A new toy!

I've been eyeing this cute little rigid heddle loom for over a year now.
http://sorazora.com/product/mini-loom/

 This spring, I decided to take the plunge.  Here's my first project, a sakiori sash.

Don't worry, I know there's a warping error.  I was watching a youtube video about warping a loom by yourself, and messed up.  I'm glad that the warps will be covered in this piece.

So what is sakiori? Here's a good description from Sri.  Sakiori weaving uses a rag weft against a warp of either bast fiber or cotton. The weft material is often made from shredded kimono or other recycled garments which can be of cotton, silk or other material. Sakiori clothing was first woven by Japanese peasants around 1750 for its warmth and durability as newly minted cotton cloth at that time was too rare and expensive for a farmer or fisherman. The home manufacture and use of sakiori clothing and hearth covers in rural areas of Japan disappeared anywhere from 50-100 years ago, although a few individuals and some historical preservation societies still weave this cloth today. 

For this sash,  the warp threads are cotton, and the strips are a mix of recycled cotton and silk. 

Here are a few examples:

This book is a very good resource.

I'll post more photos when the sash is completed.

Coiled Snake Basket

A few months ago, my friend Sally had these old silk and silamide thread packages up for grabs.
So, I went for it, not knowing exactly what I'd be doing. I did  a bit of research and found that these types of packages were sold in the 1930's.

 

I've been playing with clay lately, and made some bases with holes, with the idea of adding on some coiling, or twining on top.  So I combined the base with the silk and silamide threads, and coiled them with wire.

I finished it with beeswax, and still need to another melting session.  See the little bits of wax? Thanks for the inspiration, Sally!