I’m Weaving on a Jet Plane… don’t know when I’ll be back again”
( With apologies to John Denver and Peter Paul and Mary )
We are all in need of a small project to tide us over during summer travels. This one will not only bring your loom with you in miniature, but also, keep you true to the adage of making Christmas gifts starting on the 4th of July. Use your hand-woven card as a thank you while on your trip, or make a gift set if you are feeling the groove!
Using blank cards (I purchased mine as a card and envelope set from our local art store, I chose water-color stock as it provides a sturdier base). Trace a standard business card as a template (make sure it is plumb and square, unless you do want your finished design at an angle). Run the card through your sewing machine on the longest stitch, creating the holes for the warp. I used embroidery thread as my warp, and a variety of “fun fibers” in my stash to create a colorful warp. The finished cards were a style of weaving in what would be the equivalent of “crazy quilting”. Feel free to festoon your creation with charms, beads or buttons.
warp
woven
tapestry
My next experiment was a macrame card, be conscious of the number of strings (and holes) you will require, and a color combination…I ran the card through the sewing machine, and then decided to use bamboo skewers as an anchor. In the end, I had very long tails, nothing is worse in macrame than to find that you have used some of the strings excessively, and you now come up short. I actually came up “very long” and decided it could be an interactive card, and that when I threaded the “tails” back into the inside of the card, the recipient could have a go at either using it as a warp for weaving, or continue another macrame on the inside. It ended up being a serious gift to an equally obsessed person who enjoys a small spontaneous project!
attaching the warp
Card with macrame
I love receiving handmade cards, and making special cards for special friends (nothing like snail mail)…this project has allowed me to have a mini-fiber arts fest in one afternoon, whether I am on a plane, or in my kitchen. I have also used it to teach and share fiber arts with friends who want to try their hand at a very small project.