I know Friday afternoon, especially in the US before a holiday weekend, is not a great time to ask a question.
But, I'm hoping to finish my double weave sample tomorrow, since I'm in deadline mode.
So I'm going to ask and hope that one of you can help!!!
The Question
I want to use double weave to make a purse with a flap.
I'd like the purse to be a tube that's closed at the bottom and both sides. (I know how to do that with double weave).
At the top of the purse, I'd like to smoothly transition into weaving a flap.
The only thing I've been able to figure out is to start weaving two separate layers at the top of the purse. One layer can be the flap, and the other layer could be cut off and hemmed or made into a pocket for the bag or something.
Does anyone have other ideas? I keep wanting there to be a way for the flap to include both layers of fabric, but doing that seems like it will close the top of the purse. (And a purse with a closed top isn't very useful!)
Thank you in advance!!!!
Sorry for the lack of photos in this post. My mind is boggled because I've spent most of the day weaving double weave pickup. It's like magic, slow magic....but my brain is tired!!
(I will definitely have blog entries about pickup, if only to help myself remember how I did it!! I think I'll have questions for you about that too.....but those questions aren't stopping my progress luckily!)
Thank you for reading, and have a great weekend!
Related posts:
Starting my double weave sampler
Crackle Manners of Weaving: Petitpoint
15 hours ago
8 comments:
Great question but it seems impossible to incorporate all the warp threads without closing the purse top. Hmmm, will check back for more experienced weavers' ideas.
What if you were to switch to doing two layers only for a short bit (1/2 in or so), then switch to weaving all of the threads in one layer to make the purse flap?
When you take it off the loom, you would then cut it right where you started weaving the whole thing in one layer and sew that little 1/2 inch bit inside the purse.
This would allow the flap to be doubled, but give it a lighter area to make it easier to fold it over the top of the purse, and I don't think you'd need to worry about the warp threads on the flap coming loose where they were cut since it should be fairly dense, tight fabric at that point.
Caveat: I'm not an experienced weaver, either -- just noodling out loud.
If you include both layers in the flap, the top of the purse will be closed. No way around that. However, here are a couple ideas (may be hard to see without graphics but...)
1. You could hem stitch the top layer of the fabric and continue to weave the lower layer for the flap. Depending on how much more you plan to weave, the top warps may get a bit slack and you will have to weight them with a dowel and weights back at the warp beam.
2. You could continue to weave the tube extra long, then when the fabric is cut off the loom, you could fold the tube sort of inside-out half way and have a double pouched bag. You could hand stitch the two pouches together at the bottom. You could (hand stitch) put a zipper on one of the pouches and do a button and loop for the other pouch.
3. You could stop at the top of the bag, put in a 6" spacer of cardboard, then weave the flap. When the fabric is removed from the loom, line the bag and hand stitch the flap to the top.
Can you tell I've been playing around with double weave this year? ;^)
Valerie has the suggestions I would have made plus!
I personally like number 3. ;)
You could weave two layers, one with a very lightweight weft, and that layer could be tucked into the bag as a lining.
You are all wonderful!! Thank you for your ideas.
I'm so glad I wasn't missing something really obvious.
Tomorrow morning, if I finally finish the pickup part of the sampler, I can tackle the end piece that's like a purse with your ideas in mind.
I'm very impressed with the helpfulness of other bloggers!! Thank you all, so much!
Sue
If you beam the two layers separately then you could weave the top layer for an extra couple of inches then pull it up into a pleat and go back to weaving the tube.
When you cut it off the loom, you could cut across through the middle of the pleat and you'd have enough to turn under as a hem at the end of each tube. One tube is then the bag and the other becomes a double-layered flap.
Does that make any sense at all? A diagram would be easier!!
These are all great ideas. For doubleweave fun, I would start by weaving the very bottom closed in a single layer for an inch or less, then continue it as a tube, then when you get to where the flap would be, weave it as two separate layers. Once off the loom, you'll need to finish the bottom by either leaving a fringe or hemstitching it, the middle is fine as a tube, hide one of the flaps by turning it inside the bag, the other flap can be the real flap. You won't need to do any cutting this way, only sewing for a neat finish.
Eva
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