I’ve been there friends, and in this episode of A Handwoven Experience I will walk you through some things to consider as you select the perfect reed and heddles for your loom. Happy weaving!

Show Notes –

Measuring heddles – I found a great visual for how to measure your heddles on the Eugene Textile Center website. So if you’d like more details to go with my brief explanation, simply click the link here to see more. 

Used Loom Buying Checklist – This episode directly ties into an earlier video focused on buying a used loom. If you didn’t catch it, I have it handy right here! 

AC Insiders –

Ready to take your weaving to the next level? Become an AC Insider today! Join the Resource Center tier for free weaving tips, Weave Along patterns, bonus Handwoven Experience episodes and discounts on Acton Creative classes.

Or become a member of the Online Weaver’s Guild and get access to monthly meetings, quarterly weaving challenges, and the support and friendship of a community of weavers.

Can’t pick just one? Join the Combo tier and do both! There’s something for everyone! Come join us at https://patreon.com/actoncreative

The post Buying Replacement Parts for Your Loom appeared first on Acton Creative.

You’ve been bitten by the weaving bug and have decided that your life is not complete without a loom in it. You find a used loom that peeks your interest. But before you seal the deal, you wonder: “How do I know if this loom is in good shape?”

I’ve got you, my friends! In this episode of A Handwoven Experience, I’ll walk you through a simple checklist that you can use to make sure any loom is ready for you to weave on it. There’s nothing better than creating fabric on a new-to-you loom! Happy weaving!

Show Notes –

Loom Maintenance – I found a great post on Warped Fibers all about taking care of your loom. I particularly appreciate the entire section on dealing with rust. It’s a great resource for any loom owner. Click here to read on. 

Loom-related Videos – Are you looking for more loom resources? Friends, I have you covered! Check out these episodes of A Handwoven Experience:

Ep. 24 All About Table Looms

Ep. 126 Identify Your Style of Loom

Ep. 151 Exploring My Jack Loom

Ep. 187 Rigid Heddle vs. Multi-Shaft Looms

Dress Your Loom Course

Now that you have a loom, are you ready to learn how to dress it? There’s still time to enroll in the July session of my Dress Your Loom class. This 6-week, online class will help you get your yarn off your shelf and onto your loom. I walk you through every step of the weaving process, from measuring your project to weaving and finishing. Click here for more information and to register. Hurry! Doors close on July 17th at 4PM CST!

The post Used Loom Buying Checklist appeared first on Acton Creative.

You see, there are magical things in the weaving world called, “replacement heddles” or “repair heddles”. They are heddles that you can snap into place on any shaft you need. And while you probably won’t need them with every project, I can guarantee they will come in very handy at some point!

In today’s episode, I’m talking you through the scenarios where a few replacement heddles will absolutely do the trick versus when you may as well re-thread your project.

Show Notes –

Make your own replacement heddles – If you aren’t familiar with creating your own replacement heddles, I have just the episode for you. Wander back to episode 58 where I show you how I make your own.

Madelyn’s replacement heddles – I found a great post on Handweaving Magazine where Madelyn Van Der Hoogt takes you step by step through the process of making a quick string heddle in case of emergency. Click here to check it out.

Dress Your Loom Course –

The doors are closing! The registration window for the January 2025 Dress Your Loom Class will close on Thursday, January 16 at 4 pm CST. So if you’re ready to learn how to weave and adopt an easy method for dressing your loom, now is the time!

The post When to Use a Replacement Heddle appeared first on Acton Creative.

I dug deep to give you 2 different approaches for figuring up how many heddles you’ll need for your project – how many per inch, and how many per repeat. And be forewarned, there is math in this episode! So, so much math…

Hopefully, this will provide you with an important skill when tackling your next project! Enjoy episode 138 of A Handwoven Experience!

Show Notes –

Mathing Around – I found this lovely website that is based in education, but includes an entire blog post on the connection between math and weaving! Ultimately I think what sets weavers apart from other art forms is the amount of detailed work and analytical thinking we’re required to do. And a big part of that is math! So, yay us!! Please enjoy this interesting blog post right here. 

Army of Heddles – WAY back in episode 34, I did a deep dive into the world of heddles and if you are new to weaving, this is a great topic to review before jumping headlong into today’s episode! Here’s the link for “Army of Heddles”. 

October Weave Along

The October Weave Along is here! And we’re excited to see your shadow weave projects! To see all the details about this month-long weaving adventure, check out OWAL Central. 

And don’t forget to join the Facebook Group! You’re invited! See you there! 

The post # of Heddles Per Shaft for Your Project appeared first on Acton Creative.

Even though it looks complicated and overwhelming, I promise that you can do it! You simply need to know a few things going into it and that’s where I come in.

In episode 71, I’m explaining 3 things you should be aware of when dressing your loom for overshot. There’s only 3! You’ve got this!

Show Notes –

History of Overshot – As I went looking for more information on overshot, I came across this fabulous blog post, written by Tegan Frisino for Comfort Cloth Weaving. While reading it, you really get the sense of how special this weaving pattern is and why it is significant for our country. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! This link will take you right to it. 

Intro to Overshot – If you aren’t familiar with overshot, I have just the thing! There is a brief overview of overshot in the archives of A Handwoven Experience and you’re invited to check it out. Click here to see what all the excitement is about. 

Custom Month –

Did you hear the great news? For the month of September, which is Custom Month, I’ll be loading up the AC Insiders with tips and tricks on how to do your own custom projects! Join our online community to jump start your creativity today! Click here to become a member. I can’t wait for you to join us!

And if you would like me to create a fabulous custom project for you, now’s the time! All holiday projects need to be in the queue by October 1 to give me plenty of time to weave something magical, just for you! Head straight to the Custom Page to get all the details and let’s get to it!

The post Overshot 101: Dressing the Loom appeared first on Acton Creative.

A repair heddle is a fabulous tool to have handy when you find a threading error in your loom. Here are the differences between a typical heddle and a repair heddle.

– A typical heddle is something you purchase from a weaving store or website. It slides on the top and bottom rails in a shaft on your loom. It’s a must-have for every project.

– A repair heddle is something you can easily make with a length of yarn and 2 safety pins. It can be clipped onto the rails at any location. It is the perfect temporary hero when you have a rogue warp yarn to wrangle.

The beauty and charm of a repair heddle is that it can save you hours of rethreading your warp, allowing you to get to the weaving part much faster! Take a look at this week’s episode of A Handwoven Experience to see more.

Show Notes –

More on the repair heddle – I found a sweet article from Penny Nelson of Sky Loom Weavers with her take on this exact topic. It’s a short read – you can see it all here. (The last paragraph totally makes it!)

Heddle refresher – Need a little more background to follow the conversation? I’ve got you covered! Take a look at an earlier episode that dives deeper into the world of heddles.

Now, you!

Have you ever made your own repair heddle?

Acton Creative Insider

Did you know that each week, the Acton Creative Insiders have access to the 5-Minute Update, the Tuesday Tip, and the behind-the-scenes look at this week’s A Handwoven Experience episode? Yep! It’s true.

Plus, if you are participating in the June Weave Along, every member of the AC Insiders has access to my exact project plan. Therefore, you can weave my project, right along with me! It’s so exciting!

And it’s never too late to join us. This is the Acton Creative Insider link that will take you to the home page. Become part of the membership today!

The post The Repair Heddle appeared first on Acton Creative.

Today, I’m walking you through it! Not only will I provide an explanation for straight draw, but I also threw in some tips about how to create one on your loom. Enjoy!

Show Notes –

More on straight draw – There’s a lovely blog post from Robyn Spady all about straight draw. She tosses out a few great resources all centered around this specific topic. Really interesting! Take a peek here to see more. 

Threading heddles – Since the idea of a straight draw is intimately connected to threading heddles, I thought I would include a video all about that topic! In case you missed episode 8, I’ve cued it up just for you!

Now, you!

What is your experience with the famous straight draw? Do you use it often?

June Weave Along

The fun has started – I’m leading a Weave Along! The parameters are simple – weave an item using Hopsack during the month of June. Easy enough!

Want more information? Scoot over to the recent blog post to see all the details. I can’t wait to see what you create!!

Acton Creative Insiders

The AC Insiders are getting in on the Weave Along Fun! Not only will the members get to watch my project unfold throughout the month, they will get my exact project plan! This is perfect for the weaver who isn’t quite sure how to start something on their own. We’d love to have you! Join us, won’t you? 

The post The Famous Straight Draw appeared first on Acton Creative.

See, the floating selvedge provides something for the weft to loop around when a pattern doesn’t. This is really important when paying attention to your edges. (And truthfully, when is a weaver not paying attention to her edges?)

Take a look at episode 42 of A Handwoven Experience to find out more about the fabulous floating selvedge!

Show Notes –

More about floating selvedges – I found a lovely summary all about today’s topic on the Gist yarn website. Feel free to check it out right here! 

Other mentions – In a interesting twist of kismet, I mentioned floating selvedges recently in my Happy Anniversary blog post! Don’t remember that one? No worries – I have it for you right here!

Twill weave – The pattern I’m working with in the video is a twill weave. This lovely, versatile style of weaving is great fun. And you don’t need to be very experienced to try it! Put it on your list of to-do’s for an upcoming project. You will love it!

Now, you!

What is your experience with floating selvedges? Have you ever forgotten to include them at the warping board and had to separately weight them at the loom? (Is that just me?) Have you ever started a project, not realizing they would come in handy? Thoughts? Happy Weaving, my friend!!!

The post Fabulous Floating Selvedge appeared first on Acton Creative.

A heddle is a tall, thin metal piece (could be made of other materials, too) with an eye in the middle of it. Each heddle slides along a top & bottom rail in a shaft of the loom. A heddle’s job is to hold a yarn so it lifts and lowers with the shaft. So, if a project has a lot of yarns? You end up with a serious army of heddles. Watch the full episode to get more information.

Show Notes –

Measuring Heddles – As with most things related to weaving, measuring heddles isn’t as straightforward as you would hope. Instead of measuring the entire length of the heddle, you need to measure the distance in your shaft from the bottom of the bottom heddle rail, to the top of the top heddle rail. This will give you an accurate length for your heddle. I found a great video from the Woolery that dives right into this topic. Check it out here.

Texsolv Heddles – If you are interested in another option besides metal heddles, a company out of Sweden called Texsolv makes a polyester heddle. While I haven’t worked with them myself, I have heard great things. The one consideration to keep in mind is the weight. Some looms are balanced with the weight of metal heddles in mind. So to put on much lighter Texsolv heddles is a problem. If you are considering this, just do a bit of research before you go through the process of swapping them out.

The post Army of Heddles appeared first on Acton Creative.

Boy, we are moving right along! In this 7-part series showing a weaving project, we are already at step 4 – threading heddles.

This step of “dressing the loom” is significant for a few reasons. First of all, this is the first time the yarn is added to the loom. And secondly, this is the step where we begin making choices that will effect our weaving pattern.

How we thread the heddles will help determine what the finished fabric will look like. It’s all connected! Check it out!

If you haven’t seen the process from the beginning, here’s a quick link to take you there – https://actoncreative.net/2020/04/01/planning-a-weaving-project/

Show Notes –

Warp – The yarns that are in the loom and under tension.

Planning  – The 1st step of a weaving project, which includes 3 goals – deciding the length of the warp yarns, counting how many warp yarns will be in the project, and determining what order they will be in.

Warping a project – The 2nd step of a weaving project, measuring each warp yarn to the same length, and in the correct order.

Sleying the reed – The 3rd step of a weaving project where each warp yarn is assigned to a slot (dent) in a reed. The reed’s job is to keep the project at a consistent width in the loom, which is key.

Threading heddles – The 4th step of a weaving project, moving each warp yarn into a heddle on a shaft in the loom.

Heddle – A tall, thin metal piece with an eye in the middle (they do come in other materials besides metal, but metal is pretty common). Each heddle lives on a shaft in the loom and slides on top & bottom rails to stay upright.

Shaft – A frame in the loom that lifts and lowers, separating yarns which will then create the weaving pattern. (“Shaft” is the current word, but they used to be called “harnesses”. Matter of fact, you will still see a loom described as a “4H or 8H” loom – a 4 or 8 harness loom.)

Beater bar – A large piece at the front of the loom that moves forward and back. It is important because it serves 2 purposes – to hold the reed and to tighten the yarns in the fabric.

Lease sticks – A pair of wooden dowels that hold the weaving cross in place.

Weaving cross – Intersecting yarns showcasing the correct order, which is determined at the warping board.

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