Getting started with the Rigid-Heddle Study Group

Madelyn van der Hoogt wrote

on 26 May 2010 4:15 PM

Being in this group is a wide-open invitation to letting your inner designer run wild. Prove that this loom is an open canvas for showing yarns, textures, and colors. For ideas, consult:

Betty Davenport, Hands On Rigid Heddle Weaving

Liz Gipson, Weaving Made Easy

Jane Patrick, The Weaver's Idea Book

David Xenakis, The Xenakis Technique: For the Construction of Four Harness Textiles

Also, don't forget to check the Handwoven Magazine Indexes. As you come up with other resources, post them here!

PattyAnne Caruso wrote

on 28 May 2010 11:30 AM

AWESOME!! So glad you've started these groups! Isn't the internet GRAND!?

askthebellwether wrote

on 28 May 2010 12:02 PM

Oooh, fun.  A few more classics I enjoy for RH weaving:

Betty Davenport, Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom

Rev. David B. McKinney, OVB, Weaving with Three Rigid Heddles

hilltopfibre wrote

on 28 May 2010 8:01 PM

I love old Prairie Wool Companions.  I wish they would reprint them in some form!!!  My guild owns most of them, we have a few missing and a few we have 2 copies of if anyone has any to trade.

Right now, I'm working through the summer and winter sampler from the first issue of PWC.  I love that the RH loom is able to do much more complex patterning than even a 32 shaft dobby - it rather bugs the "real weavers" in the Guild.  Next project is a baby blanket that would require nearly 80! shafts.  (32" loom with 320 ends threaded is 80 pattern units - pattern has some bits that repeat and could go on one shaft, but not many).

Next up is recycled materials to make bags etc for our Guild Ex and Sale.  Then I want to figure out how to make multi-coloured patterning that looks a bit like satin stitch embroidery, I haven't quite figured out what the weave structure is, but one of our members makes cute little cards with repeating small patterns of toy soldiers, santas, christmas trees etc on a plain-weave background.  Some of her motifs appear to have more than one colour per row, sort of like polychrome in Summer and Winter, but without the tie downs and with true tabby as the background. 

WeaveZine also has a lot of RH resources and I think Syne has more planned.

Joanne Hall wrote

on 29 May 2010 10:03 AM

Congratulations on the beginning of a new communication project for Handwoven magazine.  I am sure that many weavers will be joining and participating.  Joanne

Mariellen wrote

on 29 May 2010 11:24 AM

Older Handwovens and Spin Offs have a lot of rigid heddle and 2 shaft projects in them.  Over the years I've collected older Handwovens, from the 80's, and am just dazzled by the things people were doing then.  The information is valid and there are even things that we may have forgotten about but can still be used today.  Spin Off had a lot of weaving as well.  When I started spinning I didn't weave.  Every year or two I start at the beginning and read through my Spin Off collection.  The things that didn't interest me then hold a lot of interest for me now.

mrs-weasley wrote

on 30 May 2010 4:07 PM

I am sooo in.  I just bought a 25" flip loom with 2 10 dent and 2 12 dent heddles.  wishing I had bought the stand and a warping board but you can't have everything all at once can you?  

thanks for starting this group.

Marie R.

geeksdoitbetter wrote

on 3 Jun 2010 11:35 AM

yes!

reading back thru my spin-offs, now with a beginning weaver's eye, is amazing!

i still don't know what all the words mean ~grin~ but, i'm having a fabulous time

PamS@63 wrote

on 3 Jun 2010 3:19 PM

I'm a new weaver just stepping my way through the dish towel project in The Ashford Book of Rigid Heddle Weaving, and worrying about VERY basic things like my edges and beating evenly, so I'm just going to hang out here and see what I can learn.  I'm sure a lot of it will go over my head the first time.

mas29art wrote

on 3 Jun 2010 4:38 PM

How do I join the Rigid Heddle group? 

Mariellen wrote

on 3 Jun 2010 5:20 PM

Isn't it amazing to look at them with a different eye.  They're like all new magazines!

Take care-Mariellen

Mariellen wrote

on 3 Jun 2010 5:29 PM

Hi Pam-Re: even beat and edges   These seem to be the bane of new weavers everywhere.  Give yourself a break and realize that your first weavings won't have a fabulously even beat and the edges won't be perfect.  That's okay!  I'm a spinner and when I was learning to weave I thought about the beginning of my spinning when all I made was lumpy, bumpy yarn when I wanted smooth yarn.  It was then I decided to just throw the shuttle and enjoy the process of weaving.  LIfe's too short to grit my teeth and work with hunched shoulders to be perfect on my first tries.  Consistency is key. weave everyday, even if it's just 20 minutes.

Rita Buchanan, a very wise teacher I had for spinning (she's a weaver, too) taught us to spin everyday at the same time in the same place.  When I did this with my spinning my yarn improved tremendously.  When I did this with my weaving my cloth improved.  I relaxed and when I relaxed my beat got even and my edges got better.

Weave on!  Even if it's just a little everyday.  Consistency is key!

Take care-Mariellen

Madelyn van der Hoogt wrote

on 5 Jun 2010 8:46 AM

Hey, hi!

You can consider yourself already joined. The next thing to do is to start weaving samples, trying new things that you find in the resource list. You can also ask your Mentor, Mariellen, for some ideas.

And welcome!

Madelyn

Connie Mechem wrote

on 5 Jun 2010 4:58 PM

I'm so excited about this group. I just found it today! I love my RH loom, it is so simple. I'm always looking for new and exciting things to weave on it. How do I get in touch with Mentor, Mariellen?

thanks

Connie

malena3 wrote

on 5 Jun 2010 6:38 PM

I would like to join the Rigid Heddle study group. I live in El Salvador Central America. I have been reading and enjoying Handwoven Magazine for a lot of years. What should  I do to join?