The Loom Carrier, self drafted

The loom carrier is complete! I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this project. The drafting, the construction, the always there frustrations, all of it was great fun and I am really pleased with the results and it looks like it will work IRL.

Pattern:
This was self designed and drafted. I started by thinking about what I would need to make my new  Mirrix loom easy to travel with. It has all sorts of parts that need to be kept track of.  I also had given both grandaughters bead looms for Christmas and we always work on crafts or sewing when we visit.  I wanted to be able to bring my loom with me so we could all weave some beads or fibers together. Let me tell you, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree here. They both LOVE to do this sort of thing and I am thrilled that they like to do it with their grandma. So a travelling bag was needed. I also plan to attend a two day seminar in March on making tapestry and bead jewelry so this will be great for carrying the loom to that fun event.

I started the design by getting out some graph paper and taping it to be big enough for the project. I then measured the loom and took a good look at the parts to see what was needed  to prevent them from getting lost. . I love that part of design, the problem solving part, so much fun. I knew the outside would be pretty straightforward but the inside was the working part of the project and needed a lot of attention for good function.

 

Here you can see each side of the inside lining.

I also made a well padded bag to hold the actual loom. As some one far more experienced pointed out to me, my warped loom could get it's warps all caught up in the other parts of the bag. The bag is two layers of thick quilt batting that is quilted to the inside lining of this bag. There is a drawstring at the top with a ribbon. It is well protected. Here you can see how it works in the  actual loom carrier.

Fabric:
This was definitely fabric that called out to be purchased. I am a huge fan of impressionist painting and Van Gogh's Starry Night clearly inspired the outside fabric. The inside is a knockoff of Monet's Iris Garden. Be still my heart!

The faux leather is the stuff I get from WalMart, the only thing I get from WM. I detest their fabric department. The wovens are total thread bare garbage knockoffs of all the licensed more quality fabrics found in quilt shops. Huge Difference! But I experimented with their faux leather a long time ago and I really like it. It's very sewable, and has held up well in other bags I've made. Like I said, the only thing I will buy from WM.

The Starry Night fabric is fused to fusible fleece and Peltex was used to make the bottom gusset and the bag sides "hard" and it worked. I gave directions on how I handled that in yesterday's post.

Construction:
Making this was pretty straightforward. There were details. I lined the pockets with flannel and added a little flannel band to the pocket intended for needles, the better to stick them on to travel.

There's a special pocket for my small scissors.

There are wide, large loops to hold the shedding device.

There are loops for holding fibers and zipper pockets on both sides for whatever other goodies need to travel.

I put all these details in the bag based on the very tiny amount I know about weaving with this loom. I know, just like in garments, that after a few uses I will have the "coulda, shouldas" and that's OK. I am a newbie with unbridled enthusiasm. What can I say? I will learn how  to do the next one better and with a more efficient layout. Maybe I'll find out I want outside pockets. Who knows? All I know is this project confirmed that I am so totally a process person. That's what I get off on. Sure, I love the end results when they are good and am sad when they are not so good, but the process? The process is almost always very good. A few more details:

Teh straps are stitched in an "X" to make them secure. The straps were topstitched before attaching to the bag and then topstitched again, in the same holes to secure them to the bag. 

A close up of the gusset zipper junction. 

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Blogging and Next Level Sewing will be a bit sporadic for a while. as we work on our "move". There is much to be done in the house before it hits the market and around here Spring comes fast and suddenly. 

My sewing room is COMPLETELY torn apart. Two of these bags hold fabric and two other bags, one not shown, hold about 200-300 patterns.  We are taking a drive tomorrow to donate these to an appreciative source. There is a lot more chucking to be done before it is all done.  I soooo don't want to move this stuff. There is always more fabric and patterns to buy and tomorrow's another day! How would you draw the line on what patterns to keep and which to donate?

Dibs and Dabs

After re watching the  videos several times I got over my intimidation and just went for it. My assignment from my class was to have the loom warped by Sunday. I will get  my next lesson sometime today and will have the week to work on it. Here you see the loom warped for two simple affinity bracelets, a relatively simple project. Why two? Well, I can fit two and work on two at a time. Also by having the two projects on the loom,  the  warping bar, that silver horizontal bar that doesn't touch the sides, is balanced and that's important.  What you don't see is the interesting way the threads wrap around the warping bar and that's what takes time and focus. You can't just wrap the warp in circles around the loom. Lord, I sound like an excited neophyte! Hope that's not too aggravating to you, dear readers. I am using some variegated pearl cotton for my warp as I have TONS of it. Fingers crossed and waiting for my next lesson.

My felted, painted wool jacket is complete other than the shoulder pads and belt. Modeling coming soon! It is soft, warm and sweatery which was the goal.

And here is a sneak peak at the bracelet I have been working on with the shibori silk. Almost done that one too! So lots of near completions. Stay tuned!

And last but not least, I reorganized my drawer to the left of my machine. In it I keep my basic colored threads which I reach for all the time, the grays, navies, blacks, whites and beiges. Also in the drawer are spots for heavy thread, fine embroidery weight threads for heirloom sewing, fusible thread, washaway thread , silk threads, monofilament threads and cotton threads, all in their separate spaces. Also in the drawer are velcro, hand needles, and odd presser feet, all things I reach for when I sew. I don't have to get up and go looking for this stuff. I have a lower cabinet filled with boxes of all my colored threads. They are great down there as I only reach for them at the beginning of a project. I so love being organized. It allows my creative juices to flow without distraction, but that's just the way I do it. Most creatives are otherwise.

Happy Sewing!.....Bunny

Santa didn't forget me!

Allow me to introduce you to the latest member of my sewing studio, delivered by none other than Santa himself! It is my new Mirrix Loom, It is the 12 inch Little Guy with shedding device. It will allow me to weave tapestry as well as beads and I can't wait to get started. What do I see in my loom future? Weaving my own cloth trim for Chanel style jackets out of the same fiber as the jacket , weaving beads to make pocketbook flaps and gussets, jewelry, of course and so much more. My creative juices are running wild. I have TONS of yarns and threads that I can play with and lots of beads that I have been hording in anticipation. Did you know you can get silver perle cotton and it is gorgeous? or that beads were fifty off all last week at JAs? Or that there are numerous purveyors on line with enough beads and ideas to tantalize you for a lifetime?  This is tapping right into whatever it is that triggers my fabric addiction and creativity, some sort of frontal lobe issue or right brain left brain thing-y?

DH and I are downsizing our stuff for various reasons, one of which could be building a new home in the next year or two far from this one. We will see how it all falls into place. I can see this aspect of my hobby not taking up much space and being highly creative but at this point we are just putting our toes into the waters regarding the move. In the meantime it is full bore here on simplifying. I've done this before and in ten years of renewed accumulation need to do it again. I can see some give aways in the future as well as donations and gifts. But you all know that sewing and all things fiber are my passion and that will always be a very important part of my life. In the meantime, I have signed up for a couple of beadweaving tutes on Craftsy and this Monday will start taking the beginner's course offered  by Mirrix.

It is  a great women owned company by the way, made in the USA, and I have no affiliation, yadayada other than Ms. Chase, the inventor, lives very close to where I lived for many years in New Hampshire, purely coincidence. Leave it to a woman to fulfill a need for something and do it so beautifully with such high tech materials. These looms come in all sizes and do all sorts of things, most of which I couldn't explain to you at this point as I really don't know anything. I have a bag of attachments and goodies that go with it but I don't have a clue.  I am the proverbial newbie sponge who wants to try it all, do that fast, and make something very complicated right out of the gate. But I am making a conscious effort to take all the classes I can and give myself a good foundation before going all fiber artist on you.

My first class is tomorrow night and hopefully I will get going happily after that. Did Santa bring you anything good for Christmas that will encourage and make your sewing life easier or more creative? Would love to hear!  I have a feeling 2015 will be a wonderful year for all of those in the Sew/Blogging Community. It is maturing and culling and growing, a natural evolution,  and it is exciting to see what the next year will bring. Happy New Year to all of you!....Bunny