I'm Alice Schlein, a weaver in South Carolina. A few times a week I write about my weaving, Network Drafting, Amalgamation, bread baking, my morning walks, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Thanks for stopping by! Comments are welcome.
Books
The Woven Pixel: Designing for Jacquard and Dobby Looms Using Photoshop® Co-authored by Alice Schlein and Bhakti Ziek. 362 pages, many illustrations. Now available for free download on handweaving.net. The accompanying CD with 1400 pattern presets is not included with the free download, but may be purchased separately. Email me at aschlein[at]att[dot]net for more information.
Network Drafting: An Introduction By Alice Schlein. Break away from the block. Curves for your dobby loom. Originally published in 1994, now available as print-on-demand from www.lulu.com.
Monographs
Amalgamation: Double Your Dobby 24-pages of text, diagrams, and color photographs, in pdf format for download. Create drafts for 8 or more shafts in half-drop or brick arrangements which would normally require twice the number of shafts. Related to network drafting, this is a technique for intermediate or advanced weavers with dobby looms or multi-shaft table looms. Includes guidelines for amalgamation with three current weaving applications. View on a computer, or print out one copy for your own use. USD$21. via PayPal. Email aschlein[at]att[dot]net and indicate your preferred email address for PayPal.
Lampas for Shaft Looms Class notes from Complex Weavers Seminars 2016, newly revised and formatted, in pdf form for download. A review of methods for designing your own lampas fabrics for treadle looms, table looms, and dobbies, eight shafts and above. Over 90 color photos of actual fabrics with drafts. Includes info on pickup lampas and a lampas bibliography. View on a computer, or print out one copy for your own use. USD$21. via PayPal. Email aschlein[at]att[dot]net for ordering info.
A Crepe Is Not Just a Pancake 52 pages of text, b&w and color diagrams, and drafts for multishaft tradle & dobby looms. Many color photos of actual cloth. Methods for drafting your own crepe weaves. Annotated bibliography. Pdf available for immediate download. $21. USD. Payment by PayPal. Email me at aschlein[at]att[dot]net for payment instructions.
Echo Weave Based on the 1996 article in Weaver's, Issue 32. With brand new diagrams and high resolution scans of original fabrics. Pdf available for immediate download. $7. USD. Payment by PayPal. Email me at aschlein[at]att[dot]net for payment instructions.
The five lampas book covers were cut off the loom, separated, serged, and blocked. They appear in this picture in the order in which they were woven, starting at the top and going clockwise.
To block them, I merely stretched them vigourously to put the corners back into square, pinned them out onto the blocking board, spritzed them with water, then hovered the steam iron over them. I was especially careful not to let the iron touch the first sample, the one with the poyurethane-coated yarn. After they dry, I'll coat the backs with acrylic medium.
My intention was to do some serious drawing in the sheep and llama barns, but somehow I got stuck in the vendors' arena and never emerged. The above photo shows only a small part of the enticing goodies for sale. I tried not to buy any more batts or roving, as I still haven't spun up what I bought four years ago. But I did snag some cones of very beautiful silk, and I bought four of each color, so that I don't have to rewind them for warping (I like to warp four strands at a time).
I always enjoy seeing old friends at these events. Chad Alice Hagen shared a booth with Jane Voorhees (my first watercolor instructor). Chad's new canvas-covered books are a marvel. Sorry I don't have any pictures of these, but you can see a couple of them here. And it's always good to see chair maker extraordinaire Walter Turpening, who was demo-ing new custom loom benches.
I am congenitally unable to resist buying books, but somehow I didn't come home with any this time. I did, however, pay serious attention to this one, Continuous Strand Weaving Method by Carol Leigh Brack-Kaiser, which looks really good. It's a bit pricey, but the photos and diagrams appear to be first rate, always a good indication. Hm-m-m.
And I finally succumbed to a Variable Dent Reed for my little Cricket loom at Susan's booth. Susan is so friendly and cheerful, in spite of all the crowds and hustle and bustle of the fair (and in spite of the terrible internet reception). Just couldn't resist. Now all I need is a few more hours in the day. Just a couple will do.
With such small woven pieces strung together on one warp, it's really fun to watch the cloth make its way to the cloth beam. By undergoing some moderately weird contortions, it's possible to photograph the effect. You may have to tilt your head to see what I mean. Don't come back to an upright position too fast, or you may feel lightheaded.
Are you going to CW? I hear that question a lot these days. I hope a lot of you are going. I'm going. I'd love to see you there. If you don't know what it is, check it out here. Full disclosure: I'm one of the seminar leaders. But I can still say this: CW is one of the really great conferences. OK, now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Yet another trial of the file to be used for book covers. Same lampas file, different pattern wefts. This time turquoise cottlin is pattern weft #1, and beige rayon is pw # 2.
You may notice that the aspect ratio is a bit different from that in the previous sample, because the yarns are finer; it really doesn't matter with this non-representative design. And there are no circles that need to be exactly round, etc.
This time I used a slubby cotton-linen plied yarn for pattern weft #1 and turquoise cottoline for pat weft #2. Ground weft same as before, fine grey singles wool. Black 20/2 cotton warp. Exact same file. It's so exciting to see the difference in effect. Have I mentioned that before?
I enjoyed weaving the lampas book cover with the funny green yarn so much that I launched into another version, with yet another strange yarn from the stash. I'm weaving the exact same file, just substituting the new yarn, a 12-ply kettle-dyed cotton string, and a fine black & white boucle for the two pattern yarns. The black warp and the fine gray background weft remain the same. The caramel colored kettle-dyed string has a subtle mottled appearance and shows up the pattern structure (2/1 twill) very clearly.
I especialy like the occasional spot of curly bouclé peeking out from the smooth caramel string regions. The two areas of ground weave (4/1 and 1/4 satin) are still holding their own in contrast to the two pattern areas. Here's a closer look:
I'll probably weave this design at least a couple more times. It's really fun to see the effect of different pattern yarns with the same structure.
The picture is from a couple of years ago, but I still like it. If you click to enlarge, you can see the incredible workmanship of the eight-legged textile artist.
Yesterday I came across this poem by accident, and thought it was very timely and quite delicious. I hope you enjoy it.
I love using my iPad as a drawing tablet, particularly for weaving designs. The large shapes and fluid gestures adapt well to interpretation in weave structures. Here's one I did the other day with the Procreate app.
And here it is woven as a lampas fabric with that strange polyurethane yarn I spoke of the other day. Sandra has identified it as a yarn purchased a while ago from Textura.
I think it's going to work great as a book cover, after I coat the back with acrylic medium.
I don't normally see chickens in the road (crossing or otherwise) when I go out for a walk, but this morning I saw this gal:
She was determinedly pecking & clucking, and when I got close enough to take her picture, she turned on her heel and marched off in the other direction. Yes, marched. Clomp clomp. Busy busy. Ruffling her feathers a bit. Places to go, people to see. You know the drill.