Tutorials

What can you make with fabric? 🙂 So many things! It depends on the type of frame you use and its size, but you can make everything from bracelets, bangles, necklaces, coasters, tablecloths, cushion covers, purses, bags, scarves, rugs... not to mention paintings and wall hangings.

Traditionally, wool, cotton, linen, jute, hemp, and other cool materials and textures like raffia, recycled clothing, sheets, and cables are used. Where is the limit?

The main thing is that you need a support that acts as a frame, thread for the warp and thread for the weft.

There are different types and sizes of frames, as well as accessories that make knitting easier and more enjoyable. You can see our accessories section HERE .

The warp is the set of threads on which the loom is woven. They are placed lengthwise on the frame, or from the inside out on the circular frame, thus creating a base for weaving that is more or less dense.

The weft is made up of the fibers that "fill" the loom, passing through the warp. It is through different wefts and fibers that we create the design, patterns, and textures of our piece.

The Taffeta stitch is the most commonly used basic stitch. This stitch allows you to create many other patterns and designs on your loom. It consists of passing the weft thread over and under the warp.

The Soumak stitch creates a raised, braid-like pattern and adds volume and texture to the piece. It's widely used, especially in wall hangings (but not only!)

The fringes are added both to the base of the tapestry and to other parts of the piece, providing a very beautiful effect!

The brake stitch is used at the beginning and end of the piece to ensure the weft threads don't shift. There are several ways to do this stitch.

You may have come across these two concepts floating around the internet and are wondering what they are.
These two types of looms are very different. Low-warp looms are pedal-operated and more complex to use, although they allow for finer and more elaborate work. They can weave fine, medium, and thick fabrics, with designs ranging from very simple to very complex. The more pedals, the more design options. Setting up the loom is complex and laborious.

High-warp or frame-style weaves are used today to make wall hangings, bracelets, purses, and other pieces where the design is done by hand. Weave frames come in many sizes, which are more portable and much easier to use. They consist of a "frame" with slots or pegs, where the warp is placed and woven.

At Silento Studio, for the moment, we only work with high-warp looms.

There's no quick and easy answer to this question. Depending on many factors, you'll need more or less material: the size of the piece, your knitting style (tighter or looser), the thickness of the material (the finer the yarn, the more meters you'll need), the type of stitch you use (soumak uses more yarn than taffeta, for example)...

And although we don't want to have too many leftovers, it's better to have excess material than not enough, since we can reuse the leftovers in other pieces.

Experience is the best teacher! But you can always write to us and tell us your idea; we'd be happy to guide you.

It depends on the size of the pieces you want to create and also where and how you are going to use it.

Regarding size, keep in mind that small pieces can be created on a large frame. In fact, we offer a removable frame, adjustable to various heights to maximize the use of materials, where you can make pieces of various sizes. We also have a small frame (30 cm long) that can be used for many different projects, plus it's very manageable and easy to carry in your bag to the beach! 😉 It's the ideal frame for beginners on the loom, and also for children.

Weaving with wool is different from weaving with cotton, silk, or other fibers. That's why we've created a Loom Starter Kit , which includes a frame and a mix of wool, cotton, and silk, so you can see, feel, and explore how each one works from the very beginning, and find what you like best.

If you already have a frame, you can choose the option WITHOUT a frame, and choose the fiber combination you like best.

And if you prefer to go it alone, you have plenty of materials to choose from, too.

Below you can see our recommendation for beginners.