Weaving Words
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
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.
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.
Below is the complete draft for the alphabet in Summer and Winter.
Below is the complete draft for the alphabet in Taqueté.
Below is photo of the alphabet woven in Taqueté.
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."
Below is the complete draft for weaving "YOU HAVE TO BE WARPED TO WEAVE" in Summer and Winter.
Below is the draft for "YOU HAVE TO BE WARPED TO WEAVE" in Taqueté.
Below is the photo of "YOU HAVE TO BE WARPED TO WEAVE" in Taqueté.
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