Double Weave Madness!

Hello all you Fiber Art lovers out there! My name is Jessica Hagar and I am currently a Fibers student taking the weaving 2 class at the Craft Center. I would like to share with everyone just how excited I am about this semester and what I have been working on.  I hope that you will follow along with me throughout the semester as I plan to continue blogging about all of my discoveries and accomplishments.

It has begun! My first sampler of the semester. I am exploring a few of the many possibilities with Double weave.

Currently, I am working on a tubular structure through the double weave process in which two layers of fabric are woven at the same time. I have also discovered how to incorporate an overshot pattern that is continuous around the tube.  Overshot is a way of incorporating different sizes of yarn. The smaller yarn creates the structure of the weave while the larger is used as a pattern yarn so that the design stands out. This is the first time I have attempted this and am very excited to see my pattern being created on both sides of the fabric.

A really great source of how the double weave tube is created can be found in this double weave book by Ursina Arn-Grischott.  The tube is formed by connecting the selvedges of the top and bottom layers using one continuous shot of weft.

Tubular textiles were made by weavers long ago for things such as bags, fire hoses, and hats. It is great if you are wanting to avoid sewing lengths of fabric together for things such as tablecloths and curtains. Industrial weaving has used tubular techniques for years to produce many of their products (Grischott). Here are some great examples of woven tubular structures:

 

Here is also a great draft to show how the tube is formed. This can be a very useful visual in understanding a tubular structure.

 

I am also attempting to incorporate 26 gauge copper wire into my sample’s weft. I plan to use this for my next project.

 

I am hard at work putting together my first project and my board of inspiration is quickly filling up.

I am interested in creating a sculptural piece focusing on how a 3-dimensional structure can mimic the qualities of line and how I can use that to make a visually intriguing piece of art through the use of color, form, and light.

Thanks for visiting! Check back soon to see my progress.

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