Fixing the Sectional Beam on the Gilmore Loom

While out celebrating our anniversary, I came across and convinced my husband to let me buy a small weaving studio.  I call it a "studio" because it included several items: a loom, spool rack, horizontal warping reel, more shuttles of various styles than I could ever use (some may pop up here for sale), sample cards, and more - plus the yarn intended for the original project (60 + skeins of wool singles in shades of brown).

From a photo among all the "stuff" I guessed the original weaver intended saddle blankets.  I'm the third owner of this Gilmore (the company keeps records if you call them).  I'm guessing from its condition that neither of the first two "gentlemen" actually wove on it.  One warped it and wove about two inches, but nothing more.

The back beam's sectional pieces were broken but the rest of the loom looked great!  It's an 8-harness from the 90s.

Freshly unloaded into our garage where I disassembled it to make repairs and move it into the house.

A close up of the broken sectionals on the back beam.

Removing the warp to the warping reel.  Sectionals removed.

I decided that our modern wood glue is effective enough these days that I didn't need to replace the broken pieces.  Since there wasn't any warping (of the boards, not the weaving warp), only cracks, I was able to simply inject some Titebond into the cracks and then clamp them tightly.

I did replace some broken pegs and "splines" (the part that attaches the sectionals to the back beam).

Repaired and in its place (the house came with a room that color--not my taste, but our toddler loves it).

I re-warped the loom and began the original weaver's project over again.  I have our toddlers trained to leave it alone.  Yay!

Fixing an Umbrella Swift

My sweet husband allowed me to purchase a fantastic Gilmore loom.  Along with the loom came several accessories, one of which is an umbrella swift . . . in pieces.

The broken swift.

 Once I made sure the pieces were all there, I gave them a cleaning and waxing.  Then began tying them back together.

And one tie at the cross.

Jesus, I'm thinking of You on the cross as I tie these crosses!

The fixed swift working hard to hold yarn for my current project on the Gilmore loom.

Update on the Bernat Loom

The loom is warped and  . . . I'm not weaving on it like I should. 

The loom is in a room which has no heat, so it waits while I work on other projects (like updating this blog).  Here is how I left it. 

So far, so good.

The random red threads are marking my length--the towels I wove last year and entered in the fair were laughable in all different lengths--plus the competition entered a 16-shaft set of perfection.  Sigh.  I blame the kids for moving my markers, hence the knotted threads.

Seed Cleaner

My flax to linen work continues.  In 2019 I planted what I collected in 2018.  It all came up (four pounds of seed)!  I planted thickly so that I could try for a finer fiber this year.

Once harvested and dried, the seed can be collected.  Then there's a tedious problem.  At the end of 2018, I spent a few days with a small fan and a garbage bag full of seed bolls, blowing away chaff, separating, separating . . . zzzzzzzz . . .

There MUST be an easier way.  So I found this on a website that provides a tech drawing and measurements and asks only that you return the credit of the design to their website, https://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedcleaner.html

In the photo, above, you can see my build was quickly hashed together (Come on, I have laundry and dishes and diapers waiting!)--you can also see the chaff floating on the righthand side and the seeds falling down on the lefthand side into the bucket below.  I made a funnel from a scrap of paper, and am using a household vacuum because the shop vac was too aggressive.

One handful at a time, adjusting the vacuum nozzle to get the right amount of suction.  When I finished I had collected four pounds of clean seed.  The amount puzzled me a bit.  It was the same harvest as last year when I had only planted one pound of seed.  Then I remembered I harvested the flax early hoping for a finer fiber.  I believe if I had left the flax until all the seed bolls were ripe, I would have collected more seed.  As it is, I think the four-pounds is all I can manage on my own if I want to do anything other than flax to linen, and the fiber was finer!

The Dollhouse

The Dollhouse was finished in time for our local craft fair (I'm actually finishing the last window panes during set-up for the fair).  It has gone to a new home, and the basement is now set up as a "romper room" for our kids.

This was my first craft fair experience.  In addition to the dollhouse I sold pecan pies, almond croissants, handspun yarn, handmade paper, and homemade apple butter and chokecherry syrup.  I also had loaves of fresh bread, but no one seemed to want the bread--I suppose if I had to choose my carbs I'd go "big" with the croissants and skip the plain bread, too!

Custom fireplace made from polymer clay.

I moved and redesigned the stairs.

I'm glad to finish this project.  On to the next!