Category: Clothing

After watching MacGyver as a kid I was left in a awe of how someone could create a diversion by blowing up an old abandoned shed in the middle of the woods with a  propane tank, child’s tricycle, the tire’s inner tube, three ball bearings, and a grinding wheel strategically placed near the shed window.  After he launched that “3rd and last chance” bearing, from the improvised “tricycle-sling-shot”, thru the window, striking the grinding wheel and igniting the propane filled shed…KA-BOOM!  My life was never the same…that was the start of my “improvising calling”. My wife has graciously born the …

Mr. Rawles, I am prompted to send along some information that I am hoping will be useful to your readers looking for instruction in spinning and weaving. The Handweaver’s Guild of America has an online list of local guilds as well as a list of Member Artists/Leaders, both of which are rich resources. There are some 454 guild, listed by state. Contacting a nearby guild is a great way to learn about local class opportunities in spinning and weaving. Most of these guilds also have member newsletters that will often list used equipment for sale by members at significant discounts …

James Wesley, I am not much into sewing but I know ladies who are. For them I have modified some newer sewing machines from electric motor to the foot powered treadle sewing machines. Some of these ladies are off grid and one just likes the fine control the treadle gives her. Bases can be found in many antique stores. These bases are often missing the machine itself and have been made into tables. Look for one with the treadle and crank assembly still in place. Removing the electric motor from the sewing machine and replacing it with a pulley for …

Mr. Rawles, I took a textiles class while in college. This is a subject I recommend to anyone, as it is very interesting, and more useful than you would think (our textbook was Textiles by Sara J. Kadolph if anyone is interested). One of the things I learned is that fabric should not be stored in plastic or next to cardboard or wood. The chemicals or natural acids will be absorbed by the fabric and deteriorate it. The best way to store fabric is to wrap it in cotton (I use an old pillowcase), and of course keep it in …

Mr. Rawles; Spinning and weaving are certainly not lost arts. I know many women and some men who spin, and some who also weave. Spinning wheels and lessons are available in many cities, and there are active spinning and weaving guilds. Cards, wheels and looms can also be ordered online, and there are YouTube videos demonstrating the various processes. It is true spinning is more difficult to learn than knitting, and requires a larger initial investment in equipment. The cheapest spinning wheels start at around $200, from Babe’s Fiber Garden. (I have not used one of these so I cannot …

James: Thanks to Jeanan for raising a very important but easily overlooked point. It’s amazing how we take for granted having drawers full of clothes! Curiously, though, I do know folks who know how to spin thread and weave cloth. Some of the ladies in a Dark Age re-enactment group that I’m a member of perform demonstrations of these very skills. I have seen them work with raw wool, spin thread, and demonstrate weaving on period looms. Granted that the Dark Ages are a little too primitive (no spinning wheels, for example) but it does point to a partial solution, …

We don’t often think much of the clothes we wear. Oh, we think of what color they are, whether or not our purse matches our shoes, does this make me look fat, blending in with our surroundings or not, but not the actual fabric. We lost our “fur” a long time ago, and we always seem to have items like jackets, sweaters, undies and socks in abundance. We now argue over the benefits of the latest innovations in fabric, whether it will wick moisture or not, how waterproof it is, but we never seem to worry about where we are …