I weave limited numbers of each towel color simply because two tubes of thread yield twelve towels, and changing to a new color at the end of two tubes keeps me interested. When I am at the end of a warp and there isn't enough thread left on the loom for twelve towels, I finish off the weaving in the same thread as the warp, for the cream colored towel. I generally get two or three more towels.
For some time now I've used a cream colored towel, folded into a rose, to disguise the ends of the towels in that circle of towels I make to show each new color, and the colors I have available. I found roses among the many tutorials out there on napkin folding. I've tried other shapes, too, but I liked the rose the best, and this last rose has been the best.
It was beyond easy to fold, and the fold was so clever it has not disintegrated with handling. So, it has been on the shelf of color wheel towels for some time.
That stack of towels there on the top shelf are the towels to which I add a new color and turn into a circle with the rose in the middle. If I sell the very last towel of some color, I take it from that stack. I just checked back through a year of photos to see if I had a picture of the rose up there, in front of that white envelope, but no luck.
Today I had a customer with questions about colors, so I sent a picture of the two towels in question, lavender and cream. Both came from the color wheel pile, as I am down to one each.
This is the photo I sent, and said I would fold the rose back into a towel. And the customer said, "Please don't. It's a gift."
So there you have it. The rose is off the wheel. And the lavender towel and one other I don't remember, in another order. But, the green is almost done. One more set of colored towels after that, and some roses.
And as so many of us are saying in signing off, that's all I have on this quiet Sunday afternoon.
You have such creativity in displaying these towels! I am not surprised she wanted to leave it as a rose especially for a gift. A quiet Sunday can be a good Sunday! Take care Joanne!
ReplyDeletethat lavender and cream make a very nice combination. one of my blue ones is in service today.
ReplyDeleteThat rose twist of the cream towel looks very much like a tardigrade's face. Don't believe me? Look up tardigrades.
ReplyDeleteI like that rose towel! The first time I ever saw decoratively folded towels was in a Mexican resort about 20 years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe rose is a very pretty color!
ReplyDeletebetty
The cream towel is very pretty, and it looks very nice with the lavender. The rose sort of looks like the face of a tardigrade, but much much prettier.
ReplyDeleteI like seeing the rose on the colour wheel, it helps to show off the other colours nicely, while being a pretty colour on its own.
ReplyDeleteThat's all??? I woke up and got dressed before I went to the living room. Somehow the two don't compare.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you’ll have to post it in a box rather than folded flat in a postal envelope/sack.
ReplyDeleteAlso I suppose you’ll have to get weaving some cream towels for display purposes or you’ll be ‘making trial roses’ out of stock on hand to see what looks best contrast on top
You're the second blogger I've read today who said it was a quiet Sunday. I guess mine was too except I made and received a phone call to confirm something with my nephew so I could buy another gift for Christmas. I like your story about the rose and the towels. All the colours you have chosen to weave with are very pretty.
ReplyDeleteYour towels must sell like hot cakes! That's nice. Thinking about your statement about changing thread colors to keep your interest up, I think making my quilts smaller does the same thing--I get them finished quicker and on to the next one. Kinda neat... Hugs to you!
ReplyDeleteMy Sunday wasn't quiet... greenery container class at the local nursery and then dinner with our daughter. My husband helped her hang new blinds in the lving room window.
ReplyDeleteThe all you have on a quiet Sunday afternoon (and indeed any day) fills me awe.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful, practical useful things. Thank you.
You do make good towels! With an interesting commentary. I was thinking the other day, you are only the third person I have known with a loom. Are young people taking up weaving?
ReplyDeleteYour towels are a marvel. I do confess that I have hidden them from HeWho. If he is near the kitchen when on is in use, I just stow it away. He tens to leave them dangling and Mr. Bo Jangles thinks a dangling anything is a challenge for his jumping and grabbing abilities!
ReplyDeleteI love your towels; now I have to figure out where to put one. (and the colors are all so beautiful that it's hard to choose!)
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful towels which are so useful. I love mine.
ReplyDeleteThat "rose" looks beautiful! The colours are all very fine - I would choose the turquoise one - but as I said: all beautiful. And handmade. Eye-catchers and so good to feel - and I always think of you, Joanne, when I take one.
ReplyDeleteI love the artistic arrangement. PS, pardon my ignorance, but striped towels are not on the agenda? I imagine they would be labour intensive?
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
I use that weaving pattern because it soaks up more water. Actually, any diaper threading soaks up water. Sadly, strips are not attractive in this configuration. Stripes are effective in plain weave or in twill, but they don't soak up water as effectively.
DeleteSo this is my take on striped towels (which are no more difficult to make): weavers add stripes to make the towels more attractive. Like lipstick on a pig, they don't make the towel do its job.
I love that rose. And you say it's easy to do, but knowing how clever you are, I would probably have to plan accordingly if I tried it!
ReplyDeleteI was reading in my Gramma Stringam's journals and she was widowed at the age of 75. She decided, then and there, she needed a new hobby, so bought a big floor loom and proceeded to teach herself. At the age of 76, she was invited to Utah to demonstrate weaving for a huge convention. She is such an example to me! When I'm 75 (and it's only a few years off now) I'm going to try something new. I think I'll learn to play the cello! :)
That's about my uncle's age when he began weaving. I see I should write this story again. It has been a long time since I did.
DeleteSo pleased that you have found the towels such a huge success. Bravo. The rose is lovely. Are you folding a new one to go into the middle?
ReplyDeleteVery creative!
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne-it’s me, Chicken. For some reason, I’m not logged in as me when I use my iPad. Hopefully, my message still registers. All of the colors are beautiful. You do such great work. I purchased a couple of them last year for my sister’s Christmas basket. We weren’t able to get together on Christmas and then Covid hit and that basket is still sitting in my spare room. I keep adding to it. It’s going to take a truck to get it to her the next time we are able to get together and I know she’ll love her colors. I chose the green to match the kitchen in her new condo. Hopefully, she hasn’t painted it.
ReplyDelete:). Love to hear from you.
DeleteI hope a new rose will appear soon - perhaps a yellow one!
ReplyDelete