The Geffe Ribbon: begun
I’m working on the Geffe ribbon; I’ve gotten through nearly four pages of chart (counting the moth, which ought to be more like 2 pages because the two-color brocade takes FOREVER on 73 tablets!)
I’m pleased with how the beads are working out. They’re strung on the main weft, which is a bit of a pain in the butt – I strung on about 20 of them, and they keep wanting to get in my way.
Close-up of the moth. It’s in two shades of ecru; I had planned originally on just one shade, but when I started fiddling around with two, I liked the look. I think it’s worth the trouble, although only just. This is my hand-reeled filament, made from 4 reel strands – or about 80 cocoons thick.
I’ve still got about 13 pages of chart, one of which is the moth on the other end – so there’s a long way to go! I’m working from the left-hand side of the graph below; I just finished the word “sweet” in the top line.
You are simply insane.
That is just incredible!
Thanks! I kept watching the printer spit out page after page of chart, and thinking, “Hmm… I may have bitten off rather a lot to chew…”
It’s due next Monday, of course.
…but no pressure, right?
Exactly!
I couldn’t work on it last week, because Chris’s parents came to stay for a long weekend. First time they’ve stayed at the house, in the nearly 8 years we’ve been together – and I was going crazy not working on the weaving, while at the same time knowing that cleaning the guest/craft/office room and getting Mount Laundry under control was more critical.
I actually got some time while they were there to sit and weave, and Chris’s Dad was fascinated with watching it. Which was cool.
But UNfortunately, you don’t typically take on those types of projects where one can hold a conversation while working on autopilot.
Kind of off-topic
You’ve probably already seen this but:
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/06/butterfly-memory.html
Moths have memories of their caterpillar lives.
Re: Kind of off-topic
How cool! I hadn’t seen that – thanks for sharing it!
Re: Kind of off-topic
You’re very welcome. 🙂
It’s bee-yootiful!
And how long do these works of art usually take?
You are THE most patient man on earth! I’m learning to embroider because I can’t knit for a while and it’s so time consuming. This would be SO MUCH MORE time consuming. You rule!
It depends a lot on the complexity – the brocade (like the moth, where I’m using a shuttle loaded with flat silk) usually takes about an hour an inch, but this is more like two because it’s two colors and it’s wide. The double-face, like the lettering, is usually more like two inches to the hour. Or so.
Wow! So incredibly, insanely amazing!!!
73 tablets? I can’t even begin to imagine! For the curious among us… when you’re finished I hope you’ll post the final measurements. 2-inches per hour, how many final inches? And how wide is it? 73-tablets… wow.
It’s right at an inch wide; it should finish out around 28 inches long, although there’s some wiggle in that figure until it’s actually finished.
I really like the effect of the two shades of brocading weft on the moth, very subtle. In the close-up, they even have the effect of gold and silver.
Are all your inscription bands threaded in one direction, as this one appears to be? (I’d go inspect the one you contributed to that TWIST exchange, but that sample set went walkabout to someone who didn’t participate in it, and it hasn’t come back yet! *sigh*) I’ve only ever done inscriptions alternately threaded, and I’d love to hear your perspective on the threading question.
All these creations of yours are just amazing! I’m envious. Thank you for sharing the photos with us.
Beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous 🙂
It looks *great*
and very readable
I even thought the moth is brocaded in metallic thread.
Nope! That’s my hand-reeled flat filament silk. I’m flattered that you thought it was metal, tho!