Show and Tell

Inspiration, ideas and know-how

Five multi-harness twill tea towels

When fiber artists share their work, it's a bonanza for everyone. Over the past year, the weavers' study group in the South Jersey Guild of Spinners and Handweavers wove towels as a project. The object, I learned too late, was to use a draft such as huck or M's and O's. 

As I see it, there are two major upsides to show-and-tells. The most valuable is sharing knowledge and experience when fiber artists discuss not only what they made, but they made it. It's the time to talk about the surprises and the disappointments that inevitably accompany the creative process.

Color insight

At this sharing session, one weaver discussed the diluted color effect in her towels. On the bobbin, the reds and greens were bright, but when surrounded by neutral colors in the double-faced honeycomb weave, they are significantly subdued.

to a softened green--all in the weave

From bright kelly green.....

My project work is visible in the two stacks of towels to the left of the large basket in the center of the photo. I shared my project work earlier this year in my "Tea Towels" blog, but after weaving six towels, I had cotton left over. So I warped it on and wove more towels. I not only had fun weaving five more multi-harness twill weave towels (closeup: above, right) them, I was getting better acquainted with my new-to-me vintage loom and working out its strengths and weaknesses.

Diversity in Show-and-Tell items

As the name of the guild implies, not everyone is a weaver in the group and the shares included knitted items, a latch-hooked wall hanging, baskets and fractal spun yarn.

Handspun 'fractal' yarn 

Latch hooked project