The Mad Weave Book: An Ancient Form of Triaxial Basket Weaving
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The Mad Weave Book: An Ancient Form of Triaxial Basket Weaving
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Overview
Author Shereen LaPlantz, an accomplished weaver and instructor, experimented for several years before developing a streamlined approach to making mad weave baskets. She begins with the basics, advancing to examples of color patterns, shaping, double weave, and surface embellishments, and she concludes with tips for finishing touches, from handles and lids to feet and reinforcements. Every step is accompanied by a clear diagram. Readers will delight in this guide's tremendous variety of patterns and find inspiration in its helpful suggestions and examples.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780486812090 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dover Publications |
| Publication date: | 05/10/2016 |
| Series: | Dover Crafts: Weaving & Dyeing |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 80 |
| Sales rank: | 315,868 |
| File size: | 23 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
The Mad Weave Book
An Ancient Form of Triaxial Basket Weaving
By Shereen LaPlantz
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 1984 Shereen LaPlantzAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-81209-0
CHAPTER 1
BASIC MAD WEAVE
Mad weave is a 3 directional weave or plait. The easiest construction method I've found is: make a twill fabric, then lace through the fabric in 1 more direction. This method allows you to create a basket in whatever size you choose. It also is logical and obvious enough to allow you to feel like experimenting relatively soon.
The problem with this weave is there are several rules you must follow. I've tried making mad weave without the rules. It doesn't work. The first rule governs the number of elements you use. Since it's a 3 directional weave, the number MUST be divisible by 3. If you want to weave up the sides, the number MUST ALSO be divisible by 4. That means everything needs to be divisible by a total of 12. Let's make this easy; I think of working in 4, 8, 12 or 16 - each times the 3 different directions. I recommend 8 (24) or 12 (36) for your first attempt.
I highly recommend working in 3 different colors for your first attempt at mad weave. I also recommend working with a flexible material. Consider gift wrapping ribbon or colored paper. My sample for this chapter is made from 24 - 1/2" strips of paper, cut 14" long. The finished basket is 2 3/4"H x 4 1/2"W x 4"D. This information is included to give you an idea of element length vs basket size.
* * *
Lay all the elements, in 1 color, out - at the angle shown. This means either 4, 8, 12 or 16 elements. I suggest working on a flat surface rather than your knee. Tape 1 end of the elements down to the surface.
Using an element from your second color, weave through the first elements. Weave in an over 1, under 2 pattern. (You are creating a twill fabric.) Weave at the angle shown. It is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT that this first row, starting with over 1, remain the top row of your twill fabric. This row sets everything up for weaving the sides.
Weave in another element, again in the over 1, under 2 pattern. It is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT that the weave create a horizontal line of over l's. This is another rule. Notice, to maintain the proper pattern, you must start weaving under 1, over 1, under 2. The edges aren't important, the over all pattern is.
Continue to weave in elements, in the over 1, under 2 pattern until you have used all of your second color group. Check to make sure the over ls form a straight, horizontal line. If they dont, take the weave apart and redo it. Adjust your angles so they match the angles shown. The angles are CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. Also check the tension, the elements should be close together. Center the weave.
Tape the remaining 3 sets of ends to themselves, not to the flat surface.
The horizontal lines of over 1's.
You will be lacing the third direction through this weave. Consequently it is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT that you be able to see 2 configurations. I will call them "Z" and "H." A "Z" is 2 over l's with an over 2 crossing them. See diagram. An "H" is 2 over 2's and the under 2 they are hiding. See diagram.
Using an element from the third color group, lace under the Z's and over the H's. The entire weave is made up of only Z's and H's, so keep looking - they're there. If you find an H, there has to be a Z directly above and below it. Or, there is an H directly above and below each Z. It is essential that you lace in a straight line - no variations, U turns or detours!
I find it easiest to start in the center, as shown. It's a longer line of Z's and H's, so I'm bound to find something. I also often start in the middle of the twill fabric and work outwards. The edges contain partial Z's and H's, this might confuse you in the beginning.
With another element from the third color, lace through the weave again. The next row is adjacent to the last row, they'll be touching or like next door neighbors. Again you lace under the Zs and over the Hs.
Continue to lace this last color group through the weave. You will always be lacing under the Zs and over the Hs. Make sure you have an equal number of elements on each side of the center. Arrows mark center on the diagram.
If you would like to check yourself, to see if you've done everything correctly, you should be able to find 6 armed stars and triangles throughout the weave. See diagrams.
Untape all the ends from the flat surface and from themselves. Adjust your tension. Check your angles, they should be as shown. Now locate the edges of your base. It should be 6 sided and should end where the 3 directional weaving ends. There may be some 2 directional weaving going on outside the base, that doesn't matter.
The bold, black line indicates the edges of the base. Secure the base in place - inside its edges.
To make sides you will create a twill fabric, just like you did for the base. Then you'll lace through it in a third direction.
To find the elements for the sides, find 1 of your color groups, like my whites. Divide that group in half. Do this to the adjacent color group also and you have the elements for 1 side. Half of the side elements make the twill fabric, the other half lace through. So, divide your 2 groups in half once more. (You're now down to 2's if you used 8's, or 3's if you used 12's.) The 2 adjacent quarters weave the twill, the other quarters lace. Look at the diagram, the stars weave together, while the circles lace.
To make the twill fabric for the sides, select starred elements from 2 adjacent color groups. IGNORE the mess around you and weave the 4 (6) elements together in the following pattern: traveling in this direction only [??], weave the first element under 2 (under 2, over 1). The first element is the 1 closest to the base, see diagram. The second element weaves under 1 and over 1 (under 1, over 1, under 1). (If you are using 12's, the third element weaves over 1, under 2.) TAPE THIS WEAVING IN PLACE.
This is what you are doing - without all the confusing, extra elements in the diagram.
It is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT that you weave only the starred elements. The circle elements are used later and must be left untouched. They may be folded and taped out of the way.
Do this pattern to all 6 sides. Each of these is a "corner."
[Corners are covered in detail on page 16.]
Find 2 adjacent corners. Notice how the ends from 1 corner overlap the ends from the neighboring corner. Remember, you still must ignore the circle elements.
Weave the overlapping elements together in the twill pattern, that is, over 1, under 2 in this [??] direction. You are still trying to create a twill pattern with a horizontal line of over 1's - just like you did in the base. To make your weaving correspond with the proper twill, for 8s your first element will weave over 1, under 1, in this [??] direction. The next element will weave under 2. For 12's your first element will weave under 1, over 1, under 1. By now your horizontal line of over l's should be established enough for you to follow it.
Adjust your tension and tape everything in place. Try to get the holes somewhat small.
Do this to all 6 sides.
Continue weaving a twill pattern until you have run out of length. It will be a sleezy, misshapen mess. That is correct. To check yourself for errors (and to make the weaving easier), find an element and follow its pattern. It should be over 1, under 2 in this [??] direction. I chant this pattern while I weave. If the weave doesn't follow the chant, fix the weave.
When you reach the top, tape the top edge in place. Then remove all the rest of your tape.
Now that you have a twill fabric, you simply look for Z's and H's. You did this before, on the base. So it will be easiest if you set this book aside and look at your basket. Start in the middle of the basket's base. Facing any direction, find a row of Z's and H's and the element lacing through them. Notice, the line of Z's and H's continues - unbroken - up the side. (The Z's and H's do change color on the sides.) Notice also the lacing element used in the base continues lacing up the sides (it may be inside the basket).
Do this all around your basket. You will need to rotate the base occasionally to have a straight line for lacing up the sides.
You're finished now. Put on a lip and realize the second basket is always easier.
The easiest lip for this basket is to baste through the weave around the top edge. Clip off the excess.
Then sandwich the mess between 2 new elements and sew them in place.
CORNERS
There is a definite pattern when you turn a corner. The pattern is:
first row = under 2, over 1 - etc.
second row = under 1, over 1, under 2 - etc.
third row = over 1, under 2 - etc.
If you're working with 4 elements in each direction, you only get 1 row for each corner. If youre using 8 elements, you get 2 rows and 12 elements give you 3 rows. When you use 16 elements you get 4 rows, the fourth is a repeat of the first. Following that thought trend, 20 elements give you 5 rows, the fifth repeating the second - and so on. This pattern holds true for however many elements you wish to use. Don't worry about how the corners will mesh together. If you have woven each corner correctly, they will combine perfectly, the twill will be unbroken. The weave does this automatically. If it doesn't, go back and check each corner for the error.
RULES
There are 3 constants in mad weave, rules if you want. These constants will always exist if you are making mad weave. I suggest you learn them thoroughly. They will help you spot errors, work your way out of unusual messes and open options for personalizing mad weave.
The over 1, under 2 twill in this direction [??] is a constant. Regardless of the shape, color pattern, surface embellishment or any other variation, the twill remains the foundation. Learn the twill thoroughly. I chant "over 1, under 2, over 1, under 2" the entire time I am weaving the twill. I chant it out loud, it cuts down on mistakes.
Starting the bases twill with the over 1 in the upper right hand corner is another constant. See page 4.
The Zs and Hs are constant. They will always exist in the twill fabric, either vertically or horizontally. You must always lace over the Hs and under the Zs. Again, I chant "over the H and under the Z" out loud while lacing. It does help.
* * *
ONLY flexible materials work for mad weave. Think about using leaves, cattails, palm blades, etc. Flat reed and splints are too stiff to squeeze close. The weave becomes an open lace weave, the stars and triangles are lost.
CHAPTER 2A STORY
When you're struggling with mad weave, think of this basket and the artist, Harriett Duckwall. She didn't know mad weave should be hard, so she just made a basket. She watched a demonstration at a recent workshop, took a copy of THE NEWS BASKET with directions and left to tend her store. She made the basket in one afternoon while waiting on customers!
I think Harriett had an edge, she's a weaver, not a basketweaver. Weavers are more accustomed to working with twills than we are.
Harriett made the basket out of gift wrapping ribbon and felt that helped a lot. The ribbon is flexible and is slippery enough to pull through, if necessary. It also makes the basket wonderfully translucent. She used more than 3 colors in the base, creating stripes.
CHAPTER 3HORIZONTAL MAD WEAVE
Horizontal mad weave is different because the lacing elements go horizontally instead of vertically. You can make this become a basic mad weave basket. But the fun happens when you stripe in regular bias plaited basket. I love the thought of stripes of mad weave used as a decorative element.
I said I would share my approach, I've never seen a stripe of mad weave. Instead, I was sitting in my kitchen, watching the walls, thinking about this book. One of the baskets on the walls has a waffle weave star base with gently sloping twill sides. Staring at it, I realized I could make mad weave on those sides.
To make a mad weave stripe in a bias basket, start with any base you like using for bias weaving. It would help if either the base weave was loose or the sides flared. A straight sided cylinder is just a little tight for the stripe.
To make horizontal mad weave as a basic basket, the side's twill fabric has to have the over 1's in a vertical row. The corners change as follows:
1st row = over 1, under 2, etc,
2nd row = under 1, over 1, under 2, etc.
3rd row = under 2, over 1, etc.
Continue weaving the corners together into sides, and the sides together until you reach the top. The twill pattern is still under 2, over 1 in this [??] Indirection.
With a separate element, lace through the Z's and H's, just as before. Tuck the end under the weave, anywhere, to anchor it in place.
Continue lacing through the Z's and H's all around the basket. Clip off any excess on the lacer and tuck the end into the weave, overlapping the beginning tuck.
If you want a stripe instead of an over all mad weave pattern, just stop lacing after a few rows. Start lacing again whenever you want another stripe. Stripes of mad weave will bulge slightly, giving a corduroy effect.
If you want an over all mad weave pattern, just lace through each and every row.
CHAPTER 4COLOR PATTERNS
Color is one of the most exciting aspects of mad weave. The patterns available are dramatic. Since this technique is easiest to learn in 3 colors, we start by thinking about color relationships. This chapter shows some of the possiblilities available. Here Im limited to black and white. I found gray too confusing to express what can happen with 3 or more colors. Don't you limit yourself like this. I've included empty diagrams for you in the Appendix. I recommend you photocopy these diagrams (I give you permission to reproduce the Appendix only), then color between the lines. What appears exciting in sharply contrasting colors may be gastly in subtle shadings and visa versa. This is a time to play, try many things, even if you know they won't work. There are very few patterns I've colored that I don't like. There were a few surprises.
When you start creating your own color patterns, there are some thoughts you might want to keep in mind.
1. If you like a pattern, try its negative or opposite.
2. If you don't like a pattern in sharp contrast, try it in subtle shadings.
3. You don't have to work all 3 directions the same.
4. Find an isolated pattern you like, e.g. a star, and color it in. Then follow those elements throughout the diagram, coloring them in as you go.
5. You don't have to make an "all over" design.
6. Try working in multiple colors, you can stripe a mad weave basket.
As I'm writing this, I'm thinking of variegated or ikat-ed elements weaving together and of painting elements in patterns, then weaving them. It could be fun.
There is one major limitation to color patterns in mad weave; what you have in the base is NOT what you get on the sides. This is undoubtedly why I see most of the patterned baskets made into trays. I've included a diagram of the side pattern for each base. There is something else to keep in mind when working with these diagrams; some of the patterns ONLY work when started as shown. That means, if the first element on the right side is dark, you must start that same way. Even if the ending element is light and you think you can just exchange it, you cant. Check the way each of the 3 sides/direction's start and duplicate each if you want the same pattern. Again, these diagrams are not the only possibilities, they're not meant as limitations, only as beginnings.
COLOR DIAGRAMS
The following diagrams are of bases and their corresponding sides. When looking at the side patterns be careful to look at the entire side. A pattern may appear to duplicate the base, but when you look at the edges you'll notice the pattern changes. The patterns on the sides rotate around the basket. My diagrams only show 1 part of the side, the pattern may look quite different on another part of the basket.
A DIGRESSION
This basket shows another option to color patterns. This is NOT a color pattern. It is a plain mad weave basket. The effect of a color pattern is achieved by using 3 pieces of bamboo at once, a light, a dark and a light. The striping causes the pattern. This would be easy to make out of material you dyed yourself. Also notice the open, lacy quality of the mad weave, this happens when working with stiff materials. Dyed flat reed could make a similar basket. But not as 1 of your first dozen mad weave baskets. You need to be good before you attempt stiff materials.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Mad Weave Book by Shereen LaPlantz. Copyright © 1984 Shereen LaPlantz. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
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