​Hello weaving group! I hope you are well and staying safe in these strange times. In this second blog, as we cannot meet together, I thought I would share some more weaving ideas with you. The shop has a brilliant book “Western Sakiori Weaving”, and as I was putting on the shelf and pricing it, I thought I would flick through and find out what is was about. (It would be rude not to!). This is the start of my Sakiori adventure! The picture below is what I hope to make!

The steps are:
 a) send the shuttle though the warp
b tidy the selvedge so it does not pull
c) change sheds
d) weave a pick with the 5/2 cotton to hold the fabric in place
e) beat hard with the bevelled stick or dining room fork (or tapestry beater) (I actually did 3 picks with the cotton and I think there is too much black in the weave so if I did it again I would use just one pick on the 5/2 cotton.
​f)Weave with the fabric strips again

​That is far as I have got! I think the trial piece is gone all right and I have learned some lessons. Now I need to get the right material for the bag!
 If you want to try it out and make the bag I give you the instructions here. It is taken from the Ashford Handicraft blog (do a Google search if you like) page 2 for the 7th January.
Happy Weaving!

Size: finished width: 38cm (15ins), finished length: 114cm (45ins)
Weave structure: Tabby (plain weave)
You will need:
Loom: Knitters Loom 50cm/20ins (or any rigid heddle loom 50cm or wider)
Reed: 12.5dpi (50/10cm)
Warp Yarn Quantity and Colour: Ashford 100% Unmercerised Cotton 5/2, ne 5/2, 848m/927yds, (3½oz) 200gm cone, #48 Coral Red
Weft Yarn Quantity and Colour: 100% silk cut ripped into 2.5cm (1in) strips
Other: Optional lining in dyed silk 115 x 40cm (45½ x 15¾ins) - lining is optional.
Here’s how:
Total warp ends: 204
Total warp length: 1.5m (5ft)
Finished width: 38cm (15ins)
Finished length: 114cm (45ins)
 Warping
Warp the reed in the unmercerised cotton.
Weaving
1. With the cotton doubled, weave a 12mm (½in) seam allowance.
2. Weave the fabric alternating one pick of the silk strips and one pick of the single cotton.
3. Beat well between each row. Rather than using the reed to beat use a Tapestry beater  or a similar tool, a fork can also work.
4. Cut the ends of the silk strips on the diagonal (see first diagram below) to eliminate bulk when adding new strips.
5. Continue weaving until the length is three times the width after making an allowance for shrinkage, take-up and seams.
6. Finish with a 12mm (½in) seam allowance in the doubled cotton
Finishing
1. Remove from the loom and secure the ends with a zigzag stitch.
2. Hand wash in warm water and a little liquid soap and lay flat to dry. When still a little damp cover with a soft cotton cloth and press with a warm iron.
3. If lining the bag, sew lining to fabric right sides together allowing a 1cm (½in) seam allowance. Turn in the right way and sew seam together.
4. To assemble the bag fold and sew the fabric as shown in the diagram, A to A and B to B.
5. Pull up the corners at C to make the bag.
6. Attach inkle braid at corners for handle.

Problems
It is quite difficult to weave bands, i.e. things like guitar straps or bag handles on a Rigid Heddle loom. The pattern is warp-based so the weft is hidden by the warp. High tension needs to be applied and picking out the correct pattern is a struggle.
I have found the answer in a book from the shop Weaving Patterned Bands by Susan Foulkes, and the answer is a Sunna reed. The 5 pattern slots and holes are the same length and this makes them stand out and it is easier to pick up.