Ann Wennerstrom, Seattle Weavers’ Guild, Seattle WA
Materials & Technique: Weaving Structure: 6-end block weave on 4 shafts. Pattern Source: Peter Collingwood, The Art of Rug Weaving, New York: Watson-Guptill Publications 1968 (page 320-322). Warp: Miscellaneous linen, interspersed; Weft: strips of recycled fabric in various fibers. Loom: Le Clerk 45″ jack loom
Description: I often hope that my frugal tendencies can push my weaving designs in interesting ways. This rug is made of entirely recycled materials. The weft is 1-1½ inch fabric strips from various scraps that I had on hand. It was fun to be reminded of old sewing projects from years ago. The structure is a 6-end block weave on four shafts. Using 6 ends per repeat allows for vertical stripes to appear in each block. By arranging printed fabrics side by side, I hoped to achieve a mosaic effect. I sketched the blocks’ dimensions in an excel spreadsheet to create a vaguely plaid look – some of the horizontal stripes are matched by vertical stripes of the same width. The warp was also drawn from my stash of miscellaneous cones of unmatched linen. I interspersed these so that the different weights were distributed evenly across the width of the warp. I would like to thank the Seattle Weavers Guild rug study group for being a wonderful source of knowledge, inspiration, and encouragement to try something new.
