Needle Weaving on a Frame

Basic requirements are a bunch of threads. Yours will probably be in a less tangled state. Mine have been wonderfully tangled by rusty pups who think messy is better. Have a variety of threads, mat and shiny, thin and slubby....anything that you can thread through your needles. You will need blunt tapestry needles or bodkins. The curved giant thing lying beside the bowl was my mother's. Have no idea what it's for, but the curving is quite handy for weaving. Last but not least you will need a small frame. Mine is about 6" square made from an old wire hanger; but a small picture frame would work too.

Wrap threads around the frame in one direction. Knot them to the frame when you run out and start a new thread. The grey thread here is in fact string that was wrapped around one of my dye bundles. It has a knot right in the middle and I've decided to leave it right where it is. Now the weaving starts. Thread a needle, tie one end of the thread to the frame and weave over and under all the way across.

When you get to the other side, wrap your thread around the frame and weave back from whence you came! Go over the warps that you previously went under and so on and so forth. Carry on until you have completed quite an open grid. Do not worry if you go over or under more than one thread at a time. This is going to look more like darning than weaving.

Now go back in and weave in any direction you wish to. I have used a lot of rusted string...don't recommend this..other threads don't glide smoothly past them! Do you see my piece of knotted string that I left dangling in the middle... I like it! Basically your weaving is finished whenever you want it to be. It could be left more open than mine in which case you would see the cloth that you place underneath it. Mine is quite dense; but even from here you could carry on adding layers as long as you can get your needle through.


To remove it from the frame you could tie knots with the weft and the warp on all four sides. You could darn those ends back in. You could carefully applique it by hand to a background around the edges or of course a machine zigzag stitch could be used (but I find that too obvious myself).

Hope that at least gets you started.

Oh, and by the way, the beaver is back!

Critter Condos in the Woods

Even dead trees provide an opportunity for woodpeckers to create skyrise condos with woodland views perfect for wintering in.

Basement living becomes warm and snug once covered with a foot of snow. Liable to flood come Spring though.

Ground floor living...no vacancies...already in use.

A hole in a tree stump provides a romantic getaway for those critters who like stargazing.

Curly Docks and a bit of Autumnal Stitching

The friendlier looking seeds of the Curly Docks are also ready to spread and multiply.....

 

while their leaves below are ageing with glorious markings and colours.

Autumnal colours used in a piece of needle weaving or darning.

Windy Day

This is what happens when you try and photograph tall and lanky Queen Anne's Lace on a windy day! A beautiful accident.

When the wind died down, this is what I got. Me thinks they look like an army, armed to the teeth, ready to invade more of my wilderness.

Things Growing Through my Wrappings

Four trees in my woods have been wrapped for over a month now, and not much is happening. My grandmother's sheets are holding up exceptionally well! They are still pristine white and dry despite all the rain. The trees are being protective giants of the cloth! Several fungi are caught under my wrappings and this one has decided to carry on growing through the linen. Oh, yes, and do you see the tiny bit of critter evidence. One wrapped tree is a huge maple and I'm suspicious that a porcupine or squirrel has a winter nest up there 'cos the rusty pups try and climb it every time we pass by. The wraps will be left undisturbed (by me at least) until next June by which time I hope to have many more markings.

Wild Things Turning to Rust

Walking through the wilderness of my garden yesterday, I was intrigued by nature's cycles. Everything is dying back, yet each wild plant abounds in seeds ready to be taken on the wind and continue the invasion of my garden.

These two pics (above) are New England Asters which grow in the wild bits between garden and tangled woods.  Looks like there might be a few more next year.

Of course rusty pups inspected everything with me. Whenever I stop to take a pic this one plonks herself down at my feet.

A Woman's Dyeing is no Match to Mother Nature's

For ten days bundles of old sheeting and linen were wrapped around walnut hulls, old man's beard, leaves and some fungi covered bark. Once a day they were steamed and then left to rest. After 10 days the results were very bland......

Sooo I resorted to my favourite rust wrapping for some of the bundles. The bottom cloth is linen and I think is ready to stitch. The other two cloths received a third treatment of wrapping around teabags. Love the soft grey with black and rusty spots. Now that India's book has arrived in the mail, perhaps I'll get better;  but my poor attempts at creating colour will never match up to Mother Nature's creativity.

Just look at the magnificent colours and patterns in this Cecropia Moth who honoured us with a visit.

Is he not simply magnificent.