitz Yarns," and Cheryl McWilliams suggests participation by HGA members. Described as any yarn that has exciting characteristics, glitz yarn can combine untold types of materials--even Christmas tree tinsel. Can't wait to try it.

Another Learning Exchange follows, this time by Nancy Arthur Hoskins--you guessed it--"Boundweave: An Introduction." Anyone planning to take Nancy's workshop should study this excellent distillation of her book. Nancy even explains the changing of one tie-up for another without undoing the warp.

The SS&D Shopper shows the Columbine spinning wheel, which looks fascinating. Bullen's Woolens look great, too. And there's Victorian Video Productions, which has issued some interesting videos.

The Kids Fiber Fun Camp begins with reading, and builds bridges with fiber art. Vicki Gadberry, a college librarian, lists many great sounding books for children. Then Cathryn Rice gives the recipe for "Rainbow Sheep," both felt animals and the Rainbow Dye made from drink mix. Next Judy Dominic says, "Mud Monsters--Unite!" The process is historically as well as technically interesting. This magazine has wonderful ideas for working with children.

There is one more Learning Exchange--Eileen Hallman writes "Spinning Crepe Yarn." Here's a new "twist" on spinning--a technical article on a highly twisted singles or plied yarn. The term "overtwisted" does not pertain here. Read it and learn the differences.

Test & Report, in testing some Swedish linen, used seven different tools and made many kinds of braids from it. Definitely worth exploring.

Don't miss the eight center pages of HGA Update. You'll be proud to belong to an organization that offers this much. Included is a list of twelve juried and non-juried exhibits to prepare for Convergence 98. There are also forms for entering the Learning Exchange or TLC.

Weaver's, Summer '97

Madelyn van der Hoogt's Summer '97 Weaver's is another engrossing issue that concentrates on "Fabrics that go bump!," i.e., waffle weave, seersucker, pleats and tucks.

Doramey Keasbey begins with "Puzzling Pleats," an exposition of single or double pleats and the uniqueness of tucks. While horizontal tucks can be done on four shafts, they will require two beams. Pleats require six or twelve shafts.

My dear old friend and mentor, Nish Raymond, an expert in doubleweave, writes "Playing with Double Weave." Nish explains how using two vastly different sizes of thread (here, cotton) on the two layers, one fine mercerized, the other heavier unmercerized, result in a quilted look, since one fabric shrinks one more than the other in washing.

Janice Sullivan uses "3-D Double Weave" to bring a new dimension to textile surfaces. Here, "three-dimensional shapes are made possible by manipulating two (or more) differently tensioned multilayered warps to make pleats." This is great for weavers interested in art forms.

What are "Macroblocks in Overshot"? Norma Smayda explains it well and then demonstrates it in the Weaver's Project, "'Kings Puzzel' Runner." Two overshots are threaded, each on four shafts, and then woven on a twill background. Exciting!

Then Marjorie Sweigart explains "Easy Overshot Checks," again putting two four shaft overshots on eight shafts. This one requires only ten treadles and makes amazing designs.

Now Alice Schlein takes us into "Waffle for Blocks and Networking." Giving patterns for anywhere from three to eight shafts, Ms. Schlein makes this waffle very appealing. Having good qualities of absorbancy and insulation, this weave can be applied to many kinds of objects and expanded to bands and blocks very effectively.

The Weaver's Project that follows, "Waffle Dishtowels in Cotton and Hemp," is for the serious weaver with sixteen shafts. Another Weaver's Project later in the magazine is "Waffle Family Dishtowels," by Juniper McClanathan. Here are four- and eight-shaft variations that look very doable.

Diane Kelly wove a beautiful waffle weave scarf in alpaca in "Playing with Waffle," giving both four- and eight-shaft drafts.

Another Weaver's Project is Harriette Roadman's "Waffles for Breakfast." Here waffle stripes alternate with plain weave to make lovely placemats. A six- and a ten-shaft draft are given.

Don't want waffles in your kitchen? Try Erica de Ruiter's Weaver's Project, "'Three for One' Babycapes," in which hooded cotton babycapes (or towels) are made in wonderful colors. And guess what? Four shafts!

Want to wear your waffles? Jane Hansen's Weaver's Project is an "'I Beg to Waffle' Jacket." Actually, using the heavy threads here resulted in a dramatic fabric which formed unusual horizontal pleats.

Madelyn reinforces one of her main themes with "Thick 'n Thin Again." If you didn't get to take her wonderful workshop, study this article and do some of the simpler drafts. Ruth Morrison follows with a Weaver's Project, "'Thick 'n Thin Again' Scarf and Jacket." Try this for a practical solution. Then go back to the other similar project and weave Deborah Tedder's "Thick 'n Thin Throw"--really elegant.

There are other projects, such as Janet Stollnitz' "Poufs Scarf," which is a WOW fabric, and an interesting "Child's Bog Jacket," by Erica De Ruiter. De Ruiter also has an article on "Weaving with a Knitting Needle," an easy way of producing dramatic loops with simple equipment.

Don't miss Jane Eisenstein's "Weaving with WIF," which tells how to share your computer programs with others. Also look for Madelyn's reviews of Ars Textrina August '96 and software on LaceWeave by David Raup.

One could really spend a year or more working on the suggestions in this issue.

Piecework, July/August '97

The July/August '97 Piecework emphasizes Ribbons, Hats, Sachets, Improvisational Quilts, Irish Crochet Lace, and Stumpwork. That's quite a list, with very little for spinners or weavers, but lots for those interested in handwork.

There's an interesting letter about "prodding" rugs--using feed sacks and cut woolen fabric from old clothes. The wool strips were "prodded" through the cut sack and made into a shag rug--without a loom!

Another letter describes how the traditional New Mexico weavers turned strips of old fabrics into round weft by spinning them on a thigh spindle before weaving them into rugs. Great idea!

"The Patterned Kuba Cloth of Zaire" is woven from fiber of the raffia palm. Although the process is gender-directed, it is fascinating to follow. How the squares are made, treated, dyed, decorated and assembled make interesting reading.

There are wonderful articles on ribbons and hats, as well as one by Deborah Pulliam, "The Pearly Kings and Queens of London," who bedeck their apparel with buttons.

There are several excellent articles on quilting, and one on the "Irish Crochet Lace of Clones," by Galer Britton Barnes, with a project in handkerchief edging by Barnes and Maire Treanor. There is also an article on "Vintage Inspiration for Beaded Knitting," by Deborah Newton. This looks good enough to try, if you are interested in knitting and beadwork, as I am.

"Stumpwork: What's in a Name?," by Kathy Epstein, is described as an English form of Schoolgirl embroidery used to decorate things. Sharon Cohen gives instructions in "A Stumpwork Flower to Make."