Beadwrangler Special Feature
May 1, 1997

	Ileana Somerson's Weave World
	May 1997

Piecework
Handwoven
Sample

PIECEWORK March/April 1997

The March/April 1997 PIECEWORK offers articles on many diverse topics, from a collection of costumes, through rugs, wedding stockings, quilts, pot holders, mending, and reweaving. The "Things to Make" listing runs the same gamut, from rugs, stockings and socks, potholders to crochet, darning and patching, reweaving, and a patchwork dog to make.

The Editor points out, "This issue celebrates those hardy objects that have lived long and varied lives. It celebrates the maker's spirit in cherishing the potential in every worthwhile piece." Since these statements also apply to the crafts practiced in our Guild, and since most of our members do a myriad of related crafts, our members should find this an interesting edition.

"Take Joy! Tasha Tudor's Costume Collection," by Beth Wheeler, tells of an extra-ordinary woman in her eighties who has amassed a collection of vintage clothing which is now being displayed at Colonial Williamsburg. Her activities would put any of us to shame.

The Wordspinning column by Sue Bender comes from her book, "Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish." Read how the simplicity of Amish life showed her a new way to look at life.

The book review page, Book Marks, tells of two outstanding books, "Creating Original Hand-Knitted Lace," by Margaret Stove (who made the christening shawl for Prince William of Wales) and "A Quiet Spirit: Amish Quilts from the Collection of Cindy Tietze and Stuart Hodosh," by Kraybill, Herr and Holstein. Both sound wonderful.

In "Amish Schuhbutzer: Rugs and Remnants of the Past," Ricky Clark tell of these "shoe cleaners" that were knitted, crocheted, braided or sewn, and used to keep dirt out of the house. The history of their use is as interesting as the directions given for making them.

A Glimpse of Color gives us "Amish Wedding Stockings of the Nineteenth Century," by Galer Britton Barnes. The history of these knitted socks is again as fascinating as the directions given in the following article, "Amish Stockings and Socks to Knit," by Nancy Bush.

Another tradition born of need and frugality is "The Quilting Scraps and Stories of Erlinda Gonzales," by Aurelia C. Scott. There's an insert that tells of the New Mexico Quilting Project, which sounds like a worthwhile service. This is followed by "Scrap Traditions of New Mexico," which really tells of tapestries woven of brightly colored cloth.

Sheila Seifert wrote the next two articles, "Flowers Under Foot: Simple, Sensible Scrap Rugs of the Depression Era," and "Flower Rug to Make," an excellent set of directions for one of these beauties. Again, both the history and the directions are worthwhile, as well as the following page, taken from THE LADIES HOME JOURNAL, October 1921, on "Scrap-Bag Rugs," by Alice Van Leer Carrick, chenille rugs made from wool scraps. Didn't someone in our Guild make something like that?

Susan Strawn recently discovered among some elegant textiles made by her grandmother a "...small stack of bright red, green, yellow, and white pot holders, which looked like boisterous class clowns among a well-behaved group of students." This inspired her to write this article, "Playful, Practical Pot Holders," and "Pot Holders to Crochet," in which she gives instructions for two of them. Strawn is an illustrator and photo stylist for PIECEWORK and other publications of Interweave Press.

The next three articles refute this throwaway society we live in, since they deal with mending and patching. As de Dillmont (THE COMPLETE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NEEDLEWORK) reminds us, "The mending of clothing, underwear, and house linen, though wearisome, is nevertheless very necessary, and no woman should be ignorant of the best ways of doing it. There is as much merit in knowing how to repair the damage caused by wear and tear, or by accident, as in the perfect making of new articles."

"Making Do: Memories of Mending," by Kax Wilson, takes me back to my childhood, when I mended the white socks. What lumps and bumps I must have made! Here are excellent illustrations and directions--too late for me. "Vera Krstich and the American Weaving Company," by Linda Kelso, reports on "Reweavers: A Rare and Engangered, but Essential, Breed." Next, Helen Hart writes of her mother in "Cora Wetter, Reweaving a Career." It helped to have weaving lessons and to learn about how fabric was woven.

It was always considered sinful to throw away perfectly good scraps. Here is a business made from that idea: "Scraps by Mail: Quilters' Remnant Bundles from the 1930s," by Shirley McElderry, who specializes in the restoration of antique quilts and studies needlework history. Then follows Susan Opdahl's "Patchwork Dog to Make," with instructions for using your scraps.

Be sure to read the articles on Williamsburg, "A Visit to the Eighteenth Century: Colonial Williamsburg"; the "Trimmings: A Sampling of Old Patterns" article, which requests that you send in vintage patterns (before 1930); and the humorous "Coming Out of the Closet," in which Gloria Gibbs Marullo writes of the sickness many of us have--collecting yarn and fleece. Read it and weep or laugh yourself silly.

This edition of PIECEWORK is subtitled "Craft & History Hand in Hand." It really lives up to its promise.

HANDWOVEN March/April 1997

The March/April 1997 issue of HANDWOVEN comes at an excellent time, since the spinning group just studied linen with Marion Satchwill. Here nearly every article is devoted to linen and flax. Marion taught us that it's called flax until spun, then it's linen.

The Editor, Jean Scorgie, tells of her travail in spinning linen. A local thunderstorm helped her to understand that her linen warp needed moisture. She also mentions that she holds the yarn in a wet sponge while making bobbins. Contrary to what I learned eons ago, Jean says that the tension must be taken off the warp when not being woven.

Read the letters for interesting comments, and also to find two silk sources in England. They include responses to inspiration found in the magazine. The book column has reviews of two excellent works, "The Norwich Shawl," by Pamela Clabburn, and "American Star Work Coverlets," by Judith Gordon. There is mention of "Knitting With Dog Hair," by Crolius and Montgomery, which might interest anyone with a dog and a spinning wheel.

People and Places outlines "Hancock Shaker Village," the Massachusetts communitarian society which is a museum today. Here flax is grown and linen is woven. The Tricks of the Trade column offers four great helpful ideas, such as how to keep your yarn colors handy for combining.

In Tools and Techniques the complete process for producing linen from flax is shown. Next, in Threads from the Past, Sylvia J. Miller tells the touching story of "Dora's Tablecloth." Interspersed among these articles are photographs of wonderful projects in linen, with complete instructions in the back.

Debra Paulson weaves reproductions of 18th & 19th Century linens. In the column Time-Honored Linen, she writes her weaving history in an article called "Weaving on an Old Barn Loom." This resembles the loom at Heritage Village, which we know can weave more than rag rugs.

Sharon Alderman explains Huck Lace Designing in "Making Huck Lace Work for You." This provides continuity for those who attended Leslie Voiers' program on lace weaves. She gives a list of tips which should be memorized by anyone weaving this pattern. Note that she suggests using separate shafts for the selvages.

Plain-weave setts for linen yarns are given in "The Measure of Linen Yarns." This one page contains much useful information.

In the section on Decorated Linen, the topic is "Embroidery on Linen." Who would think of using french knots along a fold to soften the hem edge? And who among us would identify the weave type by cross-stitching the name on the hem? It does make a lovely presentation.

Nancy Hoskins, of Boundweave fame, writes of "Oregon Flax and Linen." Nancy's thorough research takes us back to 1805, when Meriwether Lewis observed flax growing in Oregon.

Later, prison workers were paid pennies to process the flax, but still linen became an unprofitable crop. There is an effort afoot to revive the industry, and Nancy is asking for any information or objects made from Oregon linen which you might share.

Dick Fisher and his wife Marty, who spins and weaves, decided to try "Flax Growing in Colorado." Still in the experimental stage, their project will be interesting to follow.

Linen tapestry weaving is very special, as seen in the gallery pages' "Images in Linen." Here are four beautiful pictorial weavings, exquisitely done.

There follows complete directions for fifteen projects whose photographs appear throughout the magazine. They make a wonderful jumping-off place for you to try some linen weaving.

Don't think this is all you get, for there are several departments in the back. Communique contains fascinating squibs from books, magazines and newspapers, such as a quote from Pliny from Historical Textile Fabrics, 1923, discussing Chinese silk.

Next comes a complete calendar of weaving events, state by state. This is followed by Linda Ligon's humorous (?) article called "Yarn Confessions," in which she asks, "Why do I have all this yarn?" She invites reader input on the problem of yarn management and containment for sharing in a future issue.

Sharon Altergott gives us five mouth-watering THINGS WE MUST HAVE in the Product News column. These range from new kits from Cotton Clouds, a complete sample book from Borgs of Sweden (Margaret Tyson please note!), an addition for the ProWeave software program, a new weaving shop in Marchand, PA, and a place in Connecticut with authentic Navajo articles.

Sample Emailed to Pinellas Weavers Guild this Month
The Weavers' Guild of Boston has an excellent sample of twill made by Anita Heist. This is given in a profile, with Block A being 1,2,3,4 and Block B being 5,6,7,8. These can be done in any size blocks. The same profile can be done in Summer & Winter, Bronson, doubleweave, etc. Anita gives the finishing instructions she used, including percentage of shrinkage.

The tie-up is interesting. If you divide it into four quadrants, you can see that it is a 1/3, 3/1 twill. You can then see how the twill line reverses in every block. This is a good basic 8-shaft weave to play with, and it is well explained in this sample. Another interesting thing is to feel this fabric and learn how a cotton warp and a wool weft can give a fine fabric.

As always, if your sample is messed up in the email, just check with Anne at the next meeting for another sample. When the Internet gets overloaded, the email fails to reach its designated destination and the sample is returned to Anne. As a consequence, we end up with a lot of extras. This is happening a lot lately, especially with you members on aol.