Making fiber art in 3 dimensions

Does your fiber art need to stand up to be noticed? At the June meeting of the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild, the program was on making Bases and Armatures for Fiber Art and included many ideas for adding structure and backbone to fiber pieces.

Pat Keran discusses options for creating bases to support 3D fiber art.

The materials that can be used for creating an underlying framework or armature for three dimensional fiber art—wood, wire, masking tape—can easily be found at the local hardware store. Other items such as paper clay, foam, tacky glue and paper maché boxes can be obtained at craft and fabric stores.

The tips and ideas from this program are applicable to this year's Guild Challenge, "Animal, Vegetable or Mineral." 

Paper clay can be molded around a paper maché base
or sculpted to create any shape.

Guild members showed off their latest creations at the meeting during Show and Tell.

Left: a woven jacket made from yarn stash left-overs.
The collar and trim was woven on an inkle loom.
Right: hand made jewelry.

An ethereal SAORI woven wrap.

Hannah explains how to knit with a knitting loom.

Hand knit baby sweater in bright primary and secondary colors.

Left: A thrift store find--woven kimono fabric.
Right: A crocheted hedge hog made with eyelash yarn.

Inkle Weaving with Ann Mullican

This weekend, Ann Mullican (seated left) shared her excitement for weaving and her expertise with the inkle loom at a workshop sponsored by the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild.

Starting with special graph paper and colored pencils, participants designed weaving patterns in preparation for warping tabletop inkle looms with 3/2 pearl cotton threads.

Inkle weaving creates a warp-faced weave in which the long, colored warp threads are what create the pattern of the woven fabric. Narrow bands are produced which are commonly used for belts, trims, handbag straps, cuffs and bands. For this workshop, the woven strips were sewn into a tetrahedron to form a doll or pincushion.

Designing with colored pencils and graph paper.

Measuring string used for the heddles.

Warping the inkle loom.

Checking the warp threads.

One up, one down, up, down . . .

Workshop participants hard at work.

Inkle woven "dolls with character."

Inkle Loom Doll with Character workshop

Join the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild for an Inkle Weaving workshop with Ann Mullican, on November 14-15, 2009.

With colored pencils and graph paper, participants will learn how to design the warp-faced Inkle fabric for their doll. Color and design combinations will begin to develop the doll’s "character." Simple warping techniques are used to thread the Inkle Loom and personalities emerge as beads, feathers, lace, fabric wings and found objects are used to fashion the right ‘attitude’ of each Inkle Woven Doll.

This is a great introductory class for beginners and fun for the experienced weaver. Everyone is welcome!

The cost of this 2-day workshop is $60. To reserve your place, contact MJ Levine at mjmlevine@comcast.net and send a check, payable to "Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild," to MJ Levine at 17 Minnekahda Place, Chattanooga, TN 37405. A $10 kit fee is payable to instructor at the workshop. Registration fee is non-refundable.
The workshop will be held from 10 am to 4 pm (Eastern Time) on Saturday and Sunday, November 14-15 at the Bachman Community Center, Signal Mountain, TN.