Weaving Words

by Lillian Whipple on October 1, 2009

Once you're woven images it isn't difficult to weave letters.

In my previous article Designing for Summer and Winter and Taqueté, the warp was threaded in a point profile. For letters, the warp needs to be threaded in a straight profile.

Straight Profile Draft
straight profile threading

Note: If you are using the same sewing-thread warp from the bookmark project, threaded in a point profile, the warp will need to be rethreaded to a straight profile.

Creating a Weavable Font

With 8 shafts, you have 6 design blocks in Summer and Winter or Taqueté. To avoid weaving the two borders and to give space around the words, Block A (shaft 3) is used only as a border and not for weaving the letters. This leaves only 5 blocks for designing the font.

straight threading

By turning the letters on their side, the height of each letter is limited to 5 blocks, but not the width. With this 5-block limitation all of the letters in the font I show below are capitalized.

The alphabet that I have created is not the most beautiful font, but it is readable and can be woven. With more shafts, you can create fancier fonts.

When weaving Summer and Winter, use the design for the letter with a tie-down shaft (1 or 2) followed by tabby. When weaving Taqueté use the letter design and the background design.

Below are the profile drafts for the alphabet.

Letters Profile Draft

Below is the complete draft for the alphabet in Summer and Winter.

Download as WIF file
summer and winter alphabet

Below is the complete draft for the alphabet in Taqueté.

Download as WIF file taquete alphabet

Below is photo of the alphabet woven in Taqueté.

alphabet in taquete

Weaving Sayings

With the created letters words can be woven into sayings. Below is the profile draft for "YOU HAVE TO BE WARPED TO WEAVE."

profile draft warped to weave

Below is the complete draft for weaving "YOU HAVE TO BE WARPED TO WEAVE" in Summer and Winter.

Download as WIF file you have to be in summer and winter

Below is the draft for "YOU HAVE TO BE WARPED TO WEAVE" in Taqueté.

Download as WIF file You have to be as Taquete

Below is the photo of "YOU HAVE TO BE WARPED TO WEAVE" in Taqueté.

saying in taquete

What sayings would you like to weave?

You might also try creating your own font. If you have more than 8 shafts, you can create some fancy ones.

Lillian Whipple has been weaving since 1971. In 1990, she received her COE-W from the Handweaver's Guild of America and is a Master Weaver. Her in-depth study was "By a Fine Silk Thread."

For the past fifteen years, she has chaired the Fine-Threads study group for Complex Weavers.

Graphics and proofreading: Grey Whipple

Add new comment

Comments

Hello, I don't see any

Submitted by A. Weaver on 28 October, 2009 - 20:37

Hello, I don't see any tie-ups on the drafts? Could you explain? Thanks

Peg-plan drafts

Submitted by Syne Mitchell on 28 October, 2009 - 23:30

These are the peg-plan version of the drafts. Each row shows you all the shafts that should raise. For example, if you're weaving on a table loom and a row has the 1st, 3rd, and 5th blocks filled in (reading from L to R) you would raise shafts 1, 3, and 5.

This form of the draft is often used with table looms, dobby looms, and in situations where the tie-up would change so often that you're better off just showing the shafts that raise.

Great question, I bet others were wondering as well.

Syne Mitchell
WeaveZine Editor

Woven Words

Submitted by A. Weaver on 3 October, 2009 - 17:33

Great as always, Lillian. Thank you. Marg Coe

Thank you for the articles!

Submitted by A. Weaver on 3 October, 2009 - 16:25

Thank you for writing these articles! The previous one on Summer and Winter and Taquete' and now this one. They are both wonderful. I've been weaving for 14 years and have never woven Taquete', I just love it! Thanks to both you and Syne.

A very happy weaver, Sharon Carey

diagonal messages

Submitted by A. Weaver on 3 October, 2009 - 14:49

For a wider piece, I like to place the words on a diagonal. Perhaps you could add a photo of your beautiful jacket that says PEACE and more? It looked great in the Complex Weavers fashion show in 2006.

Bonnie Inouye

letter weaving

Submitted by A. Weaver on 3 October, 2009 - 16:03

Hi ,as a beginner with only a rigid heddle ,how can I weave letters,please help.Regards Diny

Rigid-heddle

Submitted by Lillian Whipple on 5 October, 2009 - 15:40

I'm not sure it's possible to weave these designs on a rigid-heddle loom without lots of pick up and two different wefts. I've heard it said that there are two kinds of weavers: color and texture, or loom controlled. At that time (1990) one of my pieces was used as the example for loom controlled weaving. Some weavers feel they have combined these general areas. I'm just glad that we have all these options in weaving.