bags for beginners

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Bags for Beginners

From the Recent Archives of

http://www.handwovenmagazine.com/

http://www.handwovenmagazine.com/



© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved. h a n d w o v e n m a g a z i n e . c o m

Wavrs lv bags! Thy lv makig thm, cllctig thm, ad usig thm. This cllcti six bagprjcts will dlight bgiig ad xpricd wavrs alik. Thy iclud a marvlus rag yar typs, lm typs, ad bag uctis ad sizs. Yu’ll lv usig th rcycld Himalaya silk

i Su Bliwiss’s lgat tt ad tbk cvr ad th havy atural li i Margart B. Russll’s travlcarrir. Sarah Swtt’s bag uss a cardbard bx as a lm ad tachs th basics tapstry wavig, ad yuca wav Cathri Lary’s tiy vig bag th g. Rags ar athr avrit wt r bags. Diah Rs’stts us a rag wt i lg cabi r bld tw-blck pattrig. Pckts alg th tp dgs mak it asy t fd

small itms, such as kys ad shppig lists. Ad r a bit wavig whimsy, Lida Lig’s “Shaggy Bag” willgiv yu u idas r thr prjcts, with its dcrativ pil, bads, ad a vry cl strap.

Weave a Tapestry on a Box — Sarah Swtt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

A Shaggy-Bag Story — Lida Lig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Weaving on the Go: Tiny Evening Bags on a Weavette Loom — Cathri Lary . . . . . . . . . .

8Recycled Sari Silk for a Tote and Portfolio — Su Bliwiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Sturdy Rag Totes — Diah Rs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

A Linen Carrier for Home and Abroad — Margart B. Russll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

C o n T e n T S

Weaving Made easy ccbl u or b-

wr to u th mplt o loom—th r

hl. Th book pck wth clr tp-b-tp -

tructo or wrp w clu but tp

tchqu or color, , cotructo, mbllhmt (ll

lo ptbl to ht loom). Projct r rom cr to b

blt, rom pllow to plcmt

ru. Whthr ou r u

r-hl or ht loom, Weav-

ing Made Easy th ultmt

book or th b wr.

Learn to Weave th bt-ll b w book or oorloom bo. Rch wth tp-b-tp tructo, ll o

th bc r cor: urt th tool o w, mk

oo wrp thr w, r rt, ur-

t w tructur. W o’t kow o bttr w txt.

you wll f th book th prct compo to ourHandwoven

ubcrpto.

http://www.interweavebooks.com/




























Prct boxs or making bags can

com in many sizs. This box would

b just right or a bricas, that

or a tot bag, and, why, that on will

slip right into th ovrhad bin on an

airplan! Onc you’v njoyd th pla-

sur o plucking a sturdy loom rom thtrash, you’ll nvr look at th UPS truck

in quit th sam way. To hck with th

contnts—it is th box that counts!

Waving on a box is straightorward,

xciting, and a grat way to us up bits and

pics o yarn. It is not, howvr, ithr n

or ast. Practical cardboard-box stts ar 4 or

5 nds pr inch, and tapstry has nvr bn

a zippy tchniqu. For just ths rasons,

howvr, waving on a box is immnsly

satisying. You can tak your tim and play

with blocks o color without tying up a foor

loom. Whil I usually rcommnd a small

box or your rst bag, you’ll only hav un

i you’r xcitd about th siz, shap, and

utur li o th bag. Sinc my rst articl

on this tchniqu (s Rsourcs), bags

hav bn wovn on boxs o vry shap

and siz rom coast to coast and around th

world, so what do I know!

RurcTodd-Hookr, Kath. Shaped Tapestry. Al-

bany, Orgon: Fin Fibr Prss, 2004.

Harvy, Nancy. Tapestry Weaving: A Compre-

hensive Study Guide. Lovland, Colorado:

Intrwav Prss, 1991.

Russll, Carol K. Tapestry Handbook: The

Next Generation Rvisd dition. Phila-

dlphia: Schir Publishing, 2007.

Swtt, Sarah. “Waving on a Box.” Spin-Off ,

Wintr 1997, pp. 74–77.

Sarah Swett of Mos-

cow, Idaho, on a perfect

day, weaves, plays the

cello, and takes her dogs

for walks. She is the au-

thor of Kids Waving.

Weave aTapestry Bag

on a BoxS A R A H S W e T T

Transorming trash into treasure can be one o lie’s great joys. How about

turning an ordinary cardboard box into a three-dimensional, our-selvedge,

portable loom? Who could resist the rush o pleasure that comes rom

pawing through the recycling bin—-searching, testing, assessing—trying to fnd a box that is the perect size or just the bag you want to make?

Dancing Carpet Bag, rp d ,

ur d, 22” × 12” × 10”

© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved. h a n d w o v e n m a g a z i n e . c o m 2




Originally published in Handwoven®

, Janurary/February 2008, pp. 32–35



Prepare the box . Tuck aps to inside (a)to strengthen edges (cut edges are not strongenough to maintain warp tension). Mark 3 ⁄ 8”lines along edges at 1 ⁄ 4” intervals. Poke a smallhole at the bottom o each line and cut on eachline to the hole with the X-Acto knie (b).

Warp the sides of the box . With a wideside o the box acing you (or any side o asquare box), tape the end o the warp yarnto the inside at one o the corners, leaving atail o about 6”. Bring the yarn through thefrst notch, down the side, across the bottom,and up the other side to the correspondingnotch. Slide the yarn in the notch, pull snug(not so tight that it crushes the box) and bringit back out o the adjacent notch. Use a see-saw motion to work the yarn into the notch.

Again bring the yarn down the side, acrossthe bottom, and up to the notch next to theone where you started. Continue in this way

(c–d) until the two opposite wide sides and thebottom are warped. Do not cut the warp.

Warp the other sides; weave the bottom. Measure a length o the uncut

warp yarn about 8 yd and cut at this point (this will be about hal o what you’ll need tofnish warping a box this size and is about aslong a strand as you can work with comort-ably) and thread it into a needle, olding it back and orth two or three times to decreaseoverall length (e). Thread the other needle

with about 1 yd o wet yarn in the color o your choice. With the bottom o the box ac-ing up (on the same side o the box as thelong strand o warp yarn), weave across thebottom in plain weave with the wet doubledin the shed. Bubble the wet generously. Tuckin the starting wet tail as you go, and weaveback and orth across the bottom or 1 ⁄ 4” (4–5rows). Compress the rows o wet with yourfngers or the needle so that the wet com-pletely covers the warp.

Bring the warp out through the frst notchon the unwarped side o the box, take it

down that side, and then weave across the

bottom as i it were wet, in the same shedas the last strand o wet. Do not bubble,but pull tight the way you did when warpingthe sides. Bring it up the unwarped side andhook it securely in the frst notch and backout the second to hold the tension.

Return to weaving with your wet yarnand fll another 1 ⁄ 4” with tightly packed plain

weave, bubbling generously, then againbring the warp down the side, across thebottom as i it were wet, and up the otherside, hitching it securely. Continue in thismanner () to weave the bottom o the box

while at the same time warping the remain-ing sides, until both are covered.

Turn the box ater the frst 1 ⁄ 4” and weaveor 1 ⁄ 4” on the opposite edge o the bottomto keep the ar edge warp thread rom op-ping o and then return to the frst edge (g).

When you have woven up to that last 1 ⁄ 4”, it will be easier to weave in the last ew picksdensely in this area, away rom the edge.

When you run out o warp, cut a newstrand and tape the old and new ends tothe inside o the box at the top (they canbe woven in later) and continue. To change

wets, overlap the new and old threads or1” or so. When you complete the bottom,add 1 warp thread at the inal corner tomake an odd number o total ends—nec-essary or weaving around and around thebox in over/under order.

Take heart! The bottom is the hardest

part o the weaving and it is too bad that it has to come frst. Stripes make it go aster,but don’t be in a hurry! Like most tapestry,this one is about being in the moment.

Weave the sides . Now go wild! Makeshapes or stripes; play with color or use allone color. Test out tapestry techniques romthe books in Resources (page 32). This issome o the reest weaving you will everdo. I you weave squares and rectangles,

you’ll have to sew the slits together invis-ibly between straight vertical edges later so

that things won’t all out o your bag. I you

weave at an angle to the warp (h)—this iscalled an eccentric wet—you will need lotso extra wet to cover the distance or yourfnished weaving will develop distinct bulges.

You can draw a cartoon right on the box orslide a piece o paper under the warp as aguide or specifc shapes. Be sure to pack the

wet as tightly as possible with your fngers.

At some point, turn the box upside downand weave down rom the top o the box (i). It

will be easier to weave in the last wet threadsi you can do it away rom the edge.

Finish the bag . When you fnish weaving,insert the tip o the curved sacking needleunder each warp loop on the inside o thebox and lit it over the cardboard tab. Trynot to damage the tabs i you plan to weavehandles on the same box. You can leave theloops—the wet will pu out to fll the spacesduring ulling. Or, you can thread a cord

through each loop as you take it o the tabs(good or very small boxes where there is not a lot o wet to ull into the space). I made adecorative twisted cord out o 4 strands GoldHighland (j and l) or this bag. Release thetaped warp ends and weave them into theabric. Full the bag well in hot soapy water.

Make the handles . Tape the end o the warp yarn to the inside o the box and warptwo 2” (8 ends) sections, taping the fnal endto the inside. Weave with any pattern (k)—stripes, blocks, one solid color—starting at

both ends and meeting in the middle. Forthese handles, I deliberately drew in the edges,switching to single strands when the warp be-came very close. When the handles are done,lit o the loops, sew in warp ends, ull, andstitch the handles to the fnished bag.

Line the bag, if desired . This bag is likea basket so I did not line it. I covered a pieceo non-corrugated cardboard with abric toft the ulled bottom (8” x 7”). For other bags,make linings (with pockets, i desired) andattach to the inside o the bag with Velcro to

remove easily or cleaning.

s t e P s f o R w e a v i n g a t a P e s t R y b a g o n a b o x l o o m

w rucur r Plain weave (tapestry).

equp Sturdy corrugated-cardboard box withaps (a box 9” × 7” × 71 ⁄ 2” is used orthis bag); pencil or pen; ruler; X-Acto crat/utility knie; masking tape; two 4–6” curvedsacking needles.

yr Warp: 4-ply worsted wool (700 yd/lb), Lin-

coln Longwool, 56 yds for this bag. Wet: 2-ply wool (900 yd/lb, Harrisville

Highland), Cobalt, Midnight Blue, Teak,Gold, Chianti, and Tundra, 1 skein each.

yr urcSacking needles and worsted-wool warp

are from Weaving Southwest, 4-ply LincolnLongwool from Aunt Julia’s Fiber Emporium,Harrisville Highland from Harrisville Designs.

wrp pc 4 epi.

fhd d Woven dimensions: 9” × 7” × 7” (tall) withtwo handles 11

⁄ 2” × 211

⁄ 2”.

PRoJeCt at-a-glanCe




c

d

h

jk




The goal or this little bag is to give you

ideas to try out. I planned to use feece

locks or the pile, but my stash didn’t have

the right lengths. A bulky knitting yarn rom

the shop down the street was my Plan B.

weaving the bag faces

Thread the loom for plain weave. Weave 8 picks

with 12/6 cotton for the first hem. Alternating

Azure and Marigold, weave 1", beating firmly to

cover the warp. Weave 8 picks Azure. Weave 1"alternating Blackberry and Marigold, again beating

rmly. Weave 8 picks Marigold.

Tie 20 Ghiordes knots (see Figure 1) using about

4" lengths of the bulky yarn. Skip 2 warp threads be-

tween knots. *Weave 3 ⁄ 4" with doubled Marigold. Tie

another row of knots, offsetting them from the previ-

ous row; see Figure 1. Repeat from * until you have six

knotted rows, each separated by 3 ⁄ 4" doubled Mari-

gold. Weave 1" with doubled Marigold.

This completes one side of the bag. Cut it from

the loom, whipstitch raw edges to secure, and weave

the second side in the same way. (The cloth is too

lumpy to wrap onto the cloth beam. On a shaft loom,

you might be able to weave the two pieces before

cutting off or weave the whole bag in a single piece,

reversing the directions for the second side.)

assembly and sewing

Turn under the 12/6 cotton hems at the top of each

side and turn again between the Azure/Marigold

and Azure sections. Sew hems by hand. With right

sides together, sew the bottom edges of the two

sides together with a 1 ⁄ 2" seam allowance.

Place the bag flat, right side down. Cut one

piece of lining fabric to cover the knotted-pile area

of the bag, plus 1 ⁄ 2" to tuck under on all four sides.

Fold under, press, and whipstitch lining in place.

To make the strap (an idea from Takako Ueki ofHabu Textiles): Cut a length of clothesline cord about

21 ⁄ 2 yd long. Wrap it completely with bulky pile yarn.

Knot the ends of the cord and pile yarn together for

security. Full well by hand or in a washing machine,

hot water. Machine dry, hot. The wrapped yarn will

nearly felt and the clothesline-cord core will provide

strength and stability. Handsew the strap to the bag

as in Figure 2. Fold the bag and sew the two halves

of cord together along their entire length.

Embellish! I used #8 turquoise glass seed beads

and small brass beads. The pennies are some I’ve

placed on the railroad track next to the parking lot

near the Interweave ofce. I like to put one there in

the morning and see if it is still there, smashed, on

my way back to the parking lot in the evening. (Do

not try this at home.)

l i n d a l i g o n

A shaggy-bag storyhere’s a bagfull of ideas to use in your next

weaving project—or you can just mak e this b ag!

it’s fun, quick, and you don’t need a fancy loom.

Sy txts v ts f ss—f s, w vs, b

sts, w s, . Ty s bts f y,

ks, v, y bs t bsts.

STrucTurePlain weave with

Ghiordes knots.

equipmenTRigid heddle or 2-shaft

loom, 8" weaving width;

10-dent rigid heddle or

10-dent reed; 3 stick

shuttles.

YarnSWarp: 12/6 cotton (1,430

yd/lb, Halcyon Yarn), natu-

ral, 160 yd. Weft: 12/6 cot-

ton for hems, 8 yd. 2-plywool (1,800 yd/lb, Harris-

ville Shetland), Marigold,

384 yd; Azure, 28 yd;

Blackberry, 20 yd. Alpaca/

wool blend (205 yd/lb; 45

yd/100 g; Blue Sky Bulky),

Claret, 108 yd (three 45 yd

balls for two bags).

oTher SupplieS1 ⁄ 3 yd lining fabric, 5 yd

clothesline cord, match-ing sewing thread.

Warp lengTh80 ends 2 yd long (for two

bags or one bag and sam-

pling); allows 4" for take-

up, 32" for loom waste.

SeTTSWarp: 10 epi (1/dent in a

10-dent rigid heddle or

1/dent in a 10-dent reed).

Weft: about 36 ppi (the2-ply wool is used dou-

bled between rows of

knots; the rows of knots

are about 1 ⁄ 2" each).

dimenSionSWidth in the heddle or

reed: 8". Woven length:

9" for each of four sides

for two bags.

Finished size: 9" × 6" each

bag plus a 22 " strap.

rigid-heddle or 2-shaft project

1. Tying Ghiordes knots 2. Attaching the strap




P

r o j e c t



, September/October 2008, pp. 38–39



W avtt loom and ti pd-o (Wav-It and Loomtt

loom) a mall, very potabl

qua o tangula am loom wit pin

on all ou id aangd in goup o t.

T an podu wovn qua o t-

angl wit ou lvdg at and mo

ail tan odina am loom.

T abi i podud wit a ingl

lngt o tad. Fit, v ot wap

tad i wound aound pai o top and

bottom pin. Nxt, v ot wt tad

i wound aound pai o id pin. Tn,

t ot t o wap tad i wound

aound ot pai o top and bottom pin,

and fnall, t onl atual waving i don

b ndl-waving in t pa btwn

t pvioul wound wt tad and

going aound ot pai o id pin. A

vait o pattn an b wovn, inluding

t moking pattn ud o t bag.

Adding loop and tal to 2” × 2”

qua an mak mall olida onamnt

o doation. Fou pi (two 2” × 2”,two 4” × 6”) an mak an vning pu

lag noug o llpon, dit o otl

oom ad, o ot mall itm.

Catherine Leary, SSJ,

o Springfeld, Massachu-

setts, creates whimsical

gits in unusual yarns. She

is a member o the Pioneer

Valley Weavers Guild.

Weaving on the Gotiny evening bags on a Weavette Loom

c A T h e r I N e L e A r y , s s j

Here’s a handy vacation project that doesn’t take up much room and can occupy your hands when you are

traveling. Tuck two Weavette looms into your luggage with a weaving needle and a small package of yarns and

make these little bags. They take only a few hours, and you can work on them almost anywhere you go.

Equipment and materials4” × 6” and 2” × 2” Weavette or similarlooms (Buxton Brook Looms); weaving nee-dle; Darice Metallic cord (in 27 yd skeinsrom Michael’s) or other yarn about 800

yd/lb; sewing needle, sewing thread.

Weave the bag and fap pieces With 111 ⁄ 6 yd o cord, weave a 4” × 6” rect-angle or the bag ront in plain weave or

smocking pattern. Do not cut letover cord.Repeat or bag back. With 21 ⁄ 3 yd cord,

weave a 2” × 2” square or hal o ap; donot cut letover cord. Repeat or other hal.

Sew the bagHandsew the two large rectangles togetheralong both long sides and one end, usinguncut letover cord. Sew the two smallsquares together along one side, leavingcord not used or stitching extending romedge o seam. Bring this tail around your

fnger through the edge o the adjacent square and back up again at the start-ing point to orm a doubled loop. Work abuttonhole stitch with the same cord overthe doubled strand; weave in tail. Stitchthe ap to the open edge on the back o the bag with remaining letover cord.

With a separate length o cord, wind asmall tight ball or the button. With sewingthread, sew through the ball to secure andstitch the button to the ront o the bag.

Twist together 2 or 3 strands o cord alittle longer than desired length or a strap(use all colors in the bag). Tie an over-hand knot at each end. Sew strap ends tothe bag; weave in any remaining tails.

Smocking pattern(Rows = rows o needle weaving.) Weave 2rows plain weave (under 1, over 1; repeat).*Row 3: Go under 1, over 1, **under 3,over 1; repeat rom ** until last 2 ends;go under 1, over 1. Row 4: Weave plain

weave. Row 5: Go under 3, over 1; repeat.

Row 6: Weave plain weave. Repeat rom *;end with one row o plain weave.

Resourcesconoti, Liia. Modular Texture: Patterns

or the Weavette® & Weave-It Looms,

Vol. 1, rvid edition, 2006; intu-

tion o moking and ot pattn.

Menl, Naomi. Compendium of Finishing

Techniques. Loveland, colorado: Interweave

Press, 2003; buttonhole stith, p. 118.

Waping Intution o Wavtt loom:

www.wavtt.om/intution.apx.




Withot a dobt, rcycd

sik yarn spn o thrmsrom waving mis in India

is on o th most nsa yarns yo’

vr s or waving. Thr ar sv-

ra brands avaiab. I ik Kathmand

Bathd (washd) rom Th Woo Pd-

dr. Th skins ar can and th co-

ors bright and car. Th rsting abric

wovn with this yarn is nothing ss than

spctacar!

For th tot, I’v paird th handwo-

vn abric with a commrcia b dnimthat trns th coors and txtr o th

rcycd sik yarn into th oca point.

Th padoio is dgd with satin stitch

and both pics ar ind.

Wi tips

Waving with rcycd sik yarn dos

prsnt som changs. Bcas th

twist and thicknss is inconsistnt

throghot th skin, it can b difct

to gt smooth svdgs—actay, it’sjst abot impossib! For projcts that

rqir swing, pan an xtra inch or two

o warp width so that th svdgs can

b ct o dring constrction. I yo pan

to s th abric in a projct whr th

svdgs show, accpt that thy won’t b

absoty straight!

Athogh th warp yarn is mosty cov-

rd by th rcycd sik wt, th warp

coor has som ct. Dark hs wi in-

tnsiy th sik wt coors; ight hs wi

giv wt coors a sight wash. For this

abric, th warp is a dark, charcoa b.

Recycled Sari Silk or tot “polio”

S u e B l e I W e I S S

Tis tot ooriti or or otp r s to w sw.

T polio s o o o ost poplr pttrs, poppi p i

Itrt rops s it or swps trs. O o o,

o’ll i lots o t s ro o sow it to will wt

o, too.

S S Biwiss’s photo and bio on pag 34 withhr For Startrs projct: “Yoga Mat Carrir.”

P h O T O g R a P h c O u R T e S y O f f R a b j O u S f I b e R S

W W W . f R a

b j O u S f I b e R S . c

O m

make IT yOuR OWn!T wrp or tis ri is 5/2 prlotto stt t 12 pi. T rlsil wt r is irrlr i tiss,so t pis pr i r ro 11to 15 (ri ot 12) wit , r t. T sil wt rlis t otto wrp r, tri is str. T txtr is itsti or loti otr t sts.

It wol lorios plts tl rrs, owr—t irr-

lrit o t sls s t tiss o t r it itrst. Or, ow ot tpillows or lii roo or roo?

cosir lso ltrti piso rl sil wit pis o ill,Tl, or sp sil or ri wit sot sitl or srs, swls, ortrows. Or, ti o pli w:s rl sil s t pttr wt iorsot or sr witr.

© Itrw Prss LLc. not to rprit. all rits rsr. w o z i . o 1 0




Oriill plis i hwo®

, Sptr/Otor 2007, pp. 48–50



makIng The PadOLIO

ct t ollowi pis ro t -wo ri, lii ri, Titx: otto pi 61 ⁄ 4”× 9”, top pi 53 ⁄ 4” × 9”, fp 21 ⁄ 4” × 9”.

b o si o pi o Titx witsil w t s pi o lii

ri to o (Poto ). b t otrsi o pi o Titx wit silw s wo ri pi to o (Poto ). I t wo -ri ss too ti to s, s l stito sr t ri to t Titx. jst littl it o l i t tr o piwill lp p t pis ro siti w o stit ro t s ltr to srt. St t pis si.

ro t lii ri, t t isistrit pot sl or t otp 61 ⁄ 4”× 15”. ol i l prss wll. Pltis pi o t 61 ⁄ 4” × 9” otto pi,lii t otto rw s (Poto ), st si.

. s t lii to t Titx.

. s t wo ri.

. crt t strit pot.

. crt t

slt pot.

. Tr or

tri.

Stp

1Stp

2

Stp

3

Stp

4Stp

6

Stp

5

WeavIng The abRIc

Wi wrp o 240 s 2 lo tr or pli w ollow-i t Prot t--gl si or prrr wrpi to.

W pli w wit rlsil r or 45” t r o12 pis pr i (s r rt). Ro t ri ro tloo i ziz rw

s. mi ws, wr wtr,tl l, tl r. Wit is r, i t ri r prsswit ot iro. Iro sil itr-i to o si o t wori to prt rli or t-ti swi.

To t tot: ro t wori t two 14” sqr pis

(rot ). ro t i

ri t tr pis 5” × 14” orsi pls otto. Sw ipl to si o t rot pi,rit sis totr (ll s llow-s r 1 ⁄ 2”). Prss ss op.

Sw t otto pl to t otto o t rot, rit sis to-tr. do ot stit wr t ottopl xts o t si pls1 ⁄ 2” o si. Sw t pito t si pls rit sis tot-

r, pii swi o si t ti. Sw t otto pl to totto o t , ritsis totr, li 1 ⁄ 2” stito si. Sw t si pls tot otto, rit sis totr. Trt rit si ot st it siwil o t lii.

m t lii o i ri x-tl s o ostrt t ,xpt l 5–6” opi lo

o o t lo ss t t otto© Itrw Prss LLc. not to rprit. all rits rsr. w o z i . o 1 2

or tri ltr. do ot tr t liirit si ot tr o ss-l it. Pl t otsi o t ito t lii, rit sis totr,lii t top s, sw tlii to t lo t top .Tr t rit si ot trot opi i t lii s.

To str otto, t pio ror two pis o Ti-tx 4” × 13”. appl sil w to

o si o pi o Titx.(yo s l i o prr). st Titx pis to si o tror, i swi witt ror i t il. (yo to s so st to tt t to ptrt tro to tsil w.) Slip t rorswi ito t otto o t tro t opi i t lii. Swt opi i t lii los , i t oo prss, lip

o t ls, o’r o!

makIng The TOTe

To t slt pot or t isirot or, t rtl o lii ri9” × 14”, ol i l, prss. L tol pi o t o t top (53 ⁄ 4” × 9”) pi (Poto ). now fip ot pisor rll so tt t pot is o t



otto (Poto ). us l rr to

tr t otli o t pot tt ot t pot sp or st s rlr

rotr ttr totri w t xss(Poto ).

usi wi stit,sti stit i

lo t lo so pi, tit pot s i tstiti. Stit pi twi (or or!)i or rst li o stit-i os’ t or wllo. ai si wi stit, t ts o pi too otr r li o i zi-zi tt ts

ot s. I li tostit o o t i-si, o o t ot-si, t io t isi.

ai wit wi stit, sti stit i ro t tir otsi pri-tr o t or. I sll o tis tlst twi. atr o is stiti, r c o ll pls wr o rows o i stiti

tri o loos trs w t rc is r.

a tto s prsor, i or, or lt o ri-o or r s ti. or tis po-lio, I t lt o rl sil r,str w s o t , ti ot so t s wol’t slipo. I ti t otr ro t

tto wrpp t ti ro tpolio.

. T slt pot.

. Sti-stit lo s.

. mi ziz to oi; sti-stit

s.


W strtr or riPli w.

eqipt2-st or 4-st loo, 20” wi wit;12-t r; 1 sttl; swi i.

yrsWrp: 5/2 prl otto (2,100 /l),

Qrr #147 (or otr r r orr iolt), 480 (32 ⁄ 3 oz).

Wt: Rl sp sil (ot 400 /l), 413 (1 l, 1 ⁄ 2 oz).

yr sors5/2 ukI prl otto is ill roost wi rtilrs. Rl -sp sil r (kt bt) i 200 sis t 160–190 /si is il-

l ro T Wool Plr (rl

sil r ris—it’s sst to ttr sis or tis prot; i o s twosis, owr, o sortr i o r ot o wt r).

notios otr trilsor t : 15” lip-o ltr ls;

1 45”-wi i ri; 1 ⁄ 2 22”-wi sil itri; 1 ⁄ 4 Titx orst-2-s; 1 pi str ror4” × 13”; 1 ⁄ 4 sil w or l;ti swi tr.

or t polio: 1 ⁄ 2 lii ri, o 9”× 15” pi o st-2-s or Titx, o9” × 15” pi sil w i o’r siTitx; r c; orti tto.

yr trils sorsb ls (sto #hL2070) r ill

ro jols.o; sil itri, Titx,

st-2-s, sil w, r c, i,polio lii ri, tto ro ristors. (a 5” × 8” otp to t p-olio, ill ro sttior stors.)

Wrp orr lt

240 s 2 lo (ils 5” t-p 22” loo wst). a 32” wrp ltpr itiol 12” pr polio.

Wrp wt spiWrp: 12 pi (1/t i 12-t r).

Wit i t r: 20”.Wt: 11–15 ppi. Wo lt (-

sr r tsio o t loo): 45”.

iis isiosatr wsi, ots pro o tot13” × 13” × 4” o polio 63 ⁄ 4”

(los) 14

5

⁄ 8

(op)×

9” .

PROjecT aT-a-gLance



A added advatage t pckets

alg the tp edge the bag is

that small thigs sted i them

ca be ud easily. A ag wet makes

these bags vey study—peect ca-

yig bks t the libay, yu luch t

wk, yu latest pject t the ext

guild meetig.

T a strctrThe bag abic is wve i a vaiati

wap ep. Tw highly ctastig cls

3/2 peal ctt alteate i the wap.

Tw blcks ae ceated by shitig the

wap cl de m e blck t the

ext. I the wet, a sigle cl 3/2

peal ctt alteates with a 11 ⁄ 2” wide

ag stip. The dmiat cl i each

blck depeds which the tw wap

cls is aised the thick ag pick.

It is amazig hw dieet the agwet lks depedig which wap

cl csses it. Sme viewes ca’t be-

lieve that the ag wet they see i the tw

dieet blcks is the same abic!

Ds ccs

Chse stg cls with high ctast

the wap. T select the ag wet, have

u visitig abic stes! Bld, clul

pits wk best. Sice yu ly eed

a ew yads, abics m the cleaace

table make gd chices.I like t use Fibacci umbes i ab-

ic desigs. F my bags, I usually alteate

blck sizes fve thick picks with thee,

fve with eight, thee with eight.

RsrcsAbbtt, Amy. “Ikle Puches All Weaves—

High-Tech ad Lw.” www.iteweave

.cm/weave/pjects_aticles/iklepuch.

pd.

Bstic, Eve. “Diape Bag.” Handwoven .

Mach/Apil, 1987, pp. 46–47, I-5.

Dinah Rose of Wood-

stock, Georgia, weaves

both simple and complex

colorful pieces that she

sells at craft shows and

at www.dinahrose.com.

Sturdy Rag Toteswith handy inside pockets

D I n A H r o S E

Inspiration for these bags came from two earlier Handwoven projects. One

was a diaper bag with lots of pockets. The pockets required weaving and

piecing strips, but I wanted to weave a single fabric. A Handwoven online

bonus project for an inkle-woven cellphone case gave me an idea for easy

pockets—the fabric on one side of the bag is extended and folded down

into the bag from the top edge and then turned back up to become the

pockets.

MAke iT YouR own!

This abric combines the durability o warp rep with the color potential o logcabin. It’s easier to warp than usual warprep (ewer ends per inch) and as quickto weave (not very many picks per inch).Use it or placemats, runners, oor mats,

vests, and other bag styles. Experiment with changing warp colors rom block toblock or using rag abrics with colors di-erent rom the warp colors and/or usingmore than one abric.

© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved. h a n d w o v e n m a g a z i n e . c o m 1 4



St

1

St

2

St

3

St

8

St

9

St

4

St

5

S T e p S f o R w e A v i n g T h e w A R p R e p T o T e b A g S

Numbers in parentheses are or thelarger bag. Wind a warp o 168(216) ends 21 ⁄ 2 (3) yd long holdingone end o each color and keeping afnger between them. (These instruc-tions are or warping back to ront. Forcomplete warping steps, see Resourcesat handwovenmagazine.com.)

Spread the warp in a raddle andbeam. Thread ollowing Figure 4 or 5.(For a 4-shat loom, thread 1-2-3-4.)Sley 1/dent in a 12-dent reed and tiethe warp onto the ront apron rod.

Cut or tear the abric lengthwise intostrips 11 ⁄ 2” wide. Cut the ends at anangle to overlap in the shed. Windstrips onto a ski shuttle, olding themin hal lengthwise, right side out. Windbobbins or two boat shuttles, one with

each color o 3/2 pearl cotton.

Weave a header in scrap yarn. Weave the bag abric ollowing Fig-ure 4 or 5. Weave hems with bothcolors o 3/2 cotton in each shed.

When you weave the bag body,bring the boat shuttle with 3/2 pearlcotton back into the shed over the rag

wet i the boat shuttle exited underthe edge warp thread, under the rag

wet i the boat shuttle exited over theedge warp thread. Beat frmly.

Cut the abric rom the loom. Machinezigzag edges allowing 1” or hems;trim excess. Machine wash and dry.

For each bag, cut two pieces o 1” webbing 36” long or straps and onepiece 12” long or the button loop.

pRoJeCT AT-A-gLAnCe


wa strctr r a arcs

A variation o warp rep.eqmt 2- or 4-shat loom, 14” weaving width (smallbag), 18” (large bag); 12-dent reed; 2 boat shuttles, 1 ski shuttle; sewing machine, #18jeans needle; rotary cutter and mat (optional).

Yars Warp: 3/2 pearl cotton (1,260 yd/lb).

For small bag, gold (Zinnia #4146) andpurple (Eggplant #6256), 210 yd (22 ⁄ 3 oz) each. For large bag, turquoise

(Algiers Blue #2194) and purple

(Eggplant #6256), 324 (41 ⁄ 8 oz) each.

Thin wet: 3/2 pearl cotton (1,260 yd/lb).For small bag, 75 yd purple (1 oz), 16 yd gold. For large bag, 137 yd purple(13 ⁄ 4 oz), 20 yd turquoise.

Rag wet: 45” abric cut into 11 ⁄ 2” strips; orsmall bag, 21 ⁄ 2 yd; or large bag: 4 yd.

nts ad tr matralsHeavy nylon webbing, 1” wide, 7 t/bag;matching sewing thread; decorative button.

Yar srcs3/2 pearl cotton is available rom Webs,

abric and webbing rom abric stores.

war rdr ad lt

For small bag 168 ends 21

⁄ 2

yd long; orlarge bag 216 ends 3 yd long (allows 31”or loom waste and 20% or take-up).

war ad t sac Warp: 12 epi (1/dent in a 12-dent reed).

Width in the reed: 14” (small bag):18” (large bag).

Wet: 6–7 ppi (3–31 ⁄ 2 each wet). Wovenlength: 49” (small bag), 64” (large bag).

fsd dmss Ater washing, amounts produce one small

bag 121

⁄ 2”×

12” or one large bag 16”×

19”.

1

216x

8x

1

5x3x

hem

rag weft

purple 3/2gold 3/2

turquoise 3/2

hem

front

back

pocket

bottom

12"

112"

28x16x 12x12x

5x

8x3x

3x

5x

5x

3x

5x

5x

8x3x

1

222x

8x

1

3x5x

12"

112"

40x22x 12x12x

3x

8x5x

6x

6x

6x

3x

8x5x

hem

hem

front

back

pocket

bottom

4. Drat r small a

5. Drat rlar a

a. si d e s e am

( i n si d e o u t )

straps andbutton loop pocketwrong side

with a new #18 jeans needle and 1 ⁄ 2”seam allowances. Sew rom bottom totop o pocket to orm pocket sectionsas desired (see Figure 2). Fold ront and back o bag right sides together,matching the pattern. Sew side seamskeeping pocket section ree. Pressseams open.

With bag still inside out, old to orm atriangle at the bottom o each cornerand stitch across hypotenuse (about 5” or small bag, 6” or large bag);see Figure 1. Reinorce the bottom withpiece o plastic canvas i desired. Foldand stitch a point at the top o the 12”piece o webbing to make the buttonloop (Figure 3) and sew a button to theother side o the bag.

Fold in and press 1” hem on non-pock-et end o abric. Pin each end o one36” webbing to the inside o hem in

the center o the narrow blocks, align-ing raw edges o webbing and hem.Pin both ends o the 12” strip side byside in the center. Sew across the hemon the right side in the ditch betweenrag-wet strips, catching hem and web-bing edges. Sew again in a ditch at the top o the bag and again in a ditchbetween the frst and second stitching.Fold over the pocket section at the topedge o the other side o the bag andpin and stitch the other 36” strip as the

frst except stop stitching1

⁄ 2

–1” beorethe selvedges on each side.

With bag body wrong side up, turnup 1” pocket hem and sew. Turn uppocket so hemmed edge is 1” belowinside top edge o the bag. Sew sideseams o pocket. Stitch seams slowly

3. Sttctt l

2. ba cstrct

1. Sttcttmcrrs

St

7

St

6



The journey ro lax seed to

woven linen has been traveled

since the dawn o civilization.

Linen’s qualities are tieless, cobinin

siplicity with eleance, sotness with

strenth, resilience with race. For cen-

turies, linen swaddled the newborn, lled

the trousseaus o newlyweds, and shrouded

the dead. The sails o the ships that de-

eated the Spanish Arada and the cov-erins o the wins that won the Battle o

Britain were all woven ro this versatile

ber. Respect or linen continues into this

century. Whether ossaer ne or thick

and stron, linen continues to be rearded

as a ber o heirloo quality.

This carrier is a ood project or a rst-

tie weaver o linen: the abric is easy to

weave, and the ba and handles are easy

to asseble and sew.

Weaving the bag

Wind a warp o 188 ends o 8/4 linen (see

Project at-a-lance, pae 36). Use either

a back-to-ront or ront-to-back warp-

in ethod to thread the loo or plain

weave. Linen is not resilient, so take care

to bea the warp with even tension on

all the threads (or step-by-step warpin

instructions, visit www.interweave.co;

click on Weavin, Projects and Articles,

Warpin Basics).

Sley the 10-dent reed 1/dent, but sley

2 ends in each o the rst and last 4 dents

or r edes. Center the warp or 18”.Usin a ner yarn such as 20/2 linen

to reduce bulk, weave 3 ⁄ 4” or a he and

then weave 36” with 8/4 linen. End with3 ⁄ 4” in the ner yarn or the second he.

Use a r beat and check requently to

see that you have 8 picks per inch (loosen

warp tension to easure). Weave at least

1” beyond the last he section with scrap

yarn to prevent ravelin. Reove the

cloth ro the loo and achine ziza

or sere the edes o the he sections to

secure; reove ller; tri ends.

Weaving the handles

Wind a warp o 24 ends o 8/6 linen (see

Project at-a-lance, pae 36) or the ba

handles. Use either a back-to-ront or

ront-to-back warpin ethod to thread

the loo or plain weave. Sley the 8-dent

reed 1/dent, but sley 2 ends in each o

the rst and last 2 dents or r edes.

Center the warp or 2

1

⁄ 2

”.

Usin a ner yarn such as 20/2 linen,

weave a 3 ⁄ 4” he and then weave the rst

handle or 28” with 8/6 linen. Check to

see that your beat is consistent at about 10

picks per inch. End with a 3 ⁄ 4” he in the

ner yarn. Weave 2 picks in a contrast-

in color or a cuttin line and weave the

second handle like the rst. End with 1 ⁄ 2”

o scrap yarn, reove the abric ro the

loo, achine ziza or sere the ends o all he sections, and cut pieces apart.

Finishing

Wash the abrics by hand in very war

sudsy water. Rinse well in very war clear

water. Use a towel to absorb excess water

(do not wrin to avoid creasin), and then

allow pieces to air dry. While still dap,

hard press with a pressin cloth (oit the

cloth i you want the linen to be shiny).

Assembling the body

When the abrics are copletely dry, old

the wide piece in hal to join raw edes at

the top. Stitch 1 ⁄ 4” side seas, then stitch

aain with 3 ⁄ 8” seas to reinorce. Press

seas open. Fold the raw ede to the

wron side 3 ⁄ 4”; press. Fold aain 3 ⁄ 4”, press,

pin, and topstitch he 1 ⁄ 4” ro the ede.

With the carrier still inside out, center

each side sea and stitch a 3” box corner

across each point; see Fiure 1a, pae 36.

A Linen Carrierfor home and abroad

m A R g A R E T B . R U S S E L L

Margaret B. Russell,

inspired by her weaving

ancestors, weaves with

natural and hand-dyed

fbers in Byfeld,

Massachusetts.

This linen carrier is woven in plain weave rom a heavy, wet-spun, unbleached linen made in Northern Ireland.

Since linen’s strength is second only to silk’s, the carrier possesses the durability needed or long excursions and

many purchases, and it will seem to mellow each time it’s washed. As you use it, you will come to love both its

ageless beauty and its great useulness. It is no wonder linum usitatissimum means “most useul fax.”






, May/June 2004, pp. 34–36



Assembling the handles

Fold the raw ede o each handle 3 ⁄ 8” to

eet beinnin o he section, old aain3 ⁄ 8”, and press. Lay handles on a fat surace

wron side up, old, and pin (see Fiure

1b). Stitch 1 ⁄ 4” ro the selvede, leavin

41 ⁄ 2” at both ends unstitched (these sec-

tions will be stitched to the body).

Final assembly

Place the ba on a fat surace, riht side

out. measure 3” ro the side sea and

place one side o one unstitched end o

a handle at that ark (wron side acin

the riht side o the ba) so that the end o

the handle is 31 ⁄ 2” below the ba ede and

there is about 1” unstitched handle above

it (see Fiure 1c); pin. makin sure there

is no twist in the handle, line up the other

end in the sae position 3” ro the other

side sea; pin. Topstitch handles1

⁄ 4” rothe ede. Turn the ba over and repeat or

the other handle. (I preer to stitch alon

only the two sides and the botto end o

the handle and not alon the top ede o

the ba, but you can choose to add stitch-

in there or strenth.)

Other design ideas

The carrier can be woven in ner linen, or

in bleached or dyed linen. It can be wider

or loner, and the handles can be short-

ened or lenthened. Rather than leavinan open top, you can add a closure such as

a nely woven linen loop with a decora-

tive hand-crated button.

Weave structure for bag and handles

Plain weave.

Equipment for bag

2-or 4-shat loo, 18” weavin width;

10-dent reed; 1 shuttle, 2 bobbins.

Yarns for bag

Warp: 8/4 wetspun linen (600 yd/lb),

unbleached, 376 yd (101 ⁄ 10 oz).

Wet: 8/4 wetspun linen (600 yd/lb),unbleached, 165 yd (42 ⁄ 5 oz); 20/2

linen (3,000 yd/lb), unbleached, 15 yd

(1 ⁄ 10 oz) or hes (see yarn sources).

Warp order and length for bag

188 ends 2 yd lon (allows 4” or

take-up and 31” or loo waste).

Warp and weft spacing for bag

Warp: 10 epi (Sley 1/dent in a 10-dent

reed; sley 2 ends in the rst and last

4 dents). Width in the reed: 18”.

Wet: 8 ppi (14 ppi or hes). Woven

lenth (easured under tension on

the loo): 371 ⁄ 2”.

Take-up and shrinkage for bag

Ater washin, aounts produce one

lenth o abric 153 ⁄ 4” × 32” to ake a

ba 15” × 15”.

Equipment for handles2- or 4-shat loo, 3” weavin width;

8-dent reed; 1 shuttle, 2 bobbins.

Yarns for handles

Warp: 8/6 wet-spun linen (400 yd/lb),

unbleached, 60 yd (22 ⁄ 5 oz).

Wet: 8/6 wet-spun linen (400 yd/lb),

unbleached, 52 yd (11 ⁄ 10 oz); 20/2 linen

(3,000 yd/lb), unbleached, 4 yd (1 ⁄ 16

oz) or hes (see yarn sources).

Warp order and length for handles

24 ends 21 ⁄ 2 yd lon (allows 6” or

take-up and 25” or loo waste).

Warp and weft spacing for handles

Warp: 8 epi (1/dent in an 8-dent reed;

sley 2 ends in the rst and last

2 dents). Width in the reed: 21 ⁄ 2”.

Wet: 10 ppi (14 ppi or hes). Woven

lenth (easured under tension on

the loo): 59”.

Take-up and shrinkage for handles

Ater washin, aounts produce two

bands or handles each 2” × 271 ⁄ 2”.

Yarn sources for bag and handles

8/6, 8/4, and 20/2 linen in 8.8 oz tubes

are available ro Webs (20/2 linen is

used or hes only; 10/2 or 20/2 cotton

or sewin thread can be substituted).

PROJECT at-a-glance

top of carrier

si d

e s e am

Stitch 3"from point.

1. Constructing the bag

a. stitchingthe box corners

b. seaming handles

stitching line

17”41 ⁄ 2” 41 ⁄ 2”

sideseam

31 ⁄ 2”

3” 41 ⁄ 2–5”

Tuck severalcarriers like

this one in your suitcase when you travel. They can be usedfor more than the purchases of the day. They can keep laundryitems separate from otherclothing, store food in a hotelroom, or hold reading materialsor small craft projects.

bags for beginners

Documents