So, why, exactly, did I buy another loom?
A few weeks ago, a lady on ravelry posted a tape loom for sale. A what? I thought, having never heard of them. I mean, inkle looms are one thing, but tape looms? What were those?
Well, after some research, which mostly involved Google, I discovered that tape looms were primarily used in Colonial times and before then--much, much before then--when purchased ribbons and ties for gowns and clothing and such were not available in the store. There's plenty of information online if you look hard enough, and I found most of it. (I have not tried to order the tape looms book yet, however.)
There are some collectors, evidently, and I imagine one of those collectors outbid me on the antique tape loom that showed up on ebay a few weeks ago. Luckily, I saved all the pictures from that one (they were very good pictures!)
But anyway, tape looms were used for what used to be called tapes. To tie things, for bands or straps, or decorate trims, or anything, really, that you could use a strongly woven cord for. Inkle looms weave bands like tape looms do, however inkle looms are a fairly new creation (I believe they were created in the 1930s.) And the advantage to tape looms is that you can pretty much weave however long a length you need, versus the inkle looms, which--and this is for my big one--holds about 124 inches. Plus, the tape loom is more portable.
So the nice lady on ravelry who posted this loom for sale warped it for me, and also included some weft so I could practice, and practice I did! I figured out that you can get some nicely woven tapes from this loom--you supply the tension, so it's a bit different than anything else I've woven--and I'm really looking forward to trying this with some of my silk thread that I bought from ebay a long, long time ago.
Right now, goals are to make a new leash for Mabel because she really needs one, straps for purses, headbands (with elastic on the bottoms), trim for doll dresses, and lots of other stuff that I can't think of right now because this post has taken me over an hour to write (had to stop for supper) and I would like to get something else done tonight as it is. :)
Also, with the tape loom, I can demonstrate period weaving at themed events, like the Grant Days celebration in Georgetown. Yay!
So anyway, that's why I have a new loom.
A few weeks ago, a lady on ravelry posted a tape loom for sale. A what? I thought, having never heard of them. I mean, inkle looms are one thing, but tape looms? What were those?Well, after some research, which mostly involved Google, I discovered that tape looms were primarily used in Colonial times and before then--much, much before then--when purchased ribbons and ties for gowns and clothing and such were not available in the store. There's plenty of information online if you look hard enough, and I found most of it. (I have not tried to order the tape looms book yet, however.)
There are some collectors, evidently, and I imagine one of those collectors outbid me on the antique tape loom that showed up on ebay a few weeks ago. Luckily, I saved all the pictures from that one (they were very good pictures!)
But anyway, tape looms were used for what used to be called tapes. To tie things, for bands or straps, or decorate trims, or anything, really, that you could use a strongly woven cord for. Inkle looms weave bands like tape looms do, however inkle looms are a fairly new creation (I believe they were created in the 1930s.) And the advantage to tape looms is that you can pretty much weave however long a length you need, versus the inkle looms, which--and this is for my big one--holds about 124 inches. Plus, the tape loom is more portable.
So the nice lady on ravelry who posted this loom for sale warped it for me, and also included some weft so I could practice, and practice I did! I figured out that you can get some nicely woven tapes from this loom--you supply the tension, so it's a bit different than anything else I've woven--and I'm really looking forward to trying this with some of my silk thread that I bought from ebay a long, long time ago.
Right now, goals are to make a new leash for Mabel because she really needs one, straps for purses, headbands (with elastic on the bottoms), trim for doll dresses, and lots of other stuff that I can't think of right now because this post has taken me over an hour to write (had to stop for supper) and I would like to get something else done tonight as it is. :)
Also, with the tape loom, I can demonstrate period weaving at themed events, like the Grant Days celebration in Georgetown. Yay!
So anyway, that's why I have a new loom.
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