on linen

linen is one of the queen yarns in my book, the other one being silk. i understand silk and can work with it, dye it, warp it almost blindfolded because i have spent years with it. but linen has always intimidated me and just recently i have begun working with it. the purpose behind is stash reduction as  i find ridiculous to be buried with my stash.
most of the yarns are  tow linen  from the days that i wove tapestries and  used thick yarns for weaving. i now weave with very fine grist yarns and the tow linen is not only thick, but also a well known trouble maker for warps, as it does not withstand abrasion.

so in my quest for writing informative blog posts i came upon some interesting links:

• a very informative tour of Endenderry Village and its linen tradition all narrated with a charming irish accent.
• a supplier for bed linens, in case you want to break the bank.
• for embroiderers linen by the yard .
• for weavers here here and here

and if you are contemplating setting  up your own business it seems that china has become a new member of the linen producing community. live and learn.

 

p.s.i did some more printing yesterday. the fabrics are still batching.

neki desu 

from toile de nimes

it has always amazed me that weaving, a trade so tough and full of hardship and exploitation, can be a source of so much joy to me.
and now it seems there's something big gathering momentum.and beauty and poetry, albeit the soft marketing.
go here for this
this and this
and  a similar vision here
enjoy your summer weekend!

neki desu

the sea

the sea

still battling with the shoddily woven cotton yardage. what a shame that such good  cotton fiber got turned into a crappy fabric because of careless manufacturing.

 this book has been lying around because there's no way to square it, it's not my bad craftsmanship(womanship?) it's someone else's. 

what i like about it is the way an ugly fabric got transformed into something pleasing. and the opportunity to get to practice some of the newly learned stitches. but this is not all about me.

here are some book related links for you to peruse: 

falkiners in the u.k. -paradise for real bookbinders, not impostors like me. they mail order:)

flagbook-orama  awesome and inspirational

books on book binding techniques

and last but not least a tutorial on a simple flip flop book 

have fun!

neki desu