Sometimes, as a weaver, things don’t go quite as I expect. I am generally a pretty relaxed, easy going type of person, and I don’t get too stressed about things that don’t go according to my plan.
The amazing blue warp that I have been posting? You know, the one with the fabulously shiny royal blue tencel weft?
My “plan” for it, was to weave it off, finish it, take some cool photos, pack it up ready to ship, and then auction it off, shipping it in time for it to arrive at its new home for the holidays.
The reality is this:
Tencel is slippery. Really, really slippery. It is a man made silk alternative. The drape is incredible, like liquid pouring through your hands when woven with a tencel warp and weft.
I was depending on the cotton warp to shrink in finishing (which it did, just as I expected), and I was also depending on that shrinkage to hold that lovely tencel in its place. Well…..not so much.
The finished fabric is amazingly soft and thin, with a drape like no other. It would be an incredible shawl, draping over your shoulders and looking oh so elegant. However, for anything with strain on it, it is simply not appropriate.
If I pinch my fingers on this fabric, and pull them away from each other along the weft, the warp parts like the Red Sea.
This makes me sad, because other than this, the fabric is all that I was hoping it would be.
I am going to sell it in pieces, or as a shawl (or two), as it is soft and drapey, and would also look great as a lined bag or book cover, with some interfacing to stabilise it.
If you would like a piece of this fabric, please email me at kathy@rocklakeweaving.com.
If you are on my email list, never fear, I will have something else special for you, because this one just didn’t work out.
Rock Lake Weaving 