POLL - I Need Your Input!

The good news - I was accepted as a consignee at the Center for Maine Craft!! Yay, and phew!  But, as is usually the case, even good news brings about a conundrum, and it is with this that I need your input.

At this time the Center only wants 10 assorted scarves, as they already have a vendor that sells "similar" towels.  While waiting to hear their decision, I decided to wind a long warp for another run of towels, naturally.  I've just gotten 11 yards beamed, and am about to start threading the 500 heddles.

My first thought when I heard the news, was to get that warp off the loom as quickly as possible, by trying to re-chain it as is unwound off the beam.  I know the chances are good that this process might not work, but knowing how long it can take me to get through a project of this size, it seemed like a good idea.  But then I had another thought...

So, you remember these towels;

Do you think a warp similar to this might make colorful, summer-weight shawls?? The 10/2 cotton sett at 24 EPI seems light and drapey. They would be about 19" wide, and I obviously have enough warp for several, but I think they would be a bit faster than towels, though not by much.  Or should I just weave them up as towels, set them aside when it comes to the finishing work (i.e. cutting/hemming, etc), and start weaving scarves then.  There is no guarantee that when they say they want scarves, they would accept shawls as well, but if they don't maybe I can sell them in the shop.

Just the fact that they want 10 assorted scarves already presents a problem, since that means multiple warps.  This order is for their summer season, which is already well underway, so I'm already feeling rushed, and I just found out the news!

I'd appreciate your input, both consumers of woven goods and especially my fellow weavers.  Is the idea of de-beaming the warp a particularly bad one?  Or should I forge ahead, try weaving a couple of shawls, finish with some towels, then try to figure out several different scarf warps?

Truly, I am very happy about the news and a bit gobsmacked, but I just want to make the best decision and get going.  I still need to send things to the other shops I consign in, but there's only so many hours in the day, so I want to make the best decision possible.

Thanks everyone!!

Comments

  1. Hmm, that's a tough one. If it were me I'd just thread the heddles and weave it off for towels and finish them when I have time.....but you may not have the time for that. They would be pretty colorful shawls - would they sell well? I don't know.

    I don't think 'de-beaming' it would be a problem if you go that way.

    For different scarves you could vary your wefts so you'd get many different looks off the same warp instead of feeling like you have to put on many warps.

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  2. Just noticed your post, so reply is too late. However, I wanted to suggest you might join one or two of the facebook weaving groups....4 harness weaving and 8 harness weaving.....they are pretty active, and you might get faster response to a question like this.

    Karen

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