I began combining recycling and weaving in the early 1970s. I was a new weaver and newly married. I studied weaving in college and became interested in recycling at the 1974 Spokane World’s Fair after seeing a display on the environmental movement which was still in its infancy.
My first recycled rug was made from a bag of brightly colored shirts bought at a thrift shop bag sale for $1. While it made an interesting rug, it convinced me of the need for more expedient methods of preparation.
Throughout the 70’s, I tried to find new sources for weaving material. This was pre-Internet and I copied pages from the Thomas Register at the library, hoping I’d turn up a mill or factory that would sell (or give) me something that I could use. Although I made many calls, mostly they didn’t want to even talk to me.
My luck changed in the early ‘80s. There were several stores in Kentucky that sold bedding and sometimes would have rolls (butt cuts) of fabric available. The Louisville store was a 2+ hour drive from where we lived and you had to call early in the morning to see if any scrap had come in on the truck. Through this source, I acquired many hundreds of pounds of fabric which I still use.
My venture into rug weaving began when my in-laws came to visit in 1983. I wanted a project that my mother-in-law and I could do together and warped my loom for rugs. Friends who saw my early attempts at rag rugs encouraged me to make more and my business was born.
About 1984, I talked to the back-room supervisor at Salvation Army in Evansville and asked what happened to the neckties that passed through the stores but didn’t sell. He said they were thrown away so I offered to buy some. He agreed to save ties for me. When I went back to pick u...
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...a good reason to recycle. I feel like I’ve accomplished something when I take a product from the waste stream and repurpose it to a functional rug or wall hanging. I don’t consider it trash … I consider it an opportunity to give it a new life.
My studio is open from March through December and visitors are always welcome. My website at www.homesteadweaver.com is open 24 hours per day. My email is chris@homesteadweaver.com .
Weaving, to me, is my ultimate form of expression. I can lose myself in what I'm doing ... time flies by ... I go into a "zone" and come out with a lovely finished piece. I love mixing colors and since I'm not a painter, weaving is my canvas.
Weaving is my connection to history ... to our ancestors who clothed their families ... who took the sails from the ships and made floorcloths for their homes in the New World. Weaving is my life.
Although weaving had caught on and become an important part of Navajo society, it was still considered something that weaver would when she had nothing else better to do with her time. This is why many of the rugs that were woven were done during the long, inactive winter, and ready for use and trade in the spring . As the Navajo women became more proficient with weaving blankets, they would use them for trade between other tribes, although they were not used specifically for this function. After a time these blankets, and more specifically the chiefs blankets became "the unit of exchange by which all other goods were measured " .
...gings than quilts meant to cover a bed (Hechtlinger 221). However, instead of using scraps of material, today, many quilters buy fabric that is mass produced, often making the quilts similar, more expensive, and less personal. Too, some quilters today, use computers to draft patterns and stitch quilts instead of drawing by hand with pen and paper and stitching by hand (Beyer 40). As stated by Mrs. Sara Shell, quilting club member of Winnfield, “There is nothing more beautiful than a hand stitched quilt. A quilt is a labor of love from the heart.”
It is believed that crusaders brought quilting to Europe from the middle east as far back as the 11th century. As new discoveries of land were found, settlers brought quilting with them to places like the great plains. Quilting with them to places like the great plains. Quilting as a craft adapted well into the lives of those living in the great plains and became an important skill. Not only could quilts be used on beds they were also used to cover doors, windows and there were times where quilts were used as
...ainting motifs you need to know how to construct the loom, spin the yarn, and the skill to weave the patterns. This takes many years of training as well as dedication because of the amount of time that is needed to do so.
There is no question that cotton has been around for millions of years. However, it was the ones on the farms who grew cotton who found its great value in this crop. They took these cotton balls and stretched their threads several inches, then they spun these into any type of clothing. In present day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, “they spun and wove cotton for their own use and for sale in local and regional markets”. Back then, they did not know the great potential in this plant. They used it for their own good and just to survive financially. The process, originally, was not too easy. They harvested their crops by hand, then they had “a roller gin to remove the seeds, removed dirt and knots with help of a bow (a wooden tool with string attached that vibrates if struck with a piece of wood), spun the fiber on a distaff (a tool holding the unspun cotton) and a spindle into thread, and wove this thread into fabric using looms hung between trees”. These techniques were seen across the globe when manufacturing this cash
Art is all around us. Art is not just paintings and sculptures you see in museums. They include music, pottery bowls or personal creations. Different forms of art are created for everyday use, like a pattern on wallpaper or a study lamp for your desk. As you look around the room, it is on the walls, the clothes you are wearing, the computer screen that you are looking at and it affects every aspect of your life. It is sometimes overlooked. It expresses our thoughts, emotions, intuitions, and desires. It is also about sharing the way we experience the world, which for many is an extension of personality. One form of art that most people look over is quilting. Quilting is the process of sewing multiple layers of material together to form a
In the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, two sisters portray their contrasting family views on what they perceive to be heritage. The idea that a quilt is a part of a family's history is what the narrator is trying to point out. They aren't just parts of cloth put together to make a blanket. The quilt represents their ancestors' lives and tells a story with each individual stitch.
Today weaving is a very lucrative business. Over the past 10 years the hair extension market has developed remarkably and there are more weaving techniques than ever. Growing up I can remember my aunt Jeannie, my mothers’ sister adding a hair extension ponytail made out of synthetic hair to me and my cousin Yalena, Marys’ daughters’ hair. Synthetic hair looks similar to human hair but is made out of monofilament fibers, polyfilament fibers, acrylic or polyester. She would brush our hair into a single ponytail with gel, spritz, and using rubber bands secure it. Next she would make a French braid using the synthetic hair and with a rubber band tie it to the ponytail. Then the hair left out from our ponytails was wrapped around the braid and
From spinning and weaving that was done in households for domestic consumption, went to the Spinning Frame developed by Richard Arkwright. With this, production in Britain of cotton textile, between 1770 and 1790, in 20 years alone the output increased tenfold.
Weaving is a common thread among cultures around the world. Weaving is a way of producing cloth or textile. Today we have machines that weave large-scale textiles at cheap prices. Production of cloth by hand is rarely engaged in today’s Westernized societies. Not many people are thinking about how the fibers are actually constructed to make their clothes. However, in other cultures across the world the tradition of weaving still exists. By comparing three cultures that continue weaving as a part of their tradition we can see similarities and the differences between them. The reasons that each culture still weaves vary, as do the methods and materials. The desired characteristics of the cloth also vary around the world as each culture values different aesthetics.
In the early 1800s, lace made materials are much expensive than the crochet products. In Europe, some communities use crochet products to identify their social status, which only indicate that they can afford crochet products and other lace made items. The craft of crocheting only requires less expensive supplies and materials, which are commonly threads and yarns that they can purchase in nearby markets.
“What Would Happen If People Didn’t Recycle?” The Online Gargoyle. Friday 1 July 2011. University of Illinois Board of Trustees. March 21,2014. http://uni.illinois.edu/og/opinions/2011/07/what-would-happen-if-people-didn-
Most importantly, it saves lives. We should all learn the importance of recycling. For example, some sea lions won?t get stuck in plastics if we recycle. We would also breathe better air. We can recycle and aluminum can and put it back on the shelf for something useful. If we just leave it in the landfill, it?ll decompose and it?ll be of no use. It?ll also reduce pollution or else it?ll make a new one.
On the other hand, some people feel that recycling should not be mandatory. Some people feel as if recycling is not always cost effective. Sometimes, there may be a need for new factories to process reusable materials. This could even create more pollution because of the cleaning, storage and transportation that takes place. Also, some people feel that recycled products may not last for long. Recycled materials are not always a reliable quality. The materials are mostly made up of trashed waste, which is why the products are cheap and last for a shorter period of time. Another reason why some people think it is not necessary to recycle is because there are unsafe and unhygienic recycling sites. Places like landfills, where all sorts of waste is dumped contribute to the spread of different diseases and other dangers caused by harmful chemicals and waste. People also think that r...
Recycling is important in the effort to preserve our environment for future generations. We are running out of locations to put landfills. Recycling is a simple and effective way to reduce the amount of waste stored in landfills, yet many people do not know how easy it can be. For example, whenever I go to Shoprite® and I b...