September
and it promises to be a busy month!

01.09.25

Trying this month to get back into the reflective writing, although making the time to do this seems hard. I really like this weave - I like the pop of red in the writing that comes out in a subtle way. The thick warp yarn is kind of ok - I don’t think it is a natural yarn, and it has a strong twist to it, but I like the density of it. I am going to try this again with a hessian warp, and to make a screen of the words rather than using the stencil which is just messy. Hopefully I can remember how to do this after working it out with Meredith!

02.09.25

The red letters in the previous weave are lacking in this weave and I definitely prefer yesterday's one. I like the contrast of the neat sections dividing the words, but not any more than the single line of weave that divided yesterday's words.

03.09.25

And this one has been a bit of fun - I have woven a QR code that links me to the page on my research about the poster that I have just woven. Amazed that this has been possible but it really works. Sadly I only have a one week free trial - just enough to get me through the conference, but if I am going to make more of these I need to find a cheaper option than the 19.99 a month subscription!

Doing this weave with paper - I need to glue or tape down the ‘warp’ threads in order to maintain some order until there are enough anchoring weft threads.

04.09.25

Using the cover of the programme for the conference. I really like the way the logo has been slightly distorted whilst trying to keep it as round as possible.

There is something about the simplicity of the logo which fits with the simplicity of the weave - I wonder what it would have been like if I had woven it using a white warp rather than the black warp that I did.

Maybe I must make my own similar logo (or use my woven yarns one?) with a white warp for another exploration?

05.09.25

Attending a workshop where I made my own paper and have used this for this weave. I would like to explore this more - how to make my own paper using fabric, and maybe how I can do this using incorporating pieces of weave - if you can insert flowers/leaves etc and the paper is made from cotton, then why can’t I make paper from my weave.

I think that Freya said that they had some molds and deckles in the studio.

I realise that I am starting to get a bit frustrated by the projects and deadlines that I have going - I want the headspace and time to explore and play a bit more!

06.09.25

And another weave using up the rest of the paper that I made - definitely a way to go!

07.09.25

This weave is a way of containing the details of people at the conference who I found particularly interesting. I could have kept the whole programme, but I know that I would have just filed it away in a drawer somewhere and then forgotten about it - this way they are kept in my awareness to have a look at if I ever get time again!

08.09.25

It’s been a busy week - just another weave for today!

09.09.25

Using up the rest of the washi paper yarn that I made. The conference has been so busy and full of information, and having finished my ‘big weave’ I am tired! A bit of time off, just weaving what I can.

10.09.25

And this is today’s weave - more washi paper yarn, this time with a twill structure. I have enjoyed making this yarn, no matter how crude it is, and I definitely want to learn to make this better!

11.09.25

Just a weave - using up some of the raffia that I bought for the big weave.

12.09.25

And now I am away for a few days, tiling my son’s bathroom. So it is back to the little mirrax loom (which I love) together with making a weave from the few yarns that I have bought with me.

Going back to this way of working and weaving is different - sometimes I feel as if I have to be more creative, think of other ideas, I can’t ‘just weave’.

I like the gaps and holes…

13.09.25

Today’s offering…A reflection of the tiling that I am doing? It should have been a twill to reflect the offset pattern of the tiles on the bathroom floor!

14.09.25

And the final one of this section as I go home tomorrow. Onto the wall tiles today - leaving gaps for the loo and washbasin. But the weave structure doesn’t reflect the tile pattern - that would have been too much to think of!

15.09.25

This was a surprise - I don’t think that I have used this thicker paper yarn as a warp with a really loose weave - it curls so much as the tension is taken off, and it seems impossible to straighten.

Weft is using the yarn that Laura gave me - a really fine paper yarn. Planning to use this with the silk warp that I have on my megado - exploring how japanese weaves with paper come out.

16.09.25

And as a contrast to yesterday’s weave - this is using strands of the thick rope that Laura Shipley gave me - I thought that it was a pure sisal, but as I have woven with this polyester threads have come out - not sure how I feel about this, as I really don’t want to be using non-sustainable fibres.

But there is an interesting contrast between the very fine threads of yesterday, and these thicker yarns.

17.09.25

A weave today using all of the paper yarns that I have in my stash, from the very fine ones to the thicker raffia yarns. I have dyed the fine yarn is some tea that I had - it looks as if it will dye really well and doesn’t have the same twist that my paperfine yarns have. It also has an interesting slub which I enjoy. Lots of potential with this yarn!

18.09.25

Using up the photos of some of my various weaves that I printed out. I really like the weaving in of these various images - a weave of weaves. It reminds me of the collograph one that I did a while ago…

The photographs have their own story which is woven into the weaves.

19.09.25

Playing with an idea that Laura and I discussed in supervision of the optical illusion that occurs when you write a colour in a colour that it isn’t and how it confuses the brain - in this one you might read green although the writing says red. I am not sure how convincing this weave is - or maybe I am just too close to it.

20.09.25

And another attempt at this - again, it hasn’t really worked for me - maybe I am too close to it having woven it. Or maybe the red writing isn’t red enough - it has a yellowish tone to it.

21.09.25

And this is just a play with red paper yarn. The red on the black is too dense for me - I like the insertion of a thread of red in the more neutral tones, rather than this real red red.

22.09.25

I like the contrast of this one better - the black weave on the black paper is really subtle, and the red pops a lot more.

23.09.25

Another play with my paper yarns - I enjoy this chenille paper that I have dip dyed with coffee to just take the white down a few notches.

24.09.25

And this one is really interesting with the contrast of the thick twine and the delicacy of the paper chenille. The gaps in between the warp threads are more pronounced in this weave which is also interesting.

25.09.25

Using up some of the torn off scraps of the paper used for my big weave - no waste here!

26.09.25

And today I am starting to play with some really thick cotton yarn that I have - it will certainly be quick and easy to weave, which is what I need at the moment! Too much going on - but pleased that I am persevering with all these weaves.