Weaving: Step by Step

People ask me questions about my process all the time. How long does it take to make a piece? What kind of machine do you use to do this?  What steps do you go through to get a finished piece?  Why is this scarf so expensive?  Those are hard questions to answer in 10 words or less. 

Obviously it varies vastly from piece to piece.  Some pieces are easy to plan and set up and take a long time to weave: we call those slow cloth.  Some pieces weave up quickly but the planning and loom setup take a long time.

Below is a storyboard of the steps involved in creating a piece in my studio.

My Studio

I have 3 looms that I do most of my weaving on:

• 48" 16-harness Toika computer loom
• 45" 12-harness Louet Spring loom
• 26" 8-harness Schacht Baby Wolf

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Planning

Planning time: 1-4 hours or more

Selecting yarns

Doing yarn wraps

Preparing a threading draft

Calculating warp & weft needs

Sampling for weft selection and pattern

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Winding the warp

280 to 1000+ threads
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Total time 1-6 hours depending on the number of threads and the number of color changes

Winding the warp on a warping board

Winding the warp on a mill

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Winding the warp

• Spreading warp in the raddle
• Winding onto the back beam
• Threading the heddles
• Sleying the reed
• Tying onto the apron rod
• Tying up the treadles
• Winding bobbins

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Total time 3-12 hours ​

Spreading the warp in the raddle

Warp being wound onto the back beam

Threading the heddles

Sleying the reed

Tying onto the apron rod

Tying up the treadles

Winding bobbina

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Weaving

Total time 2-10 hours per item, depending on the size of the threads and the complexity of the weave structure.

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Fringing / Hemming

Total time 1 to 3 hours per item

Fringing takes 1 1/2 hours for a typical scarf, 3+ for a shawl.

Hand hemming towels or runners takes about 45 min. to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size

Fringing in progress

Towels and runners are hemmed by hand

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Finishing

Total time 1-3 hours

• Hand wash or machine wash
• Dry until slightly damp
• Press until dry
• Trim fringe

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Documentation & Internet

Total time 1 to 4  hours 

• Taking photos
• Updating inventory
• Calculating the cost of the item
• Completing notes & paperwork
• Posting on the website
• Posting on Instagram
• Posting on Facebook

Paperwork, yarn samples and yarn wraps, photos, and samples

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