Tien Chiu

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You are here: Home / All blog posts / Searching for a theme
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May 2, 2020 by Tien Chiu

Searching for a theme

Time passes, and I’ve now dyed the sample warp. Here’s a not-great photo of it in the raddle, getting ready to be beamed onto the loom:

Sample warp being prepared for beaming onto the loom
New warp preparing to be beamed on

The warp is actually brighter-colored in real life, particularly the fuchsia-and-green one; it’s closer to orchid purple and moss green, very beautiful.

The warp is going onto Maryam, not onto a table loom. I had been debating this for most of a week. It really makes more sense to sample on Maryam, who has the same patterning capabilities as Grace, only with a lot less effort in putting on a warp (880 threads instead of 2,640). I was just feeling guilty about cutting off the 10 yards of warp still on Maryam, and feeling guilty about using Maryam for samples for an art piece when I had originally purchased her with the intent of using her for color samples.

Then some friends (thanks, Kaye and Sand!) pointed out that the 10 yard warp had been sitting there for months because I wasn’t enthused about weaving it, and that it made more sense to put on a warp that I would actually weave than one that would just sit there for another couple months. Also that I had no particular use for those color samples, and if I wasn’t enthused about them and had no particular use for them, why were they tying up my loom?

Point made. Off comes that warp. I got a nice pair of Kai scissors (best I’ve ever used!) recently, and they come out today.

That, of course, means that I have to figure out what to weave on that warp. I confess that I have no idea what I’m going to do with it yet, I just like the colors. But I need to choose some patterning (and some weft colors!) soon. Abstract swirls? Feather patterns? A traditional weaving draft but in nontraditional curlicues between pink/green and dark green? The possibilities are so endless that I’m feeling baffled. Suggestions welcome!

Since I’m at a total loss right now, I’m thinking it would be good to start with a theme, or maybe a title for the piece.

“Orchids and Moss”? “Bougainvillea Boogie”? ” “Jungle Birds”?

Or maybe I need to start with interesting patterning ideas and develop a title from there.

Your thoughts?

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Filed Under: All blog posts, dyeing, textiles, weaving Tagged With: double weave cape

Previous post: More painted-warp cape dye samples
Next post: Tourmaline Butterfly (?)

Comments

  1. Marcia Newcomb says

    May 2, 2020 at 6:41 am

    Corona quarantine!

  2. Pat Brown says

    May 2, 2020 at 7:12 am

    I have no problem with cutting off a “dog”. But why did’t you just wind the new warp over the old one…with adequate packing to assure a firm new warp?

    • Tien Chiu says

      May 10, 2020 at 7:47 am

      Hi Pat! The old warp was wound on using warp flanges, and I wanted to switch to using a different warping method…

  3. Robin says

    May 2, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    Abstract swirls morphing into feathers, then into wings and flying away. No idea on title.

  4. Klara says

    May 2, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    peacock, flight, bright hope?

  5. Judy says

    May 3, 2020 at 2:33 pm

    Love the bougainvillea boogie!

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