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The international Studio
DOI Artikel:Priestman, Mabel Tuke: Weaving in a hand-loom
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28252#0384
Weaving in a Hand-Loom
WEAVING IN A HAND-LOOM
BY MABEL TUKE PRIEST-
MAN
With the ever-growing love for
the simple and beautiful, it is not surprising that
the desire has become almost universal for hand-
made things of all
kinds. Naturally we
turn to what was
made in the early
Colonial days for in-
spiration in evolving
old-time handicrafts.
Weaving is fast be-
coming a popular oc-
cupation, but the
only drawback to it
is that it is not always
easy to find out how
to do it, although the process is very simple.
People are buying old looms and giving them a
place of honor in the garret, and spend many
hours in working out for themselves intricate weav-
ings of all kinds. Success has attended their
endeavors, for not only can most beautiful hand-
woven rugs of delicious coloring be found at the
various arts and crafts exhibitions, but even in the
stores the genuine
article can be ob-
tained.
Manufacturers
found that the
quaint simplicity
of the Colonial
rug could not be
duplicated in ma-
chine-made weav-
ings, and the re-
sult is that artists
are designing for
them and beauti-
ful hand-woven
rugs are being
made in large
quantities and
good weavers are
being eagerly
sought after to
supply the increas-
ing demand.
Our grandmoth-
ers were content to
use old material,
saving the wornout sheets and underwear for
this purpose. These they dyed in soft colors with
indigo or madder that grew so abundantly in
many parts of America; but the modern rugs
are made entirely of new material. All kinds of
cotton stuffs are brought into service. Figured
cretonne, gingham, lawn, denim, print, sateen,
duck, unbleached muslin, cotton flannels, tick-
ing, and even rope and roving yarn are being
utilized. As it is impossible to be certain that all
the materials obtainable in the market are fast in
color, some prefer to buy the material in the white
and have it dyed a solid shade, so that the rugs
can be washed without any risk of the color fading.
An attractive rug known as a Priscilla is made of
specially dyed material, although this rug is never
found with fancy borders. It has the hit or miss
effect of old rag carpeting, which is obtained by
a strip of white and strip of color being twisted
together and then being woven. It is finished off
at each end by three plain borders of white or color.
The same make of rug is made in plain material,
specially dyed, and then is finished off with three
plain borders of white. These are the only two
styles in the Priscilla rug, but they can be ob-
tained in all sizes even up to a 12x15. The warp
is usually white.
The Martha Washington rugs show quite an un-
iff-.,-—.—*« "..-—**<»*-
ssitfr^iiiKr
.. -.ft*’
'Mtu’HlimillV '*>»,. "*»V
PLAIN FABRIC RUG
CROW S FOOT BORDER
XXX
WEAVING IN A HAND-LOOM
BY MABEL TUKE PRIEST-
MAN
With the ever-growing love for
the simple and beautiful, it is not surprising that
the desire has become almost universal for hand-
made things of all
kinds. Naturally we
turn to what was
made in the early
Colonial days for in-
spiration in evolving
old-time handicrafts.
Weaving is fast be-
coming a popular oc-
cupation, but the
only drawback to it
is that it is not always
easy to find out how
to do it, although the process is very simple.
People are buying old looms and giving them a
place of honor in the garret, and spend many
hours in working out for themselves intricate weav-
ings of all kinds. Success has attended their
endeavors, for not only can most beautiful hand-
woven rugs of delicious coloring be found at the
various arts and crafts exhibitions, but even in the
stores the genuine
article can be ob-
tained.
Manufacturers
found that the
quaint simplicity
of the Colonial
rug could not be
duplicated in ma-
chine-made weav-
ings, and the re-
sult is that artists
are designing for
them and beauti-
ful hand-woven
rugs are being
made in large
quantities and
good weavers are
being eagerly
sought after to
supply the increas-
ing demand.
Our grandmoth-
ers were content to
use old material,
saving the wornout sheets and underwear for
this purpose. These they dyed in soft colors with
indigo or madder that grew so abundantly in
many parts of America; but the modern rugs
are made entirely of new material. All kinds of
cotton stuffs are brought into service. Figured
cretonne, gingham, lawn, denim, print, sateen,
duck, unbleached muslin, cotton flannels, tick-
ing, and even rope and roving yarn are being
utilized. As it is impossible to be certain that all
the materials obtainable in the market are fast in
color, some prefer to buy the material in the white
and have it dyed a solid shade, so that the rugs
can be washed without any risk of the color fading.
An attractive rug known as a Priscilla is made of
specially dyed material, although this rug is never
found with fancy borders. It has the hit or miss
effect of old rag carpeting, which is obtained by
a strip of white and strip of color being twisted
together and then being woven. It is finished off
at each end by three plain borders of white or color.
The same make of rug is made in plain material,
specially dyed, and then is finished off with three
plain borders of white. These are the only two
styles in the Priscilla rug, but they can be ob-
tained in all sizes even up to a 12x15. The warp
is usually white.
The Martha Washington rugs show quite an un-
iff-.,-—.—*« "..-—**<»*-
ssitfr^iiiKr
.. -.ft*’
'Mtu’HlimillV '*>»,. "*»V
PLAIN FABRIC RUG
CROW S FOOT BORDER
XXX