Collection: MAFA 2019 Towel Exchange
MAFA2019-078
The section on the draft that is labeled to be omitted was included only to illustrate that I used a variety of colors for the last 8 threads of each 40-thread unit.
I used unmercerized cotton for both warp and weft.
MAFA2019-067
I did a straight tabby weave hem for approximately 1-1.5 inches at the beginning and end of the towel. I used a weft that was laceweight in order to have a hem that was flatter when I folded it over twice.
MAFA2019-075
Used 5 stripes of my hand dyed 8/2 cotton (purple/blue, orange/pink, yellow, greens, red/orange) – each 3″ wide with 1/2″ wide stripes of purple, teal and blue of commercially dyed 8/2 cotton. The hems are plain weave (1 1/2″ long, turned and machine stitched). Crocheted a hanging loop from Red Heart Scrubby Smoothy cotton from JoAnn Fabrics. Chose a turned twill to best show off the hand dyed cottons. Originally tried to use a boucle cotton; but it completely obliterated the pattern – so I found the no. 8 white cotton in my stash (Phildar 316 Relais no 8 (made in France) purchased in an estate sale), which is actually a 4 ply but seems to be the same weight as 8/2 cotton. I think the pattern and the stripes are a beautiful complement to each other.
MAFA2019-072
This has become one of my favorite towel warps. It is draft #246, false damask check. I call it woven ribbons, as that is what it looks like to me. Although it uses two shuttles, it is actually a very rhythmic weave.
On my ten-yard warp, I was able to get 11 towels.
MAFA2019-053
This was a warp and project that was my first exploration of a complex (for me) gamp.
While a newer weaver, and always trying new things, I loved working on a twill sampler with friend and weaving mentor Jane Stafford via her Canadian Online Guild. The resulting gamp for this set of four towels was inspired by Cally Booker’s step-by-step instructions and used some of my favorite colors. The project sampling on a Guild loom was great fun!
There is a band of mixed colors in the center of the towel that is playful, but I would not include that again…love the playful darker bands that are two colors interacting with each other.
Editor’s Note: Since we are missing a photo of Bethany’s towel, the green photo here is courtesy of Cally Booker. See Cally’s website at https://weavingspace.co.uk/blog/designing-a-twill-gamp-part-1/
Also, note, the draft here is a generic gamp draft.
MAFA2019-059
Really enjoyed Tom Knisely’s “Weaving on a Straight Eight” class taken during the 2017 MAFA conference. Wanted to weave something from his class booklet and chose the pattern ‘Ribs of Twill and Plain Weave’. It’s a nice easy piece to weave, and the treadling is super simple on a floor loom, just 1,2,3,4. The threading is also super easy, being a straight 8.
This pattern makes a great dishtowel, very thirsty so it works beautifully. I used 20 epi with 8/2 cotton because I find this makes an absorbent dishtowel.
I warped 20 inches wide in reed and wove 34″ in length. 1″ hem at each end – twice folded hem, hand stitched with cotton sewing thread. Washed and dried twice in washing machine on warm, and dryer on regular heat. Size of finished towel: 17″ x 27″.
MAFA2019-056
I started out with Strickler #246, and as I was working with two different shades of red in the weft, I realized how much it reminded me of watermelon. I decided to add some lines in shades of green to represent the rind, along with the reds in the center (and the little bits of black like seeds).