Summer Crafts - Handwoven silk Dress, Small Cross Bag, Saint Earings

Posted by Zexxy's wife August 29, 2013

Summer Crafts - Handwoven silk Dress, Small Cross Bag, Saint Earings

It was a busy summer for me. It was inspirational, more fun.. I still didn't finish them all, but I'm close.. So here they are

Dress:

It took few weekends to finish this weaving, and more to come up with a design for this dress. But it's finally here!

It's woven in one piece with opening in the middle

With my new four shaft loom, I had a need to test it and make some clothing with nice threads - silk, pastel colours, patterns. Not completely successful weaving, some of the warps were to thin at the end and broke, so I lost in size of the woven cloth.. For long time I was brainstorming how to make the best possible cloth piece/s from that, My original idea was the dress.

Blue fabric insert

Back

Side leather detail

I have used some great silk and cotton threads and few leather strips.

Weaving my first dress, from warping to finalizing was exciting project and attempt. Design was made on the go, as usual, during weaving and it changed from the first idea to final weft. Only steady was measuring the length of the dress and counting yarns. Some warp threads broke at the edge and I was forced to redesign dress. From plain strait I was forced to widen it with an insert aside with matching fabric so that I can fit dress to my proportions.

Weaving the dress from warping, testing to neck opening and pattern

Threads/yarns used for the dress (orange is missing - all used up) and my own hand made shutles made from Dolar store sticks

My idea of letting some wefts unwoven realised well at the end - opening large enough for head

Bag: I had some leftover woven material, done earlier that I wanted to use for small purse. Having so much trouble with my sewing machines (I guess they couldn't take anymore my heavy leather/fur woven fabric), I was finally happy with a result.