It's the time of year when groups of high school age kids embark on a 6 week canoe trek in northern MN and Canada like voyageurs past. This year I accepted a commission to weave seven sashes for such a group. What on earth are voyageur sashes for? And where did they come from? The following is a quote from this url:
http://www.tfo.org/emissions/rendezvousvoyageur/en/world/personallife/clothing.html
"The sash is essential to the voyageur's clothing kit. Other than holding his coat closed around the waist, historians also believe the sash provided back support during portages.
Many theories exist about its origins. The most probable is that it came from Native peoples, from the Great Lakes region or the Assomption area of Quebec."
And from: http://www.hoosierhandweaving.com/Hoosier_Handweaving/About_%22Voyageur%22_sashes.html
''In the 1700s and 1800s, both French voyageurs and Native Americans enjoyed wearing colorful sashes and garters for both practical and ceremonial occasions. They are known by many names: voyageur, metis (hear it inFrench) (hear it in English), Red River, Hudson's Bay, and L'Assomption sashes. The men wore them by wrapping them twice around their waists. Voyageur sashes could also be slung around the forehead to support packages being carried. In addition to their own use, voyageur sashes were also traded for pelts."
The original voyageur sashes were finger woven, but I opted to use a twill pattern on my floor loom--otherwise the trekkers from Widgiwagon would be getting their sashes in the year 2023!
The head of the group I wove sashes for picked out the colors of the wool yarn (Harrisville Highland) and suggested that the iris would represent water (lakes, rivers), the magenta would represent the landscape and the gold would represent the sun. Accordingly, I created a design for each of the colors to match those themes. Here is the result:
Here is my draft--created by me on pixeLoom.
Here is my loom all warped and ready to go!
Here is scarf #3 or #4 from my second warp. I wove the sashes in two sections: the first was three sashes long, the second was four sashes long. You can see how large the roll of fabric is down by my knees.
Here are two completely woven sashes. The one on the left has been washed and fulled a little bit, the one on the right has not. Notice the difference in length and the subtle difference in the design. Fulling it makes it a more sturdy fabric and gives it a softer feel.
I think they turned out rather nice. I hope the "voyageurs" from Widgiwagon enjoy them.
Weaving notes for future reference:
Colors of Harrisville: one cone Iris, two cones Magenta, two cones Gold (warp) and five cones Silver Mist (weft) for 10 cones total. I ended up with an extra cone of silver mist.
epi: 10
ppi: 10
width in reed: 10" with 101 ends
final width after fulling: 8.5"
I marked the sections by tying a short piece of thread around the gold yarn on the outside. Each section was at least 9'5" or 113" long and I left 10.5" on each for fringe.
I warped my loom twice--3 sashes in the first lot and 4 in the next..
The final length after fulling was approximately 86": 80" of woven material and 6" of fringe on each end.
Fringes: I twisted grouping of 3+3 except for one grouping which was 3+2.
Fulling: I washed them vigorously in hot soapy water and also alternated some with cold water baths with some intervals of throwing them on the tub floor. Very exhausting!
Final words: It was a good experience and I learned a lot, though it took MUCH longer that I originally thought it would.
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