Spring Wall Hanging – 3-Dimensional Weaving

Spring is just weeks away, and as the flowers are starting to pop out of the ground, we’re sharing a project that pops off of the wall!

Heather, our sales and marketing director, approached me with an idea; to use pom poms in a weaving and create a spring-inspired wall hanging. As is often the case, my mind started racing and I thought that we could make a series of wall hangings of little animals with pom poms as their body.

This idea evolved into a single wall hanging (for now) that uses a lot of texture to create a 3-dimensional piece using multiple elements such as ghiordes knots, pom poms, and Zoom Loom squares.

Finished Size:

Approx. 4.5″ X 14″ including fringe

Weave Structure:

Plain weave with ghiordes knots accents

Equipment:

Frame Loom – I used the Lilli Loom, Pick-up Stick, Stick Shuttle, Shed Stick, Zoom Loom, 3-1 Magic Stick.

You’ll also need:

Floral wire, dowel or stick for hanging – I used a faux pussywillow twig, pom pom maker.

Warp yarn:

I used 8/4 cotton carpet warp enough for a 5″ wide warp.

Other yarn:

Grassy green yarn, a mix of textures and colors is best. I used odds and ends from my stash.
White or grey yarn for the body of the bunny – I used a full skein (122 yards) of Classic Elite Liberty Wool in Ash Gray
Blue yarn for the sky – I used Classic Elite Liberty Wool in Pale Blue Disc
Yellow yarn for an optional pom pom dandelion – I used Blue Sky Fibers Baby Alpaca in Dijon.

Warping:

I warped my Lilli Loom about 5″ wide. A skinnier warp creates a dynamic piece with great drama, perfect for a door-hanging.

Weaving:

Weave the grass: I started by weaving a few rows of plain weave in green yarn, right up to the teeth. I then wove a row of green ghiordes knots using pieces of yarn about 4″/10cm long. Then I wove 4 more rows of plain weave. I repeated this pattern, alternating between ghiordes knots and plain weave for approximately 3″/ 7.5 cm, ending with a row of knots.

For the body of the bunny I drew a cartoon or template that represented the shape of an upright bunny. I taped this to the back of my loom, and as I wove, I used binder clips along the sides to keep the cartoon from shifting.

I wove 6 rows of blue, then start creating the body of the bunny with shorter ghiordes knots, about 2″ long using 4″ pieces of yarn. I repeated this process following the outline of my cartoon until the body/head of the rabbit was finished.

Once the bunny was woven, I continued weaving with the blue yarn only until I was 3″ from the top of the loom.

With the same color yarn as the bunny, I wove two squares on the Zoom Loom and made a pom pom about 1.25″ in diameter.

Trimming and assembly:

Before assembly, I trimmed the fringe on the rabbit, contouring around the body, neck, and head. I found it helpful to use the teeth of my 3-1 Magic Stick to comb through the fringe and trim any unruly pieces. I recommend trimming little bits at a time to prevent taking too much off.

Fold each square into an ear shape as shown below. You can play with this shaping as you see fit. Then, sew the ears near the top part of the head. Play with the positioning as this can add a lot of personality to your finished piece.

I sewed the pom pom onto the bottom of the bunny.

Optional:

Make a small yellow pom pom, and attach it to piece of floral wire and insert that into the grassy area, positioning as you see fit. I loved this added pop of color to my finished piece.

Finishing:

I inserted the twig into the warp and started snipping the top of the warp threads and tying them to the stick. Once all of the fringes were secured, I sewed them into the back of the piece. I then used a small piece of cotton string as a hanger.

A hot steam will help set and relax the fibers, but is not necessary for this piece.

If you make your own 3-dimensional weaving on a Schacht loom, share it with us on Insatgram using the hashtag #schachtspindle.