Designed and woven by Sienna Bosch
I am fascinated by the ways weft color can affect pattern in handwoven fabric. We notice different aspects of the weaving right off the bat, because of the color choices the weaver made. When the warp and weft color are the same or similar, the pattern’s texture takes over. If you look closely, you can begin to see the shapes and design; however, from a distance the color looks solid. With contrasting colors, you see the pattern right away. The texture is there, but it’s no longer the first thing you notice. I love this about woven fabric.
For this project, I decided to dig deeper into color and pattern. A drawstring bag was perfect for this exploration: it is small and simple, handy for giving a gift or storing something special. The two sides of the bag swap weft colors, which adds something to the bag and gave me a chance to play with warp and weft interaction. We’ve had some cold days the past few weeks here in Colorado, which inspired my color choices for this project. The beautiful and subtle colors of winter have been all around me. A light gray and a dark blue felt right.
Materials
Euroflax 30/2 Linen
- warp: 21 Cloud (color 21; pale gray), 250 yards
- weft: Cloud and Marine Blue (color 56; dark blue), 40 yards each color
- drawstring rope: Marine Blue, 20 yards
Equipment
- 4+ shaft loom with at least a 10″ weaving width—I used my 8-shaft Mighty Wolf
- 10 dent or 15 dent reed
- Incredible Rope Machine
- 2 boat shuttles and bobbins
- tapestry needle
- sewing machine and sewing thread to match fabric
- sewing pins or clips
- safety pin
- scissors or rotary cutter and mat (optional)
Project Specs
- Weave structure: plain weave and bird’s eye
- Finished size: 5-1/2″ wide x 6-1/2″ tall
- Width in reed: 6″
- Total warp ends: 182 (with 2 floating selvedges)
- Warp length: 45″ (for one bag)
- EPI: 30
- PPI: 24 (plain weave), 48 (bird’s eye pattern)
Download the PDF for complete project instructions
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