start from scratch.
I’ve decided that the next big project should be weaving to sew. I want to weave some fabric to make a smokkr (apron dress), and planning weaving projects always starts with math, to determine how much yarn you need. But because I’m me, I have a lot more to figure out than that.
I’m kind of developing a cross between a flow chart and an outline to make sure I don’t forget something important. (For example, it’s easy enough to determine how much warp I need, but I can’t forget that I also need weft — that would be a disaster.) I have to start from the top down, so to speak: pattern first, then how much fabric I need, then how much yarn I need to make the fabric… then a ton of decisions about making the yarn, if that’s how I decide to jump. (Who are we kidding. I’m at least going to make the thread.) (I’ll probably make the yarn for weaving.) (If it’s singles. The thought of spinning enough for two ply is… here, yarn merchant, take my money.) (I like parentheses.)
I do not have the space to build and set up a warp-weighted loom right now. What I do have is a rigid heddle loom. Her name is Emilia, and she is Swedish. (I wish I could take credit for coming up with the name, but that’s the one she came with from the manufacturer. It’s pretty, so I kept it.) I can weave up to 19” wide on it, which I can work with. That limitation sort of drives the pattern I can use to make my dress, and I had thought it would rule out the pattern I usually use. But now that I’m looking at it, and considering options… I think I could actually make my usual pattern. There would be extra seams, and I could even get some of the sewing done before I cut it out. (I had to draw pictures to make sure I could do it.)
I don’t think I’m going to do that, though. I’ve made that dress SO MANY TIMES. I still like the shape, but I want to come up with a different way to achieve it.
This is my usual pattern, hereafter referred to as The Usual Cut. The efficacy of this cut is that there is virtually no waste, but you do need a very wide piece of fabric. I will not have a very wide piece of fabric. But I got to thinking: I fold that very wide piece of fabric into quarters lengthwise… what if I just stacked appropriately long pieces of fabric on top of each other and cut it out the same way? It would mean that all the panels and all the gores would be split down the center, but I think it would work (I need to experiment with paper to see if I’m right). That said, I’m really not here for extra sewing. Not if the point is to emulate period methods. Even I am not that much of a masochist.
So if The Usual Cut is out, I need to come up with something else, which I’m calling Panels & Gores: four panels (front, back, and sides), with more-or-less equilateral triangles between each for fullness. It takes less I think it’ll look pretty good, and still have plenty of opportunity for tailoring. If this goes well, I may repeat the trick and make a pleated Køstrup dress. Maybe. Eventually.
I had a conversation via Facebook Messenger with my friend Mistress Álfrún ketta from Aethelmearc, and she kind of rocked my plans, by reminding me how fine the weaving was — she said I should double the sett on my loom. I can do that with two heddles (I have the double heddle set up and two of each size heddle for my loom), but that doubles the amount of yarn I’ll need for warp, so then I need to really consider whether I want to spin the yarn for this or not. I need to weave some samples, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to need something like 5 miles of yarn.
Now I want to spin for this more than ever.