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.
MAFA2021-047
This towel was woven on a long warp of 496 threads in a 2 block design. Each block uses 8 shafts in a straight threading. I used several tie-ups to vary the look of each towel, and even included a tabby with one or two of them in the treadling.
I love towels with hanging loops, so I wove a narrow band on an inkle loom to sew into the hem. The threads on this are 10/2 cotton, with 8/2 color accents matching some of the weft colors.
MAFA2021-031
It was my first experience with Bateman weaves. I looked at the following books to understand the technique and create my pattern:
- Bateman Weaves: The Missing Monograph by Linda Tilson Davis
- Weaving Innovations from the Bateman Collection by Robyn Spady, Nancy A. Tracy and Marjorie Fiddler
- Weaving Bateman Blend by Margaret Franklin
I liked designing and weaving with this technique.