Ask Madelyn


Ask Madelyn: Using Finer Weft Thread in Hems

How do you prevent your plain weave hems from flaring out?

Ask Madelyn: A Question of Belonging in the Weaving Community

Whether you think of yourself as an artist or a fine crafter, weavers share something more unifying than any difference between those two roles might suggest. We all know the joy of watching a cloth grow and making that happen with our movements.

Ask Madelyn: Weaving Overshot for a Shawl?

How do you go about figuring out the best sett for an overshot shawl?

Ask Madelyn: How to Choose a Weaving Shuttle

Is there a rule of thumb regarding the choice of shuttle?

Ask Madelyn: Reed and Loom Compatibility

Are reeds and looms generally compatible despite the manufacturer?

Ask Madelyn: Turning a Sample into an Actual Piece

After sampling at the beginning of a warp, how do you start the actual project?

Ask Madelyn: Choosing a Sett for a Shawl

I am weaving a shawl in huck lace using 10/2 bamboo. I have woven samples at both 20 epi and 24 epi. I’m not sure which sett to use for the shawl or whether the pattern is supposed to look the way it does.

Ask Madelyn: Why are Threading Drafts Read from Right to Left?

What is the logic behind how threading drafts are written out? Why right to left?

Ask Madelyn: Trouble with Edges

I am having trouble with my edges. One consistent problem I notice is that the fell is not straight. It slants downward at both sides. I have beamed the same warp several times, as I think this must be related to tension. Can you help me?

Ask Madelyn: All About the Countermarch Loom

What are countermarch looms like? How do they differ from jack looms?