Double-Weave
Over the past few years, learning to create fabrics with double-weave techniques has opened many doors for me. Specifically, I have been able to make pieces on the loom that are ready to wear with minimal sewing.
Double Weave Dress.
After taking an Introductory Fiber Arts course in 2018, I wanted to challenge myself to create a textile with more than a 2-dimensional structure. I used a thrifted dress to calculate the dimensions of the dress I wanted, then set up my loom with two layers of hand-dyed bamboo cotton to start my double weave.
Initially, I wove the dress as an open-ended double-weave, meaning that the top and bottom pieces did not connect, giving the dress some much-needed flexibility. Once I had finished the side slits, I began weaving the warp strings together as a tube so the front and back were connected without a seam.
Once I reached the underarm area, I switched to an open-sided double weave. For the back and front armpits and necklines (visible in the two above photos), I used hand-weaving techniques to create an angular armpit area and to make distinct straps for the front of the dress. So, rather than weaving all of my warp strings, I selectively incorporated some and not others to make the dress straps. After I finished the dress, I pulled it off of the loom and fixed the ends in place by sewing a few hemlines. I also added darts on both sides to make the fit of the dress more flattering. Finally, using a needle to weave the warp ends back into the dress's neckline (pictured above), I created a pearled neckline that gave the dress a personal, handmade touch.
To add another layer of dimensionality to the dress, I wove a pocket to adorn the front of the dress using a handloom. I dyed the linen for the pocket in the same dye vats as the front and back warps. I then used the same linen and a blanket stitch to attach the pocket to the front of the dress.
This dress is one of my most treasured possessions. For me, it represents the culmination of my fiber artist and designer work. It took a lot of reconfiguring and determination to create a functional piece of art like this, but it was well worth it and brought me a lot of joy to wear. There was intentionality brought to every step of this project, and I think all the pieces come together nicely to form a thoughtful textile.
Double Weave Backpack.
This bag started as a happy mistake. I had initially tried to weave another double-weave dress, but when I pulled it off the loom, it didn’t fit! So instead of tossing the fabric, I wanted to salvage it. By altering the material using a sewing machine, I turned the dress into backpack fabric.
Since the dress was woven as a double-weave piece, there was no seam down the side separating the front (white) and back). Therefore, with some minor alterations, I could sew the dress into the outside layer of a bag.
For the inside of the bag, I sewed a linen liner that contained pockets to protect the bag. I hand-stitched the liner into place to make sure it aligned nicely with the outside of the bag.
Using reclaimed leather, I hand-stitched some backpack straps and sewed them onto the bag using a leather awl.
For the final touches on the bag, I used the rest of the reclaimed leather to hand-sew straps for the front of the pack. Inlaid with rivets, these straps keep the bag's flap in place.
Making this backpack was one of the most exciting and complicated projects I have done so far. From designing the different components to learning how to work with leather to figuring out how to join the pieces, I used various textile skills I had picked up over the last few years. The final product looks beautiful and is very functional, so this piece was a great learning experience for making durable handwoven art.