Colour on the Left. Handwoven large fine slub linen shawl half in natural, half multi-coloured.
The shawl was woven in Dimity weave which dates back to the 17th and 18th century where it was used for upholstery and curtains. Dimity is a lightweight, sheer fabric woven in a way that creates tiny stripes. An historic weave. When woven in a single colour it is hard to see the striping pattern, but the sheerness of the linen against light shows the stripes.
All of the linen used in this wrap is naturally dyed and spun in West Bengal India. The separator grid green is hand dyed ultra fine silk. Half of the wrap is natural linen with green silk stripes. The other half is a grid of 10 different colours that all work well together. The wrap was woven in both the linen and silk, using the grid colours, and also with the natural. The colours are muted in the natural sections, vibrant in the grid. All of these different elements give the cloth movement and versatility. The thread is fine (= sewing thread) and the end result is a beautiful sheer scarf or gauze like wrap.
The shawl drapes well, and is soft and supple. This will look lovely wrapped a couple times around your neck, and as an accent piece. This can also be worn as a beach cover-up, like a sarong.
The shawl has been machine washed in a lingerie bag and line dried, then hot pressed.
Materials: Pure slub 40/2 wet spun line linen, ultra fine Bombyx silk. Eyelash fringe. Hand wash, or machine wash in lingerie bag. Hot iron.
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This one-off piece is Work 295. I rarely weave the same cloth or item twice. Every piece is unique and numbered, every creation has a story to tell.
One of the finest yarns available, 40/2 linen is the best choice for handwovens that need the drape and suppleness that ultra-fine threads provide. 40/2 linen has strength and smoothness and will soften even more with use. Linen is derived from the flax crop, a plant that is extremely versatile in use. As a fabric, linen is chosen for its durability and its ability to keep us cool or warm, depending on which we need, though it is a little more expensive because the flax plant requires a lot of tending to. Also, although it creases easily and is not stretchy, it will last its buyer a very long time. It’s also completely biodegradable, which makes it one of the most eco-friendly materials we have at our disposal.
Bombyx Silk (also call Cultivated Silk or Mulberry Silk) comes from the Bombyx silkworms that live and feed on white mulberry leaves. The silkworms spin fine cocoons which are spun to create silk that has a luscious shine and strength silk is known for. The undyed base silk I use is from Swiss Mountain Silks, known around the world for their premium silk yarns.
Dimensions: width 26 3/4″ – 68cm // length w/o fringe 83″ – 211cm // fringe 1 1/2″ – 3.5cm.
