When working towards a special holiday you need your supplies early, which is why our September BeWeave yarn and fibre box was Halloween themed.
Here in Australia, Halloween is a either loved or hated and something I myself never really got into until I had kids. No matter how you feel about Halloween though, there is no way of escaping it, with loads of Halloween decorations lining our store shelves from early September. As a fibre artist I have found so many really cool fibre art projects for weaving, macrame and crochet. It really is an endless rabbit hole of pumpkins, spiders, ghosts and bats, a fun opportunity to play around and try something different.
I loved putting this box together, exploring the colours and playing around with bold orange which is not something I do often. The Halloween theme also lends itself to some cool textures too. Let’s explore the Spooky Halloween BeWeave Subscription.
Velvet ribbon – A lush 2 inch wide black velvet ribbon to bring you the dark, moody, spookiness of Halloween. Black is always associated with Halloween and has been a traditional colour from the beginning. Black represents death and darkness, with festivities taking place at night. It also represents, black cats, witches and all the other creepy crawlies like spiders and bats that are so popular on the 31st of October The soft, velvety sheen of this ribbon was a perfect addition to the box.
Extra fine Merino – A super soft 19 micron combed top in a gorgeous bold orange. Orange represents the colour of bonfires, ripe pumpkins and the change to fall. Orange has been a traditional Halloween colour since the 1800s as DIY decorations consisted of what was naturally available to them in October, this included pumpkins, chrysanthemums, marigolds and corn.
Extra fine merino is amazing for weaving, spinning and felting. If you would like to try this super soft wool, take a look here.
Corriedale combed top– Corriedale is another great option of combed top for weaving, although it isn't as soft a merino at 27 microns, it works just as well. A dark purple was chosen for this months box. Purple is often associated with magic and is why it has become a popular Halloween colour. We have a small range of Corriedale combed tops available at Vada Blue. You can try it here.
Pre felt ribbon – More purple for the box. I love this ribbon for weaving. Pre felted ribbon has been made using super soft, extra fine merino. Pre felt is a partially felted fabric that has gone through the beginning stages of being felted (a method of bonding fibres to create a fabric) but the process is stopped before it felts entirely. Pre Felt is used predominantly in wet felting however can be applied to so much more, hence my use of it in woven projects. It easily twists and weaves, creating a unique look, however do be gentle with it, as unlike standard felt it is not dense and will pull apart.
Wool Selvedge – Collected and saved from the wool mills of the textile district in Italy, these ribbons where once considered waste but are reborn as incredible textured fluffy ribbons that are ideal for hand weaving. The long black shaggy composition was too good not to include in this months BeWeave Box.
What is selvedge? The selvedge serves to preserve fabric from fraying at its extreme edges. Also, to ensure that, during the various phases of finishing, the piece of fabric holds its integrity and does not come apart. After fulfilling these tasks, the selvedge is then cut away. It is practically a part of the fabric processing that becomes waste, precious waste though, that has found a new purpose in the fibre art world.
Printed sari silk ribbon – This sari silk has been screen printed with black birds on bright orange, perfect for our Halloween inspired box. Recycled sari silk ribbon is a classic weaving ribbon that is great to have on hand at all times. Sari silk ribbon is another sustainable product, created from saved ends of saris during the manufacturing process which are then torn and sewn together to create a single ribbon. Being silk these ribbons provide a beautiful sheen and luxe feel to your work. You can view our range here
Felt balls – Hand crafted by needle felting, these balls make for great points of interest in weaving, jewelry and hat making. 12 balls were included in this months subscription box, including black, while matching the purple and orange to the combed tops.
Mixed Halloween tokens – A mix of playful Halloween themed tassels, charms and leather tags were included as the non fibre item. The cute leather tags include a small hole and are easily converted into earrings.
As always there was an inspiration project included in the box. The inspiration card includes 3 images and text outlining the materials and processes used to create the piece. This months project was a Halloween inspired woven moon. A metal moon shaped was wrapped in black braided cord before warping for aesthetics but also to help hold the warp in place. Mixed weaving techniques were used and the piece was finished off with felt balls attached to the top. Hung with a large black spider, it creates a spooky Halloween vibe.
In the gallery above you can also see a second inspiration project, a small woven wall hanging. There are also some mini weaves which have been created by one of our subscribers. For more subscriber creations, including a Halloween wreath, head over to our social media - Instagram or Facebook
To finish this months box and to get into the Halloween spirit of trick or treating there were a few token spiders hidden among the wool. Hopefully no one got too big a fright when they lifted their lid.
The BeWeave Yarn and Fibre subscription box is ideal for tapestry weavers and macra weavers and reopens for new subscribers October 1st with a new theme. All new subscribers in October will also receive a free mini Fibre Cloud in their box. You can join here.