LoomWise
FROM MY LOOM TO YOUR ROOM
Handwoven Textiles by Barbara Lyons Pickel
Variety. That is the word that comes to mind when I think about why I love weaving.
On my Swedish floor looms, I can design and create delicate scarves, warm blankets, absorbent handtowels, thick rugs, or cloth for sewing. I can
use fine linen, thick or thin cotton, wool, silk or bamboo fibers. I can vary the structure - how the warp and the weft threads interlace - resulting in weft faced, warp faced or balanced weaves.
Some structures are familiar, such as twill, herringbone or plainweave. Others are specific to a culture or geographic region. When I begin planning a new project, I have to make decisions regarding the function, the fiber and the structure before I even begin to consider color choices. And there is always more to learn.
Weaving is a slow process.
In designing a project, I consider the size and capability of my looms and calculate the exact number of threads and the amount of yarn I will need to complete a project. I wind the warp, beam it, thread it through the heddles and the reed, tie it onto the front beam and attach the treadles to the shaft bars. Then I begin to weave. Every step of the process must be done precisely, or the final process will be unsatisfying. Sometimes the colors interact exactly as I have imagined, and sometimes they are a complete surprise.
LoomWise is my space to share my collection, and occasionally to offer my textiles for purchase. For more images of my work, please visit my Pinterest page, https://www.pinterest.com/lyonspick/weaving-my-projects/
- Barbara Lyons Pickel
Welcome to LoomWise. On these pages I have shared favorite pieces that I have woven over the years on my Glimakra looms and at Vavstuga Weaving School in Shelburne Falls, MA. I learned to weave at Vavstuga (http://www.vavstuga.com/) in 2007, and return regularly for classes and workshops with Becky Ashenden.