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Monday, July 25, 2011

Blues Review

I left you waiting for the big reveal on the runners! I got the hand hemming done just before this past weekend and then I had to leave the wet finishing part until we got back from some days away in Vancouver. We had gone over to visit with family again and spend some time in the "Big Smoke". I guess I'm a small town girl now as I found the sheer number of cars and people rather unnerving! Its just way too busy for me and the city noise doesn't stop at any time of day or night.  Sorry no pictures as I forgot my camera!

Calli went into a kennel for the first time and she had great fun playing with her new inmates. She went straight from the kennel to a groomer for a bath and a haircut!

I decided to hand wash the runners and used a normal washing detergent and squeezed out by hand after soaking for 15 minutes.  I rolled them into towels to absorb excess water and then hung to dry over night.
They pressed up nicely with a steam iron. Its been difficult to take good pictures of them as two are a solid blue shade and one is 'busy' looking, but I have given it my best shot (pun intended!)

There are three runners; the first has  40/2 linen weft in a natural colour: (click to enlarge)

Here's a close up:


The second runner is all blue with (approx) 8/2 orlec as weft. (Orlec is like a skinny cousin size wise to 8/2 cotton)

The orlec is crease resistant and more easy care.  A closer image:


Orlec has such a deep shine, coupled with the mercerized cotton warp, it makes getting a decent picture of the pattern a bit tricky.

Finally  the third runner has 10/2 mercerized cotton in blue as the weft:

I would say that the weight and hand of the all cotton runner is my favourite of the three. They were all woven to 50 inches or  bit more, all were ladder hemstitched and are fully reversible.  They all go into the box for the coming sales in the fall. More complete details on the draft and such can be found at this older post  and this one as well .


My little assistant is a hand twisted fencing wire gecko with glass beads. He's a flashy  little fellow and originally comes from South Africa. He and his friend, a chameleon, sit on my kitchen window ledge when not modelling in photo shoots.

Next time... book marks.

8 comments:

Evelyn said...

Beautiful blues - such subtle differences in the two solids and the linen is a very classic look.

Delighted Hands said...

Just stunning! I like the first one-it looks like something I would buy at an antique store!

Threadbare Designs said...

Beautiful as always! I have a question about the hems. I understand how to do ladder hemming (I think), but how are the runners reversible? The raw edge, the one at the very end of the runner, isn't turn under and stitched? Is it doubled back and included in the ladder hem somehow? Excuse my ignorance, but I just can't picture it.

Susan said...

Thank you for the comments!

Threadbare Designs: I divide the hem into thirds and press firmly right to the edge of the ladder hemstitching. Then I use a 'running blind stitch' to invisibly hand sew the hem to the bottom edge of the hemstitching.
The end result is the cloth can be viewed either side (especially since the cloth's pattern is reversible too)
If you go to my main page and look at the right hand side bar, there are links to hand hemming there under 'Topic Shopping' (and also hemstitching)
There are lots of pictures so to show the technique. It was awkward to shoot and sew but I think it explains it well.

Susan

Susan said...

Sorry Dorothy! I hit the wrong button on my cell phone (before I had my first cup of coffee)
Susan


dorothyLochmaben has left a new comment on your post "Blues Review":

We must have been blogging at the same time !!
The runners look beautiful and I like the effect of the all blue ones, that certainly calms the pattern down nicely. I think I will vote for the orlec one, just have a feeling it will be nice and soft and as you say easy care. I don't know what our equivalent of orlec would be, it's not a name I know.
Great pictures and as always inspirational weaving !
Dorothy

Anonymous said...

Susan, the runners are just lovely. Love runner number one the very best although all the runners are wonderful.

Orlec, now that is a yarn I have yet to try...love the sheen - where does one purchase Orlec?

Love your pretty model, thing the feet are so cute.

Hug Miss Callie for me.

Susan said...

Orlec is a synthetic yarn that come in over 90 colours.

I ordered mine from 'Brassards' en Fils, of Quebec.
Great service

http://www.mbrassard.com/

Be sure to ask for a colour card.... and their sample book is a good value too. More on Brassards in a post to come soon.

Susan

Lynnette said...

So beautiful! All three are beauties and do you proud.