Macomber Looms and Me

Rick Hart

2012-01-25T17:22:00.000-05:00

Sunday evening Rick Hart, owner of Macomber Looms passed away at his home. He was 63 years old. You can read his obituary in the local paper. Our sincere condolences are extended to the Hart family. Eddie is keeping the shop running, so no worries about getting any orders you may have placed recently.

I am LONG over due with an newsy update. Holidays, family, travel and work have kept me busy. So hang tight, keep weaving and calling me with your orders. I'll be back with photos and loom info soon. Thanks to everyone for your Manual orders!

A tip of the hat, or rather shuttle, to Rick for his many contributions to making Macomber Looms the loom of choice for generations of weavers.
~ Sarah

Replacable parts

2011-11-30T17:39:00.000-05:00

I am sure that you know that every part on a Macomber Loom is replaceable. In our plastic throw-away culture, this is truly a unique phenomena. When people ask me about getting parts for old looms, I reply, YES! I even had a request this week about parts for a loom built in 1939!

Loom built in 1939

My Macomber Looms Manual has received good reviews. Many thanks again to Sue Jensen for her part in organizing the materials. You can order this PDF download here...just look for the buy now button to your right. I'll send you the download within 24 hours. Thanks to everyone who has purchased the manual so far! I truly appreciate your support.

And here in my studio, I continue to wrap up "Woven Voices" and to focus on my thesis for the Masters of Art and Healing. My website has a mini-blog that has more studio news. Check it out!

Thanks to each of you for your kind words of support and compassion. I feel so incredibly fortunate to be amongst this tribe of supportive weavers. I welcome your questions and orders.

Happy weaving! Sarah

From tidal wave to charting a new course

2011-11-09T15:15:00.003-05:00

Me and Wes on our trans-Atlantic crossing

As a sailor, I know that one can set a course, navigate to the best of one's ability and still not make your destination. As in real life there are many influences to throw one off course. The course I set back in July, on my last blog post, was to take three months off to conclude "Woven Voices: Messages from the Heart" , to evaluate my relationship with Macomber Looms and to complete my thesis for my Masters of Art and Healing. It seems that the universe had other plans for my three month sabbatical. On August 18th, my dear brother Weston was tragically killed at a constructions site in Searsport, ME. Needless to say this event altered my intended course in an unexpected and new direction. You can read how this event affected Woven Voices by checking out the project blog. As far as my thesis, well, I have had little to no progress. For much of the past three months, I have felt like I have been submerged by a tidal wave. If any of you have had a sudden and tragic loss such as this, you know that it feels hard to breath, you feel disoriented and turned around.

Fall colors

The good news is, that I am emerging. Slowly and surely each day, I make motions to move forward with intention, love and purpose. Thanks to everyone who has reached out during this difficult time with kind words of support.

As far as my relationship with Macomber, I am returning to sell parts for looms. However there is one change, all reed and heddle orders will directly go through me, payment via PayPal or check. Prices for these items will remain as listed in the price list.

Now for the REALLY GOOD NEWS....drum roll here.....an angel has stepped forward to help create the long over due Macomber Looms and Me blog/manual!! Sue Jensen is my angel. She reached out to me about a month ago and has compiled all the blog posts into one document, including photos and any comments/questions. I will be posting this PDF soon, available for a small fee. Thanks Sue!!

So that is it for now. Thanks again to everyone for reaching out and for your continued support of my efforts on this blog. I look forward to hearing from everyone.

I know that over these three months, the process of weaving has kept me from going way off course. I hope that for each of you, the time you spend with threads brings a quality of peace, grace and hope to your days.

Times they are a-changin'

2011-07-26T12:01:00.002-04:00

As the great folk poet Bob Dylan sang, the times they are a-changing. Beginning August 1, 2011, I will be taking a sabbatical from my job as a sales rep for Macomber Looms. There are a few reasons I have decided to take this break, but the primary one is that I must focus more of my time and energy to "Woven Voices: Messages from the Heart", the global community peace project that I launched almost four years ago. This project is at a pivotal point and demands my full attention.

Community woven prayer flags

In addition to this global peace project, this fall I will be completing my master thesis for my degree in Art and Healing from Wisdom University.

So for at least until early November, I will no longer be taking orders, answering questions or problem solving for you dear weavers. I feel very torn about this decision, but I know in my heart it is the right thing to do at this time.

I will continue to follow and support folks who have placed orders and are still awaiting delivery.

So if you have orders that you would like to place before I sign off....please give me a call or email me until Saturday 8/1/11.

You can keep up with my work my projects and my teaching through my other blog and my website.

Peace and goodwill to each of you ~ Sarah

Celebrations, summer and a flash back!

2011-07-06T21:16:00.001-04:00

Happy Belated Peace-filled Independence Day!

I have been busy in the studio overseeing the Woven Voices weaving project...and we are making peace flags like crazy! I have about a dozen weavers coming over the course of each week! Special thanks to all you Macomber blog readers who responded to my Kickstarter project....we made our funding goal on Sunday!!

It is summer here in Maine and the living is easy, full of amazing opportunities to be with family, friends and nature. Today I took my (almost) daily swim in the near by salt water cove (with wet suit!!) and little dog Faye was right on my heels the whole 3/4 mile swim!

Mom weaves a prayer flag 2008

This week my mother celebrates her 90th birthday. She is an AMAZING woman. She treated herself to a hot air balloon ride as a birthday present!! For her birthday the family is gathering at her home in Yarmouth, Maine. Happy Birthday Mom!!

And while I was preparing for her birthday, I was going through old photos to make a collage for her. Look at this vintage clipping I found!

Me at age 29, weaving at the Macomber shop. For a few years, I ran weaving classes in the upstairs of the barn shop. Geez...I look awfully young!

Local news story about Macomber Looms 32 years ago!!

Woven Voices prayer flag in South Africa Buddhist garden.

I hope you are having a fun summer, finding time to celebrate the loving connections of family and old friends while enjoying the beauty of nature.

I enjoy hearing from each of you and if you are in Maine this summer, look me up!

Happy Weaving ! ~~ Sarah

The dawn of summer

2011-06-20T11:32:00.002-04:00

Avery and her big brown eyes

I have two dogs. One dog is a long term visitor. Meet Avery, a Labradoodle. She has been with us off and on for five years while her owners circumnavigated the world. (yes, her family is the one I sailed across the Atlantic with).This week she will return to her family who have landed back in South Freeport, Maine, having completed their voyage. We will miss you Avery!

Faye snoozing on the couch

Our resident dog is Faye. She is an English Cocker. She weighs about 22 pounds, but being the alpha dog...she rules the homestead with her bossy-pants attitude!

Both of these dogs keep me on my toes. I recommend a studio dog...because they make you get up about every 20 minutes to open the door and let them in or out. This is an excellent habit for us weavers who tend to sit too long in one position. So dog or no dog....try to get up and stretch about every 20 minutes!

Riley modeling his doggie coat

Keith's loom

Do you have a studio dog?? Here's one from Canada sporting his new hand woven outfit!! Here's what Riley's owner, Keith says "Here are a couple of pictures of Riley’s tartan doggie coat on my Macomber and on the model. It’s 18/2 superfine Merino in real red, emerald green and pewter grey woven as balanced twill at 23 epi on my 40 inch Macomber. The cloth was woven by yours truly and wet finished with Eucalan in tepid water. Mrs. Melanie Mitchell, a staff member at the N.B. college of Craft and Design here in Fredericton made up the coat. There’s a layer of polyester felt between two layers of the woven cloth joined with bias tape. The coat fastens with Velcro at the neck and under the abdomen. Riley is our 11 year old West Highland white terrier. Hence, the tartan (Riley’s plaid)."

So if you have a studio assistant that has four legs, send me a photo! Especially send images that show these companions in your studio. Now if you have a chicken or other critter, great! All photos welcome!

inserted eye heddle

Now on to the more serious business of weaving! I was recently asked about heddles. Right now, as far as I understand there is only one kind of heddle available in the world. It is the inserted eye heddle shown here.

three kinds of heddles

There are other heddles still on looms that are older and different. Liz from CA sent me this great photo of three kinds of heddls that she has on her loom. Older Macomber looms have heddles like # C. Then for a spell looms came with #B. And now the inserted eye heddles # A come on all looms. There it is, the abc's of heddles!

Today is the day before the summer solstice. As many of you know I love summer! It is a time of year that we Maineiacs wait for all year! I have been swimming once already in the ocean (with wet suit!).

This summer in my studio, I am offering a Grand Finale to my Woven Voices community project. As a part of this Grand Finale, I will be busy weaving 1000 prayer flags with the help of community volunteers. This project is being supported by a Kickstarter fund drive.

We are still looking for funds to reach our goal, as this is all or nothing funding. Please check out the 2 minute video

"Woven Voices" is a grass roots community project that uses weaving to lift the human spirit. Thank you to everyone for all the amazing support! ~ Sarah

every prayer flag gives joy

P.S. I have a weaver looking for photos of the wheels or castors on a loom. If you happen to have these on your loom....please send me photos so that I can post them! Thanks!!

Who said you can't....

2011-05-26T20:10:00.002-04:00

The old maxim..."Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks" works perfectly for old looms. Here is a terrific story sent to me by some inspiring blog readers.

This is an OLD Loom!

The Loom over view

"My wife and I bought an aging Macomber 40” loom about twelve years ago. Contacting Macomber, we were able to ascertain that it had been built in Saugus in 1953.

Undaunted, we disassembled it, cleaned and varnished all the woodwork, and renewed the fasteners. The loom had only four shafts, but a castle that would accommodate ten. As a metal sculptor, I was able to duplicate the existing shafts, jacks, lamms, and treadles such that we now have a ten shaft loom. My wife (the weaver; I am the LT --- the loom tech) has turned out scarves, blankets, fabric and many other beautiful woven objects. She has always wanted to weave a rug, but was uncertain as to whether that would work out well on a jack loom. We decided to gamble on altering the existing loom to make it as compatible as possible with the somewhat more robust demands of rug weaving.

The first step, in order to provide greater tension on the warp, was to increase the distance between the shafts and the back beam. We were able to move the entire back beam structure---as it was---to increase the warp depth by some 30”. The supporting horizontal black metal bar can be raised to give access when dressing the loom. At the same time, we put sturdy metal braces on all four corners of the castle structure to reduce any side-to-side motion. The entire loom is also bolted to the floor and to the studs in the adjoining wall. The apron ribbon on all three beams is “Mule” tape, a tape used by electricians. It has a breaking strength of 2500 pounds, is very thin and does not stretch.

Turn buckles on harnesses

breast beam "catch" for front side rod

From a discarded loom we were also able to add a second, plain warp beam to the already existing sectional beam, and to create a second back beam to accommodate the warp from this second warp beam. The raddles, and temples we made ourselves and we were fortunate enough to have an extra 12-dent reed, which we altered to a 6-dent one.

The rods that connect the jacks and lamms have always distressed me with their tendency to bend and stretch. To correct them such that their tension is equal and the lamms lay in a smooth line, we spliced small turnbuckles, available from the local hardware store, in line with the rods. This allows tightening or loosening of the rods as needed.

Following Peter Collingwood’s recommendations of “a pound of beater weight per inch of warp” we added two 20 pound steel bars to the beater, and to make it easier to handle, also added a handle.

Of all these innovations, my favorite is the catch for the movable bars that allow the breast beam to be lowered to the floor when dressing the loom. With a simple notch filed into the bar and a screw in the vertical wooden member, the bar drops onto the screw as the breast beam is lowered, a huge help for those of us limited to having only two hands.

A successful sample has been woven. The linen warp in the pictures is for the first finished rug, which will be soon started."

Best wishes,
Reese T.

Thanks Reese for sharing your story! I still have so much to share...and so little time! Check out the local newspaper story on my trip. I have been busy with teaching, but now...alas studio time!

Thanks to all for your orders, questions and encouragement!

Happy Weaving ~ Sarah

Thread by Thread

2011-05-22T21:51:00.001-04:00

Giraffe love

"Thread by thread" is a standard phrase I use to remind myself that weaving is a slow, repetitive process that in the long run offers me time and space for reflection and encourages me to be grounded in the present moment.

As many of you know, this winter I sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Simonstown, South Africa to Barbados in the Caribbean. This seven week ocean passage offered me a similar opportunity. Through the repetition of daily life on board a 43' boat, the landless wide horizon and living under the stars, sun and moon, I found myself able to just hang out in the beauty of the present moment. To just sit and watch the horizon for hours was a precious gift.

I have much to share, many photos of our passage and of course Macomber Loom news. Thanks to everyone for keeping in touch with me. I realize that my last blog posting was in December. So I promise to do my best to share images, memories and news.

Elephant family on the move

Prior to leaving South Africa, our crew went on a short safari. Don't you just love the eye lashes and horns on this giraffe?? We had a wonderful extravagant 5 days in the bush. We were able to witness up close all of the Big Five (leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros), as well as many other beautiful animals, birds, trees, and flowers.

I have posted a short video on UTube of some lionesses we watched lounging in the hot South African sun. Check it out!

weaving in the produce

We left Simonstown, South Africa on January 26th. Here is an photo of my "weaving" the produce into a shelf to prevent it from flying around the cabin while we were under sail!

Land Ho! Approaching St Helena

Since we were East of The Cape of Good Hope, we had to scoot around this point and we now know why this point used to be called "Cape of Tempests". The waves, the wind and the current all combined to give our boat, Bahati, a rousing entrance to the South Atlantic. After about a week the seas calmed down and we had a lovely 2 week passage to St. Helena. This little rock of an island is where Napoleon was exiled and died. Here is a photo of our approach to St Helena and Longwood House, the estate where Napoleon lived during his exile.

From St Helena, we sailed for seven days to arrive at Ascension Island. This small island is mostly a military and communication outpost on a volcanic rock. The landscape on Ascension was a strange combination of red dirt hills, white sandy beaches, grey volcanic rubble and green lush jungle. This tiny island is where green sea turtles swim from Brazil to lay their eggs. We were there during egg laying season and watched these giant creatures lumber up on shore to dig a nest in the sand and deposit their eggs. You can see more images of this bizarre landscape by checking out the Ascension Island website.

Mars-like Ascension Island

We departed from Ascension Island and sailed

for 24 days to reach Barbados. I will continue to share images and stories of this amazing trans-Atlantic voyage.

Thanks to all of you who continued to place orders for Macomber looms and parts in my absence. Kudos to my dear husband Ben who learned more about this stuff than he bargained for!

Harriet Tidball threading her loom.
Notice the front beam is dropped down to allow easy threading.

So just like Harriet Tidball who is threading her loom, I continue to believe in the power of weaving to keep me grounded in the present moment.

And I continue to discover the beauty thread by thread, warp and weft.

Happy Spring from coastal Maine ~
Sarah

All things old and new

2010-12-26T12:36:00.000-05:00

One people, many Woven Voices

The close of each year is a time for reflection. On the dusk of 2010, I find myself feeling BIG gratitude for the weaving community. In two days I will be leaving for Cape Town South Africa. While there I will be sharing the 130 community woven prayer flags. Read more about this project on the blog "Woven Voices".

My heart is overflowing with gratitude for all you wonderful weavers out there who have sent such kind words for my efforts with this Macomber Looms blog.

1937 Midget portable loom

So this month, here's a little treat for you..some Macomber memorabilia for you!

1954 24" 8H CP loom

This is an early photo of the CP loom. 1937! As you can see today's CP is not a whole lot different!

The Macomber-Hart family kindly shared the company photo album with me. So I have a whole pictorial history of the development of these looms.

Harriet Tidball 1953 threading her Macomber

Not only does the photo album contain images of early looms and the loom builders, but of the famous and not-so famous weavers who used them.

Look at this photo of Harriet Tidball, well known weaver and author of several books and monographs.

1937 56" B4 Loom with Rotary Fly Shuttle

Along with the photos there are several newspaper clippings. Here's my favorite ~

So sit down, weave yourself a suit...find some peace of mind, some joy and personal satisfaction. The world will be a better place.

I will be away from my phone and my computer until late February. If there are any Macomber parts or loom orders that cannot wait, please call my house and my husband will help you connect with the shop to place your orders.

The house number is 207-351-1985. Thanks to all of you for your orders!

There may be smidgens of time that I have Internet capability, but I am not counting on it. So here's wishing each of you a prosperous and peace-filled New Year!

Peace ~ Sarah

Meet Mac

2010-12-02T07:55:00.000-05:00

"Mac"

"Hi Sarah!
I read your last post and wanted to tell you about my loom. First of all, it's definitely male. I'm not really sure why but I've always thought of it as a boy. His name is Mac. (Probably not very original) But I love my loom very much.

"Mac from the back"

I bought Mac used from a man in KY (I am in TN) for $400! He's a B4-D model. At first I had issues getting used to how Macs work. I had only woven on Leclerc Niluses at school and so adjusting to a different make of loom was a bit of a challenge. I can't imagine how I ever wove happily on a Leclerc now. I've had Mac for almost two years now and I am SO happy that I decided to buy a Macomber. The man I bought him from also had a Leclerc for sale and I had considered buying that instead. I'm glad I listened to my weaving instructor and bought a Macomber! Mac is an older loom (I believe when I sent you the serial number you said it was made around 1970) but he's just as rugged and wonderful I'm sure as when he was first made.

I attached pictures of Mac and of the table runner I just took of my loom last week. :) I'm so glad to know that other weavers love their looms just as much as I do. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share my story."

JoAnna's table runner

JoAnna in TN

A time for gratitude

2010-11-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

Fall colors ~ Acadia National Park

It is four days post Thanksgiving. The table that was expanded to seat 11 has been contracted; the gorgeous center piece of decorative corn and gourds still remains. The serving dishes and fancy glassware have all been put away. There is still some leftover turkey, waiting for the soup pot. The yard work is really all done...the leaves that have been raked into the woods will hopefully stay there! And I find myself in a sweet time ....the lull right after one holiday and just prior to the rush of another. Perfect time to gather news and tidbits for the Macomber Blog!

Dirty dusty lamms and jacks on a CP loom

About a month ago I had a conversation with a weaver who was cleaning a used loom. Apparently several of the parts were gummed up and difficult to get clean. Here is a photo of the grimy and sticky lamms and jacks.

In a consultation with Eddie, we discerned that the most likely culprit was someone had sprayed WD-40 on the lamms and jacks. This is a BAD thing to do to a Macomber Loom!

DO NOT USE WD-40 ON YOUR LOOM. So to begin...this sticky stuff needs to be removed. Mineral spirits or acetone will remove the WD-40.

Lovingly restored CP loom

The cleaned parts will need a coating of Vaseline wherever the brass jacks meet the steel rods or wires. Where the aluminum lamms slide in the wood grooves will need a spray of silicon.

Here's the same loom after much TLC by her owner. Nice job Sue!

With so many of you purchasing used looms, I get dozens of questions about cleaning the looms. In past posts I have gone over cleaning steps...so in case you missed that check out "Spiffing up your Loom" and another post on how to Vaseline the jacks.

Keith with his new loom

I had this curious thought the other day...I wonder how many of us name our looms? Or even think of our loom having a gender?? Although I have never named any of my looms, I definitely consider them "gals". How about you? If you are inspired send me a photo of your loom with his/her name or gender and a brief sentence about what inspired this christening. I think this might be and interesting reflection on how attached we are to these machines. I will post the images and stories that I receive.

South Africa this winter!!

Looking ahead....I will be off for another GRAND adventure this winter. December 29th I will be flying to Cape Town, South Africa.

I will spend a couple of weeks being a tourist and then about January 17th, I will cast off and sail back to the Caribbean, arriving approximately February 28th. We are planning stops at St Helena and Ascension Island .

Sperry Rock, St Helena

In the meantime, keep those questions and orders coming. I am grateful for all your kind words of support as well as you business.

Prayer Flags woven in memory of a friend

Happy weaving!

~ Sarah

Little jobs

2010-10-20T14:27:00.000-04:00

Fall has definitely settled here in coastal Maine. What red maple leaves are left, cling to branches and we had our first frost yesterday. My studio work has been busy with the typical activities of a self employed teaching/artist/weaver.

I have been so busy that my website and blogs are crying for updates! The long-promised PDF Macomber Manual is still in the works...so hang on to your patience...it will be available soon! My public art project "Caught Between Us " that hung on the Portsmouth (NH) Public Parking Garage, came down last week. So summer must be officially over!

There are many little tricks and gizmos on the Macomber Loom. Here are two that you might now know about.

The Anti-Backlash Cord ~ this is a piece of short cord, attached to a spring. This device is used on a warp beam with a ratchet brake and prevents the beam from a rapid release of warp. This cord/spring winds around your back beam with on the opposite end from the ratchet brake. The cord/spring creates a small amount of drag on the beam so that it will not lurch forward and release too much warp. It comes standard with all B Model Ad-a-harness looms. If you need one, they cost $20 for the chain, hook, rope and spring.

I LOVE this little gizmo. It saves endless amounts of frustration with the warp unrolling too quickly. If you have one, be sure that it is wound around the beam in the opposite direction that your warp winds on. Often weavers let this rope device slip down in the space between the beam and the loom upright. It won't work unless you have it properly wrapped with enough tension to hold the beam for jumping forward when you release the tension.

Heddle Bar Clips ~ On the B Model Ad-a-harness floor looms, the harnesses have heddle bars for the heddles to slide from right to left. In the middle (top and bottom) and to the right and left side of the harness are a set of steel wire clips that hold the heddle bars in place. These clips can be un-done to slide the heddles right and left as needed for threading. Granted, this is a REAL knuckle-buster of a job. As a weaver, you know that is is important to give your warp a straight journey from the back of the loom to the front. So it is imperative that you slide the heddles right or left to allow your warps to travel in a straight line from the warp beam through the harnesses to the cloth beam.

In order to slide the heddles right or left, you must unclip this gizmo. It is a hard task, agreed! My best method involves squeezing the heddle bar and using the harness top (or bottom) as a lever.

Occasionally these things break. If you need a replacement, give me a call. Your heddle bars do need this supporting clip to work properly.

I hope this helps you keep your warp on a straight course back to front!

Maine Fiberarts

Surface Design

"Altering Matters"

Well that's it for today. Keep your emails and order coming! Thanks for all you support!

Harvesting a heart full of color and news

2010-09-09T16:34:00.000-04:00

September in Maine is a bitter sweet time of year. We have glorious warm days where the angle of the sun illuminates the landscape with an amber glow. The ocean is still warm, the garden is offering an outrageous bounty of vegetables and the tourists have left town!

But yet (here is the bitter part) my heart knows that in a few months we will be living inside peering out at a landscape of gray and cold. This time of year my focus begins to shift from outdoor to indoor activities. My studio is a safe place to root my wandering spirit as the days turn shorter and cooler.

BIG NEWS ~~ Very soon I will have a PDF manual for you to down load. The manual is built mostly from these blogs with the addition of information from older Macomber brochures.

The Macomber news for this posting is all about shuttles, brakes, the lamm depressor and the inserted eye heddle. To begin, here are two images of brakes that I found while searching for pictures that folks have kindly sent to me. This first one shows how to set up a single ratchet brake with a cloth beam.

This second image shows how to set up a ratchet brake for a single sectional beam.

Recently someone asked me about the Macomber shuttles. We offer four different styles of shuttles. The simplest one is the stick shuttle. The measure 22" and 38", selling for $5 and $6 respectively. Eddie says he can cut them down if you want smaller sizes for narrow warps.

Next is the 21" rug shuttle, great for those bulky yarns or cloth strips for rag rugs. Macomber is running a special on these right now....only $15 each! get them while they last at this price!

Then there is the hand-made by Eddie boat shuttle. These are made from poplar, mahogany, and/or oak. Eddie uses whatever scraps he has around. Each one is hand made with a spring load shaft for the bobbin. They come in two sizes ~ 12" and 9.5" . I am sure that if needed a unique size that Eddie will make it up for you. These shuttles go for $25 and $20.

These shuttles are meant for a fly shuttle unit, which Macomber rarely makes. We have about 20 of these Crossley's shuttles left in stock. They are an incredible end feed with adjustable tension. They are solid hard wood with brass inserts and priced at $60. Apparently this company went out of business in 2006. So I cannot offer a link. There are plenty of weavers who own them and swear by them, just Google Crossley's shuttle.

Heddles ~ these have been in BIG demand all spring! It appears that there is only one manufacturer in India, and the customs folks in New York decided to impound one shipment this spring! That caused us all kinds of grief!! Hopefully that won't happen again. All the heddles made now are the inserted eye style pictured here. The one pictured here is for a CP style loom.

My last image is of a lamm depressor for the smaller type B floor looms. This lamm depressor is a wooden dowel on a string. It works similar to the metal bar in the larger B Model looms. You use the dowel to depress the lamm while you connect the tie-up hook to between the treadle and the lamm.

So that's all the Macomber shop news for this posting. A bit of my news.....I will be teaching two workshops this weekend (9/11-12, 2010) at the Fiber College on the shores of Penobscot Bay in Searsport Maine. One workshop is Drafting and Fabric Analysis Made Fun and Easy and the other is The Amulet Pouch~a heartful pocket. Perhaps I will see some you there! I am really excited about this opportunity.

And lastly..more BIG news!!! Saving the most exciting for last...I am having a one person show at Maine FiberArts in Topsham Maine. This show titled "Thread by Thread" opens on September 15 and runs through December 1st. I will be offering an artist talk and having a gala opening mid-way through the show on November 6th from 2- 5 PM.

Summer harvest, summer heat and summer fun!

2010-07-28T22:43:00.000-04:00

Here in York, about a half a mile from the ocean (with water SO cold that I wear a wet suit to swim even in August) the temperature this evening is 83 and it is 9:15 at night! Heat wave! I am wearing one of the sarongs that I brought back from Bali. Speaking of sarongs, I brought back a pile of them. Here is a gang-way of New England women in Indonesian garb! This photo is from my recent Island Women's week~ 7 days, 9 women, 200 acres of Maine rocks and the deep blue ocean.

All is well here. My studio has been buzzing with life, and I'll catch you up on Macomber tips as well.

First a word of thanks to everyone who sent me lovely emails of support after the storm that blew up my yard. Tomorrow, there will be a LARGE crane to remove the two large oaks that loom (bad pun?) over my studio. Many of the broken and fallen trees have been cleared out. Slow, heavy work. Here is how my yard looks now. More sunshine, but major garden work ahead as I had a shade garden.

My big studio news is that on July 15th I installed the "Tree of Life" at the Temple Israel in Portsmouth. This piece was over a year in process (partially due to conflicting other projects). I am so pleased with the piece. Here are some images taken of the completed piece as well as some close ups.

Here it is on my studio floor. I'm trying to get it to be straight!

It is 4' by 7' hand dyed linen and rayon. Brocade woven with hand stitching. Installed with velcro strips.

Some details.

And here is the piece just after we finished the installation. Later next month I will get a professional photographer to shoot it! There is a plaque that goes over to the right, that is why it looks slightly off center here.

At the dedication, there were about 100 people. I had to write and read a short speech about the piece. I will post this text on my website soon!

Now on to all things Macomber!! First of all, in case you have tried to call the shop this week (July 26-30), it is closed. I can still take your orders, and will get them in to Eddie on Monday.

Don't hold your breath...but VERY soon I expect to have a manual that you can download as a PDF. This manual is courtesy of a very gracious and generous person who helped me by organizing all the blog posts and images into a comprehensive document. I am SO excited and grateful for this effort. So hang on.....soon, it will be ready for you!

TIE UP HOOKS ~ here are the two styles of tie up hooks. The upper hook is the new style SUPER HOOK. These hooks go over the lamm and into the treadle. The lower hook is the old style or REGULAR TIE UP HOOK. These go into the treadle and then into the small hole in the black strip running across the lamm.

It is advised that you only use one style of hook on your loom. If you are doing well with the old style, then treadle on! If you are having trouble with the old style, you might consider replacing all the old hooks with the new SUPER HOOKS. The hooks in this image are for the CP size loom. Essentially the B model hooks are the same only longer.

Clever customized add-ons for your Baby-Mac~
These images come from weaver Steve in the mountains of Colorado. The first image is of a magnetic strip that is mounted on the castle as a place to hold notes, drafts, treadling sequences, or inspirational quotes.

Secondly, a way to mount your lease sticks in a fixed position at the back of the loom.

And finally, I want to continue to share stories and
images from Bali. This image is from a 700 plus year old banyan tree, called Desa Gesing. Notice not only the scale of the tree, but the fact that they have wrapped it in the traditional poleng cloth.

This traditional black and white cloth is used is to wrap trees, shrines and as clothing. The black and white checks symbolize the Balinese belief that all life is made of a balance of good and evil, dark and light.

Thanks to everyone for your continued orders and support. I am off for more time on the water, but thanks to the genius of 3G networking, I will have internet and phone.

Happy summer! Keep those cucumbers coming, tomatoes aren't far behind!

~Sarah

This big blue planet ~ wild and wooly!

2010-06-25T17:28:00.000-04:00

I am back from my travels to Bali! I had an amazing adventure with many photos and stories to share. This is a photo of me with Widi, a young woman who sold us some ikat sarongs. I gave her a Woven Voices prayer flag. What a beautiful smile!!

I also met Keduk, a traditional double ikat weaver from a small village on the eastern shoreline of Bali. Here she is at her loom which was made by her grandfather.

I purchased a small double ikat, which I decided that I will share with my husband Ben. He can wear it as a ministerial stole, I can enjoy looking at it!

The people of Bali are so happy, their smiles will melt any apprehensions you might have about being in a foreign land. Here is Wayan, the beach cabana boy from Bali Kana Resort on the Gili Islands, near Lombock. I gave him a prayer flag....love that smile!.

I came home and immediately went off to work on Cape Cod, here's the Mandala Community Weaving that we created at K.C.Coombs School in Mashpee.

But real life has invaded my immediate world. Our home was hit by a micro-burst squall yesterday evening. We lost many trees, have holes in the roof, power/phone/Internet lines all down. So for now I am unable to answer my house phone. I have posted my cell phone as my new contact number. 207-475-7083
Please be patient, I will get back to folks as best I can given the upset to my home/studio. And I promise more stories and photos from Indonesia!

Sumpai Jumpa!
Sarah
new contact # 207-475-7083

Casting out the nets and casting off for awhile!

2010-06-02T14:17:00.000-04:00

I know that you know that I live in Maine. In fact my house is about one quarter of a mile from the water. I live in a VERY beautiful place on this earth. But I love to travel and I have found ways to do it on an artist's budget. Leaving the routine and safety of my home offer me the opportunity to experience the beauty and wisdom of another culture.

This month I have the incredible good fortune to be traveling to Bali in Indonesia. My husband and I have old friends who live in Bali part of the year and we will be visiting them for a bit over two weeks.

We hope to visit several Hindu temples, cultural sites, traditional weaving workshops, as well as snorkel and relax!

STUDIO NEWS ~~ Earlier this month I completed a small commission of a ministerial stole for a friend who is being ordained. I hand dyed and wove the line/rayon fabric.

She collected prayers on paper that was later twisted into thread. I couched the thread onto the sewn stole, and tah dah!

Here is Becky modeling her new stole, embedded with the spiritual guidance and love from her friends, family and colleagues.

And then later this month I was away from my loom working on a public art installation for the city of Portsmouth NH as part of the city's OverNight Art Projects. Today it was installed. The piece is called "Caught Between US" and is made from recycled fish and shrimp netting, rope, mono-filament, shrimp replacement lures and measures 22' by 10'.

It was inspired by the Piscataqua River that separates Maine from New Hampshire. The piece pays homage to the men and women who work on the Piscataqua River, the marine life that inhabits these waters and the Memorial Bridge, which connects the Seacoast communities.

The title "Caught Between Us" evokes the uncertain future of the Memorial Bridge as well as the fragility of the marine environment. This piece was ironically conceived prior to the catastrophic environmental disaster that is continuing to unfold in the Gulf of Mexico.

So hang on to those orders and questions.
I will be back on June 20th.
Until then, as they say in Bali ~~ Sampai jumpa lagi
See you later!
Sarah

New Strings Attached!

2010-05-17T20:08:00.000-04:00

Spring is a traditional time for cleaning and spiffing up one's home and perhaps if you are ambitious, one's studio. I sell many apron re-string kits and I will admit it....I have never put one on my looms. So when asked for advice or help, I usually stammer, guess or refer folks to Eddie.

This week I asked Eddie if I could come over and take some photos of how he puts the string aprons on new looms. So here you go weavers, a step by step tutorial of replacing those worn out or frayed apron strings.

Here is a scanned copy of the instructions that come with the re-string kit.

First you will need to make a template. This should be a board as wide as your loom that has a series of tacks at 2" intervals.

Here's a photo of the one from the shop that Edie uses. You will place this template on the top of the loom castle. Secure it with clamps or tie it down.

On a plain beam draw a pencil line that is straight from left to right. You might find a line that was drawn at the factory. This is the line that the tacks will be place on. For a sectional beam turn the beam so that the sections to be tacked are nearly vertical. Clamp the beam so that it cannot turn.

This is the beam on Eddie's work bench. Yours will just stay on the loom. And the template will be attached to the castle.

Here's the whole set up in the shop. To set the tacks into the beam you will need a hammer and some muscle, or an electric staple gun with 3/8" staples.

Beginning at the gear (brake) end, tack down the end on the pencil line. Tie a knot to secure the tack and the string.

Then loop up to the template and go around the first nail.

Then back down to the beam, and tack down the string.

Secure it with a knot around the tack. Pull the string down to create a secure join at the tack.

Repeat this up and down motion with the apron string. Staple and knot at the beam. This is not a difficult job. But it does require some set up to achieve satisfactory results. Just like weaving!!

Once you have gone from one edge of the beam the the other. You will secure the end on the beam with a double knot. The looped ends that are on the template will now be placed on the apron rod in a larks head slip knot.

I hope this helps those of you who are tackling this job, or those who are contemplating doing it.

So have fun! Happy Weaving!

Sarah

Happy Birthday Blog!!

2010-03-21T11:54:00.000-04:00

There are many reasons to celebrate this week! First of all we celebrate the one year birthday of the "Macomber Looms and Me" blog.

Happy Birthday!! Thanks to everyone for your kind words of support. I celebrate with you the power of community and the sharing of ideas/information to help us all be better weavers and better human beings!

And another celebration is due...I cut off the "Tree of Life" commission from my loom. The cutting off of any weaving is always a bit nerve wracking, nervous tension as well as anticipation and excitement. There is still a fair amount of embroidery and finishing to do, but here it is in the raw.

And finally here is a photo of a part some folks ask me about ~ the warp separator for double weaving. This part keeps your two warps from riding over each other and causing problems as you advance one warp and not the other.

Happy Weaving....and another reason to celebrate...it is officially spring!

Happy Spring!!
Sarah

New tricks for an old-ish weaver!

2010-03-17T20:42:00.000-04:00

OK...I'll admit it, well ...no, not my age...but the fact that I have been weaving for over 40 years...can this be true?? And for over 30 of those years I have woven on Macomber Looms. Well, this week I learned a new trick for my loom! (By the way my loom is 35 years old!)

Fellow weaver Morgan Clifford sent these pics to me. I will give her credit for this wonderful technique of safely viewing your work in progress. As you can see in the photos, simply unhitch the front breast beam by lifting the side arms up. Then release the dog/ratchet system, and unroll your work for a preview. Let the weight of the breast beam roll the work out with even tension.

When you are done admiring your beautiful work, use the cloth advance handle to crank up the work. Let the weight of the breast beam create the tension you need to rewind the work in progress to a healthy tension.

Such a brilliant and beautiful idea! Thanks Morgan! Thanks Christy (the weaver in the photos) for sharing your beautiful rug in-process!

Happy weaving from Maine where the crocuses are getting plump and ready to pop open!
Sarah

Mystery part number one

2010-03-03T11:59:00.000-05:00

My weaver friend Al out in Seattle sent me a photo of this part.

And here it is on my loom. This part is the cloth beam advance handle. When not in use it hangs freely from the cloth beam , between the ratchet and the right hand support for the cloth beam. When you want to advance the cloth beam, you push it into the ratchet and lift up, engaging the teeth of the ratchet with the handle.

Hope this solves the mystery Al!

CP brakes and a TLC gallery

2010-03-02T08:59:00.000-05:00

Oh you wonderful weavers! Thank you for all the great images of your looms that have been lovingly restored. I will post a few here for viewing pleasure and perhaps a bit of inspiration for those of us who are contemplating a TLC effort!

Plus here is an extra bonus, a photo of the CP sectional friction brake system, as requested by a fellow weaver. Enjoy!! And happy weaving!

A CP in California that has been restored.

Gertie, the lovingly restored vintage 1950s loom in upstate NY.

I will post more images soon. I also have a few images of adaptations that weavers have made to their looms. So stay tuned. Meanwhile...happy weaving!

Sarah

Sit up Straight!

2010-03-01T11:56:00.000-05:00

Mother was right. Good posture is important, especially when you are using your body in a repetitive motion such as weaving. I know from personal experience how extremely important ergonomics and good body mechanics are.

In 1990, after weaving for 20 years, I ruptured a disc in my lower back. The physicians agreed it was from the repetitive motion of weaving, the lifting of heavy harnesses and twisting associated with throwing the shuttle. So my advice comes from experience.

Here is an article that I wrote for Handwoven Magazine, March April 1993. You can read what I learned and how I made the necessary changes, so that now, 20 years later I am weaving with no pain, no problems and a healthy back. Click on the article and you can read it!

I made two significant changes in my studio after the back injury. I switched to an air dobby, so with the 56" loom I no longer use my legs and lower back to power up the harnesses. You can read more about this system in a March 2009 blog posting.

The other adaptation I made was to have a woodworker friend build me a 60" wide bench with a sliding seat. This bench is magnificent, the seat glides across the width of my loom allowing me to catch and throw shuttles without the twisting ordinarily found in this motion. This was a custom built bench, but with a bit of research, I bet you can find a happy woodworker to make you one!

I also find that a daily practice of some kind of stretching is crucial to maintaining good body health. (I practice yoga.) I LOVE to weave, so I am faithful to the changes I have made. These changes make the difference to me between weaving with a healthy back and not weaving at all. What do you do??

PS~~~ We have had a streak of bad weather here. Lost power for 3 days. The shop is still closed as of today (Mar 1st). So for those of you waiting for quote, info or a response from me...hang in there!

CP brakes, something old with the new, and a pronounciation lesson

2010-02-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone for their questions, curiosity and support for my efforts with all things Macomber.

First off, today I want to explain how to pronounce the name of our looms...it is MAY-cum-ber. Rhymes with cucumber. I don't mind how anyone pronounces it, but since someone asked me yesterday, I thought I'd share this tidbit with you.

Now for the technical news. A weaver has asked for an image of the back warp brake system for the CP. Here is the way a ratchet brake system is set up, with the release on the castle.

The brake release on the castle.

As you can see the spring is attached to the upright with one screw. The "dog" is attached with one screw also. The dog is the metal part that sits down in the clogs of the ratchet. The spring holds the dog down and engaged with the ratchet to create the brake system.

The chain goes from the dog to the wire brake release on the castle.When you pull the wire forward you pull the chain which pulls up the dog and releases the brake.

And lastly, I have a weaver in NY who has one of the oldest looms that I am selling parts for. I believe that it is a 1950s vintage. It is weaving beautifully thanks to tender loving care by this weaver. Here's a quote for her latest email:
"We took out all the side wires and straightened and cleaned them. When reinstalling the wires, we discovered that there ARE jack bumpers, though perhaps also of 1950s vintage and in need of replacement. Interestingly, they were installed on the vertical side of the wood jack stop block, not on the surface under the jacks — no wonder the jacks were not level! For now we installed them in the right place, and voila, even as can be!

Also redid all the chains so every hook faces the same direction and all the chains are equally long with no twists. It looks so neat!! And the harnesses line up just like little soldiers. There is a verrrry slight tilt to the back, as you said there would be, but only noticeable with a level, not with the eye.

Speaking of eyes, the heddle eyes are now about 1.5" below the front and back beams. We had to go back and add one link to each chain to accomplish that, but I thought it was well worth the extra time. All the lamms are in their correct slots now; and I snugged up superhooks, too."

And just to illustrate that you can blend the old with the new, here is an image of the lamms on this older loom, with the new super tie-up hooks. This is what I recommend to all weavers who have the old style lamms and hooks, swtich to the newer super hooks and use them this way. You will be happier. And speaking of which, isn't that what we all long for...to be happier and to be weaving with a well functioning loom!

Happy weaving to all ~ Sarah

Spiffing up your loom!

2010-01-11T13:05:00.000-05:00

I have had a few requests lately about how to spiff up (translate as clean or refurbish) a Macomber Loom. Usually one thinks of cleaning as a Spring activity, but here in my studio, I find that winter is the perfect time. I don't have the distractions of the gardens or summer activities and today's weather does not lure me to be out side for long. So here in my studio, the time is perfect to do a bit of loom maintenance.

I blogged about the Vaseline on the B4 and B5 models. Read about this in a March entry. Similarly you need to occasionally put Vaseline on the CP models where the jack post inserts into the bottom of the harness.

Like so:

Here are some other CP cleaning/spiffing tasks.

Use a small brush to clean the dust and lint out of the wooden harness tracks.

Spray a bit of silicon spray on these same tracks.

The same steps are followed to clean the tracks below where the lamms slide in the wooden tracks.

Dust, spray with silicon and apply Vaseline to the brass jacks.

If the wood finish on your loom is looking worn and scuffed. Use a fine grade steel wool to gently rub the surface. Then use a Pledge spray or similar product to seal the wood. I find that weavers often use masking tape to hold down their raddle. Over this habit over time will build up a gummy deposit on the wood. Steel wool will remove this material and the oil will bring the wood back.

If the finish is in very rough shape, use the steel wool to remove the flaking and chipped varnish. Then apply a satin finish polyurethane such as Minwax.

If the finish is simply dirty (coffee, tea or perhaps wine spills!) use Murphy's Oil soap to gently wash it. Dry and apply the Pledge.

These looms are work horses, but like all animals they need TLC, feeding and tending. Love your loom and it will give you MANY, I repeat MANY years of excellent service. I consistently sell parts to weavers who have looms that are 40, 50 and even 60 years old.

You will be a happier weaver from your time spent caring for your loom. Trust me!

Happy weaving! As always, I enjoy hearing from you ~ Sarah

Next Best Thing

2010-01-02T14:31:00.000-05:00

Many folks ask me if there is a manual to go with the Macomber Looms. The answer is no, sadly. One of my efforts with this blog is to serve as a replacement for all topics that might be covered if such a manual existed.

Today, as I was dressing my CP, I realized that many weavers might not know about the sweet little feature on the CP that holds the harnesses up for threading.

This long thin wire with a curve at one end is the tool for this job.

On the front top part of the castle there are two holes. The upper hole is where this wire inserts when you are weaving. It is not imperative that the wire is inserted for weaving, but it keeps this wire from getting lost if you just leave it there!

When you are transporting the loom (it is a portable after all!), it is imperative that the wire is inserted here. When the wire is in position, it keeps the harnesses from sliding out of the castle during travel.

Now here is the really sweet part...when you are threading the loom, you can raise up the harnesses and lock them in this position with this same wire.

To do this ~ raise up all the harnesses, slide the wire out from the upper position, and insert it in the lower set of holes. You will need to wiggle it under all the harness frames.

If I do not have all the harnesses tied up to treadles, I use my hands to lift and hold the harnesses up while sliding the wire underneath.

Be sure to slide it all the way across the frame and insert it into the back of the castle.

Over the years, a couple of these wires have been bent due to some misuse or another. This makes it a little challenging to insert it in the back hole. But with persistence, I can get it in. The other alternative is to use wires from one loom on the other.

Here is a picture of the same set up from above. It is hard to get a photo without a lot of clutter...remember this is a working studio! Avery, the dog (upper right), is waiting for a dog biscuit!

Hope this tip helps!
Happy weaving ~ Sarah

Once in a Blue Moon

2010-01-01T17:19:00.000-05:00

Happiest of New Years to each of you! I hope that 2010 brings you much joy, good health and prosperity. I wish you many hours of weaving that offer a deep sense of pride in your efforts.

Yesterday, on New Year's Day eve, I wove this blue linen (left over from last month's small commission with the bird). As I was struck by the coincidence that last night was a blue moon and I wove this delicious blue fabric.

Blue is perhaps my favorite color, and this deep hand dyed indigio blue is simply my idea of perfection.

The blue fabric has been washed, pressed and pinned to hem it into towel. I just love it when I get a little unplanned bonus off a warp. Here is the hand towel ready to be hemmed.

January is my FAVORITE month to be in the studio. It is usually a slow month for teaching, there are no holidays that require gifts or decorating. I have long hours to sink into my work. Maine winters frequently serve up snowy days that require that I stay home in the studio. How sweet.

I hope the same for each of you ~ time to ponder, to reflect and honor the joys of building cloth by intersecting threads.Weave and bring joy to your world.

Peace, Sarah

Back at the shop

2009-12-12T10:06:00.000-05:00

I stopped by the Macomber shop yesterday and snapped several images to post here. One of you requested an image of a bench, so here's a couple of shots of a AD-40" bench ready to be shipped to Arkansas.

The bench has an adjustable height seat and a storage shelf underneath. Here you see Rick admiring his work, having just completed this 56" 16H loom with an Air Dobby system and two sectional beams.

Rick is chceking out the Air Dobby system to be sure that it is all working properlly before he ships the loom.

Rick and Eddie are getting the loom ready to ship. The loom will be placed on the large palette behind it, and then wrapped and strapped down. Behind Rick are the bench and the treadle cover. This box serves as a foot rest as well as protects your toes from getting squished when the Air Dobby engages the treadles.

As you can see in this photo the treadle cover slides easily over these treadles.

Happy weaving ~ from bitter cold Maine! Sarah

PS. NEWS FLASH~~ Local newspaper article about my art work in the community. Check it out!

Foster's Daily Democrat ~ Sunday Citizen December 13, 2009

Swinging beaters, words of praise and birds that sing!

2009-12-10T16:18:00.000-05:00

Now that I am back in the studio, I can really make up for lost time! I found an image of the completed piece I posted yesterday. In this image the piece is being sewn to the backing and then it will be installed in a custom frame. You can see that the finished piece has the logo (inside the house) of the non-profit foundation that commissioned this artwork for their retiring executive director. The singing bird is a symbolic way of honoring this woman's work for the organization, a work of joy!

I had a call from a weaver who is refinishing a used loom. Her questions concerned the mounting of the beater, which by the way is a very SWEET feature of the Macomber Loom. The beater upright sits on a bolt which is screwed into a small cast iron piece. The small cast iron piece is screw mounted to the base of the loom.

You can adjust the height of the beater by selecting which slot to rest upon the bolt. The other adjustment is that you can swing this small cast iron part forward and backward (might need to loosen the bolt attachment).

When you swing this small cast iron part, it will adjust how close the beater sits against the castle. Often if the floor is not level, this will affect the way the beater rest against the castle upright, causing one side of the beater to hit and another to be a slight distant away. By fine tuning the beater with this small cast part, you can accommodate for any imbalance.

Your warp should rest comfortably on the beater race (the straight horizontal bar). By raising or lowering the height of the beater and fine tuning the left/right position, you can get it perfect!

And finally words from a weaver who has a Macomber Air Dobby System
"I continue to marvel that the system works so well. My back pain is a memory. I timed a chenille scarf last week and could weave 90" scarf in exactly one hour. I think that is probably substantially faster than foot treadling a scarf of the same size. Yea."

Happy weaving! Sarah

Winter is a time for weaving !

2009-12-09T17:44:00.000-05:00

Here in Maine it is a blustery, stormy day. The Solstice in about two weeks away. I love this time of year. It is conducive to long hours in the studio, hunkered down with my threads, color, texture and patterns. I have been away from my blog, and way over-due for a refresher posting. So here's news that's been waiting!

Last month I completed a small commission on one of my CP looms. Here it is in process. And then a photo of the same piece with embroidery in process. I'll have photos of the piece completed soon (waiting for those from the professional photographer!).

At the Macomber shop looms are being built and shipped. Here's a happy weaver with his new loom!

Keith in New Brunswick Canada with his new 40" 8 H Macomber Loom!

Did you know that you can get reeds in any size from Macomber? Rick was mentioning to me that he can special order reeds, even if it your loom is not a Macomber.

Did you know that you can send your loom back to the shop, where they will lovingly restore it? I had a student who did this with her CP, and she is SO happy! Her 30 year old loom is like new.

I have promised more photos and will drop in the shop this week to get photos of the current looms in process, as well as a bench photo.

Meanwhile, for a treat check out this fun seasonal video of sheep herding.

Happy weaving to all! Light and hope to each of you ~ Sarah

Loom for sale !

2009-10-11T20:29:00.000-04:00

48" Ad-A-Harness Macomber Type B folding Large Mac made from Hand Selected Kiln dried Hard Maple. 8 Harnesses in a 16 harness frame ~ can add up to 8 more Harnesses

1 yard sectional warp beam, friction brake, warp separator, bench, all stainless heddles, and 2 extra stainless steel reeds

Price for new similar equipment is $4441.

Asking $3200. The buyer will need to arrange for shipping or pick up.
Tracy Mannikko
730 Claremore Drive
West Palm Beach , FL 33401
561-653-0108 home/office
561-676-2259 cell (back up only)
email tracyrdm3@msn.com

More Testimonials

2009-10-11T16:55:00.000-04:00

More fine words from your colleagues out there in weaver's world.

"Just back from a workshop in NJ. It re-enforced my love affair with
my Macomber looms. I took my very portable 20" four shaft Macomber. I worked on Baby Wolfe, Schact, Dorsett, and table looms I refuse to mention.

Nothing worked as well as the 30 year old Macomber even with a frayed break cord which I will now replace. "
~~ Shuttle Song in MA

And because I cannot make a post without an image, here's one from last spring of work in progress.

Sarah

One of your voices

2009-10-09T11:14:00.000-04:00

I received this email from a weaver who posted her loom for sale with me back in April. She asked me to post these thoughts from her:

"I was asked recently if my loom was still for sale. Yes! It is.

I was also asked about AVL looms and if I had any comparisons. With 30+ years of weaving experience, these are my opinions. I have woven on both looms. It depends on what you are weaving.

In my experience, if you are weaving rugs or weft-faced structures, you need a strong loom that can take a lot of beating. Macomber is excellent for this. My first loom was the old Norwood, 4 harness loom, and it was beautiful. I had to put an angle iron on the beater, though, to weave weft-faced structures. Later, with my non-functional work, I used linen yarns and needed precise, strong, even tension, and the Macomber delivered.

When I purchased the Macomber, I had no idea what I would be weaving. I have thoroughly appreciated the versatility of the Macomber as it can handle yardage, scarves, pillows, etc., etc. Thanks. Hope all is well in ME" Karen Rutherford

And just to give you a sense of what is happening here in my studio, images of my work in progress. Happy weaving! Sarah

An open and shut case

2009-09-28T10:39:00.001-04:00

Happy fall, weavers!

Here are some photos of the CP (portable loom) in both the open and folded positions. This is my 24" 8H with double back beams.

If you have one of the great small looms....PLEASE remember to unhook the treadles BEFORE you fold it up. If you leave the tie-up hooks on the treadles, you will bend them. The loom is meant to be folded up without the tie-up hooks in place.

Happy weaving everyone!

Sarah

Brakes and cranks

2009-09-21T10:48:00.000-04:00

The crank handle on the Macomber Loom fits over the squared off solid cast iron ends of both front and back beams. There might be a tad bit of "play" between the beam end and the inside of the crank. It does not stay on the loom while you are weaving. It is a removable tool that you take on and off when you need to use it.

Hope this helps those curious minds!

Happy weaving, Sarah

Brakes and storage box

2009-09-20T20:50:00.000-04:00

Greetings weavers!

I have had several requests for images of particular parts of the Macomber looms. Because many curious minds want to see these images, I will post them here for all to see.

First of all is the storage box that fits snugly on the castle of the portable. This storage box was recently made by Eddie to fit on my 40 year old CP.

Next is a photo of the front brake system on the portable. This is a dog and ratchet system. The dog is held in place by a wire spring. Often this wire gets bent and is non-functional.

The last image here is of the double brake system on my 56". Notice that the upper beam has a friction brake and the lower beam has a dog ratchet system. Both brakes are linked to the same release treadle.

Hope this helps those who are curious and need help. Stay in touch, happy weaving!

Sarah

Down below and wise words

2009-09-14T20:12:00.000-04:00

I have had a request to see what the treadle system looks like on a portable. Here is a photo of my older 20" CP. Notice that I use the newer super hooks that go over the older style lamms. Works fine!

Also notice recently vacuumed studio floor. I had clients come for a studio visit today...made me really clean up this place!!

And here is a lovely email from a weaver. I asked him if I could quote it. Every so often I get someone asking me why is a Macomber Loom better and an XXXX Loom. This weaver says it so sweetly:

"After a year and a half of instruction and lots of hours on various looms, all of which were thoroughly enjoyable, I've decided on a 'Mac' for my loom. Ease of tie-up, the consistently clean sheds that the tie-up system produces and the loom's rugged construction all appeal to me."

"I also really love the rear-hinged treadles on the Mac's since they don't fatigue me nearly as much as do the front-hinged ones. The collapsible cloth bar and removable beater also appeal to me since they facilitate dressing from the rear which is my preferred mode of dressing a loom. " Keith in Fredericton, N.B., Canada

Do you have a testimonial to share??

Or do you need a photo of some obscure or confusing loom part?

I welcome all requests!

Happy weaving, Sarah

Strange parts department

2009-09-10T16:35:00.000-04:00

This part is one of loose objects that rarely gets passed on from one owner to another. It is the gizmo that you use to hold the brake down so that winding the warp is easier. If you do not have this part any more (and believe me most weavers do not!), you can easily fashion a similar device that does the same job. The goal is to prop something between the brake pedal and the cross piece at the bottom of the loom.

One photo here shows the device in place. Remember that I have an air dobby so my cross piece is cast iron, not wood. The green hose is the air pressure hose to run the dobby system.

Included here is a photo detail of the back brake system on my loom. I have two back beams. The upper beam has a friction brake and the lower beam has a ratchet brake. The friction brake uses the springs and the ratchet brake uses the spring. I hope this helps those of you who are struggling to set up loom that have been disassembled. If you need more images, let me know!

I am back to work steadily in the studio. Making serious progress on the "Tree of Life" commission.

Happy weaving! Sarah

Tensioner and thread guide

2009-08-24T14:48:00.000-04:00

I have had several requests for more information and images of this piece of equipment. So I decided to take a spontaneous quick trip over to the shop. Eddie set up a tensioner and thread guide on a loom for a photo shoot. What a great guy!!

I also have scanned a copy of the set up directions for the tensioner/thread guide.

I hope this helps those of you that are sectional warpers!

Sarah

At home in the studio

2009-08-24T11:52:00.001-04:00

Greetings everyone! I am home now, for a long spell. Grounded in the studio, preparing for the fall semester at the NH Institute of Art (Manchester, NH) where I teach a course to all BFA candidates that helps prepare them for the "real" world.

I am pleased that so many of you email me with your questions about your Macomber equipment. Thanks to all for your orders for part and looms.

My big news is that my Global Community Art Project: "Woven Voices" has received The Sarah Farmer Peace Award from the Baha"i's of Seacoast NH. I hope to post images of this award ceremony soon!

Please keep in touch, and HAPPY weaving!

Sarah
PS. The images is a detail from "Seed Root" series

Brief touch down

2009-08-14T10:29:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Vacationland! This is the nick name for the glorious state of Maine. I must say that at long last we are indeed living in the land of vacationers. My little village of York swells with folks from all over the world who enjoy our beautiful coastline and beaches.

I have heard from many of you that you are getting great info from the blog and that you appreciate the support for "all things Macomber". Thanks to all for staying in touch.

I also really appreciate all the orders for parts and looms. Let me know how I can continue to help you.

I will be away from my phone and email from August 15 - 22. So hang on to those questions and orders until I get back, or rush them in before 9 AM 9/15.

These pictures are from my last few weeks of living large in the great state of Maine. I will be grounded back in the studio on August 24th. Look for more tips and photos about weaving after that!

Peace, Sarah

Blog on vacation !

2009-07-17T12:08:00.000-04:00

Summer......at last! I will be away for three weeks from July 18 through August 9th. I will have sporadic email during this time. The first week I will be with dear women friends on a 200 acre private island off the coast of Brunswick, ME. I plan to draw, read, sleep, swim and eat. The second week I will be taking a graduate course out in Oakland CA, working towards my Masters in Art and Healing from Wisdom University. And the third week I will be sailing in Penobscot Bay Maine.

There might be small smidgens of time for me to respond to emails. But most queries will have to wait until I return.

Hooray for summer!! I hope that each of you find a time to rejuvenate your creative energy, to feed your spirit and to play in nature. Summer here in Maine is SO brief that I find it important to seize the moment.

Here are some photos of my current work in progress. You can see how I thread the reed. It looks like the reed is bending, but trust me it is fine in this position for short periods of threading.
These skeins of dyed weft await my return.

Keep weaving, and stay curious. I am always happy to listen and help.
Peace, Sarah

Little tid bits and more

2009-07-07T09:22:00.000-04:00

I was over at the shop this week, and picked up the closest thing to a manual that Macomber has. I have scanned the set up instructions for both the Type B and CP Looms. I hope this helps those folks that are restoring older looms. I am happy to post images if you send them.

I spoke with Eddie again about those tie-up super hooks. His advice for those of you using the newer hooks on the older lamms, is to be sure that they are "crimped" tightly at the bend. Since the older lamms are fatter, they will tend to push out the hook. Thus you will have troubles with the hooks falling off or catching on adjacent lamms. Hope this helps!

Here's a note from a reader..a historical tid bit for fun: " I don't know if you are aware of this, but 'way back "when" Macomber used to supply a hex beam that made it possible to use the Structo ready-wound spools with a Mac! Last Summer I purchased a 50-yr-old "baby" with all the extras still with it and, lo and behold, one of the hex beams! I used a lot of Structos in my teaching and had worked out a way to re-fill empty spools as if they were sections of a sectional beam. I had had the tension box on the back beam of my big Macomber and a small metal Structo clamped to the breast beam, but am going to experiment today with using the Baby Mac to do that.Anyway, just a little Macomber trivia for you!!!
Nancy C.

That's it for now...gotta get back to threading, half way done!
Peace, Sarah

The price list

2009-07-02T13:04:00.000-04:00

Here it is...the Macomber Loom price list. Of course you can't read it unless you click on it to get it a readable size.

As you can see this copy has been well loved; spilled coffee, marked up. Rather lived in, I'd say. And also please note that the prices have not changed since 2004. So buy now!

Any questions?? From (still rainy) Maine~ Sarah

It's a beautiful sight

2009-06-30T18:25:00.000-04:00

I just had to share this sight. The hand dyed double warp is all ready to thread. You might be interested in my set up. I keep the warps under tension by using cut up tube socks, and looping three inch sections under the harnesses and then slip them under the front beam. This trick makes it a breeze to thread this warp at 36 epi!

Don't you just love how the front of this loom drops to make threading so easy on the back?

My next step will be to raise the harnesses to make the heddles at eye level. I will post photos of the way I set up this as well as my quirky way I thread the reed.

I hope that these photos help you understand my set-up.
~ Sarah

Warping tip from one of you!

2009-06-28T10:41:00.000-04:00

Yet another rainy day here in Maine. I am certainly getting much done in my studio these days!! Freshly dyed warps here.

Here is a tip for sectional warpers from Kathy in VT:

"At a pet store, you can buy plastic tubing for use in aquariums. It's about a quarter of an inch in diameter, I'm guessing. It is just the right size to fit over the metal dividers on the sectional beam. Cut it into short lengths (4-5 inches). For each section that you are about to fill with yarn, attach one end of tube to the left metal divider, then bend it and attach the other end to the divider on the next (empty) section adjacent to the section you are filling. Do this for all the dividers on both the left and right sides. Each tube creates a barrier so that threads cannot overstep the divider and wind into the wrong section. Then remove the tubes and do this with the next section to be warped."

The photos here show the plastic tubing and how to set it up on the sectional beam posts.

Thanks Kathy!!
Anyone else want to send me a handy hint?? Please do so. Photos help to tell the story.

Happy weaving, Sarah

Weaving in the rain!!

2009-06-23T20:11:00.000-04:00

I know the song is actually singing in the rain....but these days here in Maine we have had 3 weeks of rain, with only four days of sunshine. One of those days was my birthday (thank you very much!!). The good side of this yucky weather is that it has been great studio time. I have had the opportunity to make head way on a commission that has been in the works for months. And here is a photo of a newly finished piece in a show at the Wentworth Gardner House, a historical house in Portsmouth NH.

Here's my artists statement about the piece: "Feeding the Heart" ~ This title is a direct quote from a credo attributed to Wallace Nutting, a NH photographer who once owned the Wentworth Gardner House. "America, with its abundant materials everywhere for dwellings that will outlast the ages, will fail disgracefully unless she can learn that the monuments which are nearer than any other to feeding the heart and enshrining history are old dwellings." This piece is hand-dyed, woven linen, rayon, metallic threads and hand spun paper with photographs on canvas. 26" x 56"

Now some thoughts about Macomber Looms. Many of you write to me about trouble with the little tie up hooks, especially those on the CP portable looms. I spoke with Eddie this morning to pick his brain again about this problem. He said that one typical cause of problems with these hooks it that sometimes folks fold the looms with the hooks still attached. You MUST unhook all the treadles from the lamms prior to folding the CP loom.

If you have an older style CP with the lamms with the dense cardboard on them often the holes get stretched out and do not hold the hooks tightly. If this is the case, you will benefit from switching to the new style hooks. I know I have written abut this issue before, but since so many of you still ask me about it, I thought it worth repeating.

Many folks have also asked me about a manual for the looms. There is no manual to speak of. If you purchase a new loom CP you will get a short booklet about your loom. With the type B looms you will get a 2 pages of information about unpacking your loom. That is one major reason I started this blog...to share information and help folks with their looms.

Keep the questions coming. Fingers crossed for sunshine here! Photo here of hand-over-hand weaving in a health care setting....sunshine for the spirit!
Sarah

Model numbers part two

2009-05-27T11:54:00.000-04:00

Here's the scoop on the Portable Loom numbering system as well as the Extra Large Macs.
Portables (Baby Macs)that are older than about 1976 were all numbered as CP 11. After that date the models are labeled as follows:

CP-F = 16"
CP-G= 20" 6H frame
CP-H= 20" 8H frame
CP-J = 24"

And finally the Type B1 Folding Looms, or Extra Large Macs are the following models:

B1 - M= 98"
B1-N = 122"
B1-O = 146"

The serial numbers are as explained in my last post, sequential from 1- 10,000. And as I mentioned, these model labels are more for the loom builders, so that they can build the correct parts for your loom. Hope this unravels any mystery you might have had about the model and serial numbers!

This photo is of a prayer flag being woven on one of my portables.

Keep the questions coming! Happy weaving!
Sarah

Making sense

2009-05-25T19:31:00.000-04:00

This blog posting is all about deciphering the model and serial number on your Macomber Loom. Every loom made by Macombers since 1936 has a metal tag on the side of the castle. This plate pictured here is from my 56" 16H loom that I purchased new in 1976.

The serial number is a sequentially assigned number that goes from 1 - 10,000. These numbers are tied to a date of manufacture and assigned to the original owner. Once these numbers reach 10,00, they start the numbering system all over. The serial number on my loom is 2489. Rick says that he thinks that all total Macomber Looms has built roughly 30 - 40,000 looms since 1936 when the records began.

The model number is defined by the size of the loom. The models numbers define the weaving width of the loom. B5 Looms are 24" , 32", and 40". B4 Looms are 48", 56", 64" and 72".

The letter following the number defines the weaving width of your loom.

B5~

A=24"
B=32"
C=40"

B4~

D=48"
E=56"
K=64"
L=72"

The model number on my loom is B4E. It is a 56" weaving width loom. The model numbers and letter help the loom builders decide what size wood to use to build your loom. There is an exception to this system. A 40" loom that has the capacity for 12 or 16 harnesses is built with the B4 size wood. So these looms would be model numbers B4C.

You don't really need to understand all this. These numbers are mainly for the guys at Macombers to know what size materials to use to build parts for your loom. In my next blog posting, I'll decipher the portable looms serial and model numbers.

Here's another shot of a model and serial label from a 20 harness 56 loom (the one that recently sold thru the blog).

If I have totally confused you, my apologies...and...no worries! Keep weaving, be happy. These numbers and letters are only important if you want to order parts.

~ Sarah

Spring Cleaning!

2009-05-11T12:04:00.000-04:00

Look what I unearthed while looking for packing materials to ship some art work to a gallery!

This is a 3/4 yard sectional beam that I have hardly used. It was purchased in the 1980s for a specific project. It's time to sell it!

It has a friction brake, is 56" wide. A new one goes for $330 including the friction brake. I am happy to sell it for $200 plus shipping.

Email or call me, it can be yours!

Sarah

Down Under: the story of hooks and treadles

2009-05-11T10:33:00.000-04:00

I have had a few questions about treadles and other moving parts down under the loom. The Macomber treadles are a piece of wood with a slot cut into it to accommodate the hook. There are two style of hooks. The old style hooks (also known as regular) and the super hook.

There are two styles of lamms. The older Macomber lamms are made from a metal bar with a heavy duty cardboard strip across the top. This cardboard strip has holes in it to correspond to each treadle. The regular hooks insert into these holes to create the tie-up connection.

The newer lamms are all aluminum. The super hooks simply slip over the lamm to create the tie-up connection. Here's a photo of a super hook.

Over time the cardboard strip across the old style lamms become worn out and the regular hooks often pop out as you are weaving. The solution here is to switch to the new super hooks. You can use the super hooks with the old style lamms.

Here's a photo of the newer lamm and super hook connection under one of my portables.

Sometime folks ask me about sticky treadles and hook connections. I went over the Macomber this AM to have coffee with Eddie. We chatted and here's our list of possible solutions:

clean out the dust from the treadles
silicon spray (or try soap or wax) in the slotted wooden track
do the same to the hooks
use a dehumidifier as the wood will swell with moisture
if there has ever been water damage, the treadles will be permanently damaged. You will need to return them to Macomber to be re-slotted.

Also underneath the Larger B-model looms is this item. Many folks have no idea what it is...so I thought I might help out. This is a lamm depressor. As you are working on a new tie-up, simply use this device to hold a lamm depressed while you connect all the treadles needed for that harness. It is very handy if you have a complicated tie-up and need to connect many treadles to one harness for a pattern. Simply put the aluminum part on top of the lam, use the lever to depress the lamm, and then slip the hook under the wooden cross piece to hold the lamm depressed. Now the lamm is in a position so you can attach the hooks needed for each treadle across the loom.

I no longer need this tool as I never do tie-ups any more...the air-dobby system is a dream!!

I hope my explanations and photos are helpful!

Keep the questions coming. I'm always happy to help out. Orders welcome too!

Sarah

Remember to check out the Woven Voices blog!

Thread by Thread

2009-04-28T20:36:00.000-04:00

Thread by thread has been a motto of mine for years. It defines the methodical and steady approach to my work and life in general. It also is how I hope to make a difference in the world, one thread at a time. If you have not visited my blog about the Woven Voices project, I hope you will.

Here on the Macomber Looms and Me blog, I hope to offer the same steady support, to build community and provide information for all things to do with Macomber Looms. This blog has been up for about 6 weeks. I have heard from weavers as far away as California and as close as New Hampshire. Big thanks to those of you who have placed orders with me. I appreciate your support. If you do order through me, the cost is the same as if you call Eddie and Rick, but you get my extra attention for free!

Speaking of Eddie, I recently asked him about routine maintenance. He mentioned the Vaseline on the bronze jacks, plus these other simple tasks:

Silicone spray the lamms and side wires where they glide through the wooden tracks, see photos here.
A light wash with Murphy's oil soap to remove dust.
I don't know about you all, but I find a good vacuuming underneath the loom at the end of a warp, is good for the loom and therapeutic for me too.

I hope to post soon some vintage photos of Macomber Looms. But while I wait for Rick or Eddie to unearth those photos, I want to start an online gallery of your looms! One weaver I recently spoke with had received a loom in parts. I'm sure she will find these photos helpful as she reconstructs her loom. Others may have made modifications to their loom that they might want to share. So email me your images (small files please!) and I will upload them onto an online gallery. Email your photos to sarah(at)sarahhaskell(dot)com Thanks! I can't wait to see what you send!

Speaking of photos, this photo was taken of me in 1982, weaving with the first generation of Macomber computerized looms. This unit was called the Designer's Delight, had a single operation computer that read treadling sequences off a small plastic key. A weaver would have several keys for all the patterns used. There was one single pedal with solenoids that attached to each harness. The weaver still had to physically lift all the harnesses, but there was no longer the need to get on the floor to complete the tie-up. I wove with this system for several years, until I had a major back injury in 1990. In the end, I traded this unit to another weaver in exchange for some gorgeous hand-spun hand-dyed wool. I still have the sweater that I knit with this yarn!

So keep the lines open, share your thoughts, ask your questions. One thread at a time, we will build a more positive world.

Sarah

Loom for sale !

2009-04-11T08:55:00.000-04:00

MACOMBER LOOM FOR SALE$4000
56"wide, 20 harness, double back beam, 24 treadles Plus: bench with storage, extra reeds, boat shuttles and bobbins, extra heddles and treadle hooks, electric bobbin winder, raddle, etc.
This loom would be easy to computerize. Macomber Looms has that information. New, this loom would cost approximately $8000. The loom was not used for production weaving. You will need to pick up the loom in Indiana or make arrangements for shipping. Karen Rutherford email: wikrr61(at)yahoo(dot)com
phone: 812-234-2928

Meet Rick and Learn about the Air System

2009-03-29T16:55:00.000-04:00

Last week I was over at Macomber's and guess who I got to pose for a great photo? Meet Rick Hart! Many of you have spoken to Rick on the phone, as his family has owned and operated the business since the 1930s when his Uncle designed the original loom. I promise that in another post I will share more of Macomber Loom's history.

Today I want to give you a VERY brief introduction to the Air Dobby system. I have used this system for at least ten years ( I am embarrassed to say I cannot recall the exact date...note to self..ask Rick) and I have to say that it has been a true life saver (translate to mean back saver, more about that later).

The Air Dobby system will fit on any Macomber Loom and is basically used to raise the harnesses in a specified sequence. The raising of the harnesses is accomplished by the use of pressurized air delivered by hoses to the air cylinders. Each harness is linked to one treadle which is linked to an air cylinder.

To weave, you create a draft using weaving software complete with treadling tie-up and sequence. This weave-draft information is sent electronically to the Air Dobby power supply which tells the air cylinders whether to engage or not. The weft pick sequence is advanced by pressing a small button on the castle of my loom.

This is a VERY simple explanation of the Air Dobby system. Basically what the system does is the heavy lifting. On a 56" Macomber the harnesses are solid steel, so for a 16 harness weave construction, this is a hefty proposition!

The photos here are of the air cylinders, the air pressure gauge, the air compressor (in the garage) and the power supply. I hope this helps you understand the general idea of how the Air Dobby works. Let me know what you have questions about and I will gladly elaborate!

Did you know this??..and today's loom activity

2009-03-24T19:41:00.000-04:00

Did you know that every couple of years you need to do an important maintenance job on your Macomber Loom? I didn't know this until I had owned my loom for about ten years. The jacks on the loom are made of brass, and anywhere that the brass comes in contact with steel, you must apply a good coating of Vaseline.

From what I understand when the brass and the steel come into contact, the brass erodes. This means that on your loom's jacks, the little place where the steel rods insert into the brass jacks must get a dab of Vaseline. The Vaseline acts as a buffer between the two different metals. Here is a photo of me doing this job on my loom. I used a Q-tip to dab the goo in the spot.

Here's a photo of my studio and loom. Notice my lap top, I use it with Patternland software to drive the loom. I cut the piece off the loom and hung it up to review the work. At this point I will do much more to the piece with hand stitching and embellishments. But I thought you all might be interested to see my work in progress.

Happy Day! Sarah

Eddie and the REALLY BIG loom

2009-03-19T17:20:00.000-04:00

Today I dropped by the Macomber Looms shop as promised. Here's a picture of the outside of the shop. In Maine we are in the the beginnings of mud season. Not a pretty time of year!

Inside the shop I find Eddie (all-round-loom-builder-extraordinaire) hard at work making a fitting for a beam. He shows me this really BIG loom being made for a weaver in NY state. It is 122" (that's over 10 ft!!). It does not have the harnesses yet, but you can get a feel for the size of it. All the parts seem to be on steroids! It has two sets of treadles and 8 harnesses. I plan to go back when it is fully dressed out and take more pictures for you! Meanwhile, it is time to weave!
Sarah

Fourty Years Ago Today......

2009-03-16T15:34:00.000-04:00

Well not quite, but close. I started weaving when I was nineteen. If you are fussy about the math, well, let's just say it is pretty darn close to forty years ago that I began my love and fascination with the grid and patterns composed of threads.

About a month ago, I decided to create this blog about my connection with the loom of my choice, the Macomber Loom. This fine machine, made just around the corner from my house/studio, has been built by the same family since 1936. It dawned on me that Macomber Looms has no website itself. So I have taken up the task of creating this blog to tell stories about my connections to Macomber Looms and welcome others to contribute.

As a weaver who has used a Macomber Loom for 35 years and a sales rep for the looms, I am well acquainted with the loom's history and the possibilities that this equipment offers to weavers of all abilities.

This first posting is just to say "hello". I will be posting soon with photos of the Macomber shop, the loom builders and my current projects on my 56" Macomber.