Welcome to what I am calling Free Style Weaving!
How I Found Free Style Weaving
At the beginning of the year I had to take inventory in my studio for my business. When it was completed I realized I had way too much roving, yarn and other specialty fibers. I decided to go on a quest to find out what types of projects I could make with these items. My first stop was Pinterest, of course. I typed in projects with roving and and got a bunch of results. The most being these really cool free style weaving wall hangings.
Free Style Weaving & 2 Sisters
Crossing Threads® is the collaborative work of Lauren and Kass Hernandez, Australian-born sisters of Filipino heritage based in Sydney. These 2 sisters are self taught and are known for their large scale and heavily textured weavings!
Where to start Free Style Weaving
After my search I was hooked! I had done some weaving in the past on a little tabby loom and a rigid heddle loom. But the process of warping the loom was always intimidating and time consuming! Soon I moved on to other art forms and all my looms have set collecting dust for years. Sound similar to anyone? LOL
These free style weavings used roving to make big chunky stitches. I had to learn how to do this! So on to another search for how to make one of these wall hangings. I found a really nice site that offered 5 basic stitches for free. I was in.
The Loom
OK, I had the stitches I was going to use now I had to decide what type of frame to use for the loom. I saw several sites where you could make your own using a picture frame. I didn’t have one so I went to the Dollar Store. They didn’t have any frames so I bought a cheap picture that was in a frame. I tore the picture out of it and used the wooden frame as my loom.
Some sites had you pound nails into the wood frame but one just had you wrap your warp string around the ends. This seemed the easiest t the time so I went with that method.
Next I gathered a bunch of yarns and roving. I had some hand spun yarns, mostly wool with good texture. I also found some smooth yarn; some a silk blend and some wool. My rovings were wool and silk…yummy! Don’t forget the laces and beads!!!! Cotton yarn was used for the warp.
I already had a basic knowledge of weaving so was able to get started right away. If you need help with the weaving basics here is another site I found that shows you how to get started.
Final Version of a Free Style Weaving
I have to say this was the most fun weaving I ever had! The best part; mostly no rules part! There was plenty of opportunity to experiment with different stitches I had never used as well as just adding some plain weave. The most fun was using my hand spun yarn. The possibilities are endless. Once I was finished I was ready to get started on another one. Here is the finished version.
If you are interested in more of my fiber art please check out my Etsy Store. (Notice…my store is on vacation until June 16 as I just had hip surgery. But be sure to come back)
Final Thoughts
I hope you have enjoyed and are inspired by my journey through the world of Free Style Weaving. Don’t be afraid to try this great art form. It really is easy! You might like to check out my post on Decorating with Fiber Art
Also check out my Resource page. I am always adding information there to help you on your creative fiber journey!
Join my FACEBOOK page and share your art!
Happy Creating!
Anita