Hand spindles are an economical alternative to a spinning wheel and can create a passion for spinning in their own right. With a small amount of practice, the twisting of the fibre can create a beautiful, hand spun yarn. As the spindle is so portable you can practice your hand spinning very easily whenever you […]
09
May
May
We are often asked advice about the crafts advertised on our website. Whilst we have a good knowledge of most of the techniques, we cannot always claim to be experts. The traditional crafts of weaving, spinning and dyeing are championed by The Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. The objectives of this Association […]
06
Jun
Jun
Fabric artists today spend as much time taking colour out as putting it in. This gives their fabrics a richness that is only obtained by putting this extra thought into the finished article. White fabric can be dyed with a wealth of dyes such as Acid, Fibre Reactive Procion MX and Deka L dyes, natural […]
13
Jun
Jun
If you’ve never used dyes before, you may be concerned about their safety, especially when using them for large projects or in the classroom. The two most popular synthetic dyes include Acid dyes and Procion MX dyes. When correctly used, create a permanent bond with the fabric with excellent wash fastness. Acid dyes have been […]
15
Jun
Jun
A 90 denier monofilament yarn which shrinks by 40% when placed in water at 40°C, and dissolves completely at 70°C. This yarn offers weavers exciting possibilities for experimentation. The water soluble yarn can be used to support a low strength warp or weft yarn, stabilise open weaves and create accurately placed holes. The low temperature for […]
22
Jun
Jun
First prepare the screen by washing it with detergent and rinsing it to making sure it is thoroughly clean and soap free. Allow to dry. Use Masking Tape along the sides of the frame so that half the width of the tape overlaps onto the screen mesh and the other half runs the length of […]
28
Jun
Jun
We received this email from a George Weil customer in Spain. “Hola! I am an existing customer. Recently I bought a Glimakra Tapestry Loom from you, I was very pleased with it. I went on holiday and asked a neighbour to water my plants (which she did) but her dog Goldie came too and has […]
03
Jul
Jul
To spin a light and lofty yarn fibres should be carded before spinning them. A drumcarder makes light work of this process and can also be used for creating blends of fibre such as the Merino Wool and Silk blend pictured below. The blends of fibre can be used by both spinners and felt makers. […]
06
Jul
Jul
The Diazo Photo Emulsion method of preparing a stencil for screen printing offers a wide range of possibilities. The technique makes it possible to print fine line drawings, hand and commercial lettering, and photographic half-tone positives. You can choose from the Zoico Coat WRV Diazo Photo or Speedball Diazo Photo Emulsion system. A polyester screen […]
11
Jul
Jul
Halftone prints can be used to create stencils for screen printing (see our previous post Screen Printing with Diazo Photo Emulsion). Halftone is a reprographic technique which simulates greyscale imagery. It does this by using black dots in different sizes set at varying distances to each other. A halftone image can be printed onto a clear acetate […]