Wedding wraps

A few awful shots of beautiful wedding wraps taken in a hurry as I had to get them parcelled up to catch the post.

 To set the scene the bride and all three bridesmaids, including my daughter,  were at high school together.  The bride and partner have been working in Britain for many years.  Bride was proposed to while holidaying at a vineyard in Tuscany.  The wedding will be in Ohaupo.  New Zealanders will appreciate the irony of this.

Warp:  bamboo 10/2
Weft:  silk Schappe-Seide Nm120/2
Snowflake twill:  Starburst
I couldn't get enough of one dye lot of silk (and as time was pressing) I thought I could change lots where the pattern changed (enlarge the photo) but no, one was a lot creamier and it showed when woven.  Hoping to divert the eye I stitched pearls on both sides of the break and at each end.  Knowledge after the event is wonderful and I would have been better to weave with two shuttles and alternate threads.

Then to the warp from ....*#&@*.  On my shelf I had two cones of white Zephyr merino/silk 50/50.  I would look at it and think "one day you'll be something special".  Of course the air got to it before I did and the outside of the cones became very discoloured.  But I could dye it a deep red (not orangey like the photo) for this project.  All was well until I tried rolling the warp on the loom.  Little fibres caught and pulled the thread through neighbouring reed slots and heddle eyes.  10.5 metres and every 20 cm I'd stop and sort meaning it took forever but looked wonderful when tied on ready to weave.  It didn't take long before sticky threads started doing their thing.  There was a lot of frogging.  I tried hairspray, I tried wax, I thought about fabulon ironing spray but it said not on silk.  It seemed to help to run the weft through a block of wax as I wound the bobbin.  I got there in the end and they look and feel great.  Weft is 100% NZ merino 110/2 hand dyed.

This is the third wedding I've made wraps for and it usually turns out very hot and they aren't needed.  Even though its pouring with rain and blowing a gale at this moment I'm hoping it'll be the same this time.