Blog posts – Page 10 – sue orton

a good week

It’s been a busy week with weaving progressing and BIMM mentoring.

What have I discovered about weaving a tube? Beating with the shed open, relaxing about selvedges and trusting, that we all have a ‘best selvedge side’ – mine is the left. I am not yet sure if this is because I am right handed and more gentle with the left, or if it has something to do with the yarn direction. Any weavers thoughts welcomed here. My understanding of tie-up has improved – realising that I need to have the warp centred in the reed and the reed in the right place BEFORE I fine tune the shed. My warping on Frances is much better now with raddle cross and raddle position much improved. Next I’m looking to tie-up for twill practise on this warp. I have begun my colour explorations taking delivery of the yarn cards from Rennie a Scottish Wool Supplier, the shade cards are worth it if you weave with wool.

I’m enjoying mentoring PGCert students at BIMM both in Brighton and next week in Dublin again. So a tutorial to come this morning and then colour explorations later in the week. If Saturday weather is fine I shall be walking South Downs Way Day 6 from Poynings to Botolphs; fingers crossed.

creative puzzle

Today I’m putting a new warp on Frances. Using supersoft merino wool I want to explore weaving a tube for a snood. Getting the technical stuff right first and opting to stay with working Frances means that by the time I get to playing with colour and more expensive yarns I will hopefully have a better chance of weaving a presentable item or two.

So first the warp. With a big loom I have to put on a raddle to hold and separate the threads as I wind it onto the back beam. What is surprising me just now is that I have walked into 2015 with more patience and care and with s greater understanding of some of the processes.

They say you need have done 20,000 hours to become proficient at something and it feels like I might be half way! So I have a new system for this warp with the raddle up on the top of the loom, a cross stick before the raddle and now all the two warps spaced out ready for winding on, Phew.

happiness

This week I’m back in my studio and at my loom planning and designing for my final project at Handweavers Studio. Deadlines at the end of February and May 2015.

My aim is to design the first Orton collection of South Downs Tweed (Winter) with a modern take on traditional tweed. I shall be offering a selection of luxury apparel – exact items to be finalised during my research, snoods are on my list.
The inspiration for my project is the South Downs. I am currently walking the South Downs Way (Eastbourne to Winchester) this winter, and gathering inspiration from the colours, moods and textures I see and experience.
I am also researching creative responses to the South Downs – poetry, painting, novels. I am mapping my days and recording notes, pictures as I go. I shall also be exploring, dissecting and examining Tweed from a variety of sources.
This project builds on and develops my enjoyment of braided twill (Project 2) where I felt I had success blending colours using merino wool and bamboo to create soft wearable items. This project will aim to extend both the colour palette, the range of natural fibres and twill structures to create luxury items that will be wonderful to wear.

South Downs Way 5

Another glorious day on the south downs took me from Housedean Farm to Saddlescombe on Saturday 29th November. This walk is forming the key inspiration and design source for my final weaving project a in May 2015, more in later posts. So, walking steadily uphill from the busy A27 I came into a secluded undulation of the downs, quiet except for occasional birdsong and the thrum of hooves of a galloping horse. The warm winter sunshine and the climbing soon warmed me up. On and up onto the crest of the downs with views north and south. It was busy up there, with many walkers and cyclists. I stopped for a break just past Ditchling Beacon and then wandered on through fields strewn with spiders webs, making for Jack and Jill Windmills for lunch. With energy to spare I walked on through Pycombe over Newtimber Hill into Saddlescombe. My longest day yet, about 9 miles. Good preparation for the 10 and 12 mile days to come.

more weaving

My learning progresses as I dress my floor loom again. It’s been interesting to revisit warping techniques again and how I make sure all is even on the back beam as well as the front.

It’s tie up this morning now that I have set up 8 shafts.

First weave on Frances

I have spent several days now threading and learning about lams and treadling of my wonderful counter-march loom and today, at last I began to weave. There were many interruptions as I adjusted sheds up and down and all is not balanced but I have begun what I hope to be a long-lasting and fruitful relationship with Frances.