The Warp Closet
A question goes around every so often in a FaceBook group:
Am I the only one with multiple projects started and in progress?
Well, no, of course not. WIP Wednesday should really be WIPs Wednesday.
The typical artist stereotype as impulsive, creative, messy- it's a part of me as well. As methodically as I approach my craft, I am also carried away by the whim of inspiration. I see something, and I really need to make it, right now, although I'm working on something else.
Let's not actually discuss how many WIPs are in progress here, suffice it to say I have something for every day of the week. The ideas flow faster than the work. So (my second favorite conjunction), I've started preparing and storing materials for projects. Just like a soaper might make a master batch, I prep and pack fiber for spinning, measure and cut fabric for quilts, draw up sketches for painting, print patterns and bag yarn for knitting, and now, I am prepping and storing warps.
Every project begins with a planning sheet. Project planning sheets across all crafts help me remember what the "great idea" was all about. If you remember I used to be a school teacher, I am essentially making lesson plans for myself. I have two good reasons to do this:
I have limited funds and limited space.
Projects sheets are like inventory control sheets, making it possible to keep a running tab of what I have used, and what I need to get, highlighting materials that work for multiple projects. If I'm spinning yarn, it's pretty handy to know that 3 different projects need black Alpaca with a total of xxx yards.
In my tiny craft room, where I have to remove one tool to have room for another, It takes effort to clear space for the drum carder, cutting table or warping board. The warping board hangs on the wall, behind the sewing machine. It's just too big to use anywhere except on my bed. If I can do multiple warps at the same time, it reduces the times I have to move things out of the way.
For weaving I like the project planner by Peggy Osterkamp, as it's thorough. After I run through all the calculations, there is a space to sketch up a draft in color. With all that settled, I warp, chain the warp, tag it and bag it in a gallon ziplock bag, and shelve it. Each craft has it's own labeled storage basket.
Am I the only one with multiple projects started and in progress?
Well, no, of course not. WIP Wednesday should really be WIPs Wednesday.
The typical artist stereotype as impulsive, creative, messy- it's a part of me as well. As methodically as I approach my craft, I am also carried away by the whim of inspiration. I see something, and I really need to make it, right now, although I'm working on something else. Let's not actually discuss how many WIPs are in progress here, suffice it to say I have something for every day of the week. The ideas flow faster than the work. So (my second favorite conjunction), I've started preparing and storing materials for projects. Just like a soaper might make a master batch, I prep and pack fiber for spinning, measure and cut fabric for quilts, draw up sketches for painting, print patterns and bag yarn for knitting, and now, I am prepping and storing warps.
Every project begins with a planning sheet. Project planning sheets across all crafts help me remember what the "great idea" was all about. If you remember I used to be a school teacher, I am essentially making lesson plans for myself. I have two good reasons to do this:
I have limited funds and limited space.
Projects sheets are like inventory control sheets, making it possible to keep a running tab of what I have used, and what I need to get, highlighting materials that work for multiple projects. If I'm spinning yarn, it's pretty handy to know that 3 different projects need black Alpaca with a total of xxx yards.
In my tiny craft room, where I have to remove one tool to have room for another, It takes effort to clear space for the drum carder, cutting table or warping board. The warping board hangs on the wall, behind the sewing machine. It's just too big to use anywhere except on my bed. If I can do multiple warps at the same time, it reduces the times I have to move things out of the way.
For weaving I like the project planner by Peggy Osterkamp, as it's thorough. After I run through all the calculations, there is a space to sketch up a draft in color. With all that settled, I warp, chain the warp, tag it and bag it in a gallon ziplock bag, and shelve it. Each craft has it's own labeled storage basket.
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