Cooler summer days got me thinking about making a loose fitting shift dress with three quarter length sleeves and vents at the sides for easy movement. So I looked in my stash of summer cottons and threaded up the loom.
On a sunny day in May with a just a gentle breeze I used my porch area to wind the warp. I clamped my Ashford 16″ (41cm) loom to a table and then having measured the length required I clamped the peg to wind the warp around to another table. The warp was 200″ (508cm) long which is a good distance for both the porch length and the loom!
I used the 7.5dpi (30/10cm) heddle, threading every hole and slot with a mixture of cotton yarns in various shades of grey.
Like many of us stuck at home over these past months I have been sorting through boxes and discovering hidden gems. This bag of ribbon yarn was certainly one of them. As you see from the label I have had this yarn for some years but it was the inspiration for the whole project and good to finally have a reason to use it.
I will confess that weaving in one colour is not my thing so I added little random stripes of various yellow yarns every now and then, using up small amounts of silk and banana yarn as well as cottons and linens. I added a inkle band for the sleeve cuff just to make it a little longer and also around the boat neck. With the drop sleeve and loose fit it is an ideal shape for cooler summer days. The ribbon yarn has a little stretch to it which gives the fabric a soft feel and the garment an easy to wear fit.
Happy weaving on your rigid heddle looms.
