| ========== Cloth tapes ========== If you happen to be in a rural area go to a feed store and look for either bovine or caprine weight measuring tapes. Sometimes they are free as advertising items! Anyway... one side tells how heavy a certain animal is BUT The other side has inches and feet. And they are invariably made of cloth! Birgitta ------------------------ I had the same problem....couldn't find a cloth tape anywhere....then discovered them laying all over the studio!! red, blue, white, yellow, strips of cut rags! used a good pen to mark them off in quarter inch markings. Tied one to each side of the loom. Never have to reach or look for a tape now. dave & judy, from back in a 'holler' in w v =============== o Tape Substitute =============== I use white 1/2 to 3/4 inch ribbon, which can be purchased at a fabric or craft store by the spool. It doesn’t stretch, and doesn’t fold over on itself. Using a non-felt type pen, since ribbon is porous, I make marks on the ribbon as often as needed. Some are marked by the inch, some every half inch. Some I mark to the center of the desired length and then I reverse the marks to accurately repeat the pattern on the second half. The beauty of it is that I can also write any special instructions or make special marks, needed to help me keep track of where I want to place pattern. I use two pins to hold these along the side of my weaving, and advance the back pin when it goes over the front beam, leaving the forward pin in place to keep track of the placement. . I have made these in several lengths, and hang them by my loom until needed. Works beautifully for me. Cheap too. Jean --------------- I measure what I'm weaving by cutting a string the length I need, taking "shrinking" into consideration. I add another inch or so to give me enough to tie a knot, and I tie the string to the warp at the beginning of my piece and let it lay on top of what I'm weaving letting it roll up in the fabric as it advances. If I think of it ahead of time, I tie a knot about halfway the length of the string so I know when I'm about half done if I'm weaving a long piece. Lynne in Maine ------------------ Use a roll of blank cash register tape. Make notes and mark your pattern changes on the tape. Or, mark the pattern as you go, then reverse the tape/pattern for the other half. Pin or clip it to the edge of the rug or fabric, as you go. Rod |
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