For all you weavers who wish for projects you can wear (or are tired of those table runners, rugs, and other flat items), here are two stellar publications; the Special Fashion Issue of Handwoven and a new e-book, Designing to Weave & Sew by Jean Scorgie.
In the September/October 2011 Handwoven, you’ll not only meet the winners of the Väv Garment Challenge, you can follow their instructions to weave and sew their beautiful and unique vests, coats, and tops. These garments are currently in Sweden awaiting the Väv/Handwoven fashion show at Borås September 15–17. There, one of each magazine’s ten entries will win a Best of Show.
In addition to the ten fabulous fashions, you’ll find some other exiting new ideas for weavers in this magazine. How about a scarf woven in thread that lights up (battery operated)? You can even make the lights go on and off in time to music! A vest combines knitting and weaving in a uniquely appropriate way, and gathering an inkle loom strip creates a pleated neck-piece. You’ll also gain new ideas for embellishing handwovens, whether garments or other pieces, such as beading wrapped rings and couching crocheted chains.
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Southwest swing top by
Irene Torruella Munroe
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Designing and sewing with handwoven fabrics can present special challenges. Some handwovens are bulkier than commercial fabrics and tend to ravel more. On the other hand, weavers can design fabrics to fit a particular garment (planning borders, pattern placement, stripes, and more) in ways that are not available to the designer who uses commercial fabrics. With the Special Fashion Issue of Handwoven, you can follow project directions for weaving fabrics suitable for clothing. With the Designing to Weave & Sew e-book at your other hand, you can learn how to treat seams and hems, how to adjust for fit, how to alter designs to make your garment one-of-a-kind, and more. You’ll also learn how to choose the right weave structure and how to adjust warp and weft amounts and setts for your pattern plus all the sewing and planning tips that will make your garment a success.
Whenever I go to a conference or guild meeting, I admire and envy weavers who weave what they wear (I try to buy clothing that looks like I could have woven it, instead!). Both this issue of Handwoven and the eBook make me think maybe I, too, can start using my sewing machine.
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| Ikat and twill by Catherine Griffith |
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Kodachrome coat by Tien Chiu |
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