Welcome to June. June is coming in wet and stormy here in Texas. The humidity would make it a great time to be weaving on linen! Laughing Here's hoping everyone has a productive month of weaverliness. I am looking forward to seeing all the goodness you produce. Weave on!

Comments

Tue, 06/14/2016 - 18:43

sally orgren

I agree on both counts: good % participation, and an active group.

There might be a few more that will come in in Sept, when we resume.

Cuyler made it fun, she handed out mystery envelopes so we didn't get to choose our colors. About 3 people got the color of their dreams, and everyone else struggled, especially those with the acid yellow and oranges. And we weren't allowed to trade!

For a virtual color exchange, I wonder if you could use some kind of random color generator?

Tue, 06/14/2016 - 18:54

Erica J

Oh Sally, you are so full of good ideas. I had not actually thought about a virtual version of this, but I am now. It looks like there were only 3 colors on each slip. So mailing them out wouldn't necessarily break the bank. I may have to see about starting this at Convergence where those attending could pick their envelopes up in person!

Tue, 06/14/2016 - 18:57

endorph

I love the idea of a virtual color exchange. Could be an interesting experiment! I love the results from your guild. A lot of creativity shown there.

Thu, 06/16/2016 - 22:24

laurafry

Van is loaded, ready to leave first thing in the morning for Olds Fibre Week.  I feel like I've packed half my studio!  At least it stopped raining - for now.  Hopefully it will be dry for the drive.

Fri, 06/17/2016 - 14:15

laurafry

Well, I am about ready to leave - just downing a cup of coffee!  The van is (mostly) loaded - just a few things to toss in.  The rain has stopped (for now!) so I'm hoping for a good drive through the mountains.  Home again in a week.  And back to writing and weaving - I've got 7 warps wound waiting for me to get them woven.  And a new fringe twisting elf to train.  :)

Fri, 06/17/2016 - 14:40

Erica J

Awesome Laura!! I am so jealous of your students. You all are going to have an amazing time!!!

I broke up for summers hols today, yes!!! I was home a bit after noon, we had lunch, had family naptime. I woke up first and wove about an inch on our new rug!!! Being weft faced weaving this is a good accomplishment for today! I have less than an inch to finish the first set of grey rectangles, then I can post another photo. I could post a photo now, but it really wouldn't look any different from the earlier one! :)

Sat, 06/18/2016 - 02:56

10ashus

Arrive safely, Laura. When you get there grin/laugh until your face hurts. Have a good time.

Sat, 06/18/2016 - 04:17

Queezle

I will be in Toronto for 6 days, but most of my time will be at a meeting. I have a tiny bit of time, though, and want to know if this museum is amazing, or skippable...  or ?

Sat, 06/18/2016 - 10:55

Erica J

I have officially reached the half way mark on my rug!!! I will post a photo the break between the two sets of rectangles is only an inch, so I feel like I need to weave that entire inch for it to be visible in a photo. :)

Sat, 06/18/2016 - 14:10

Artistry

Queezle, the two exhibits that are showing now at The Textile Museum of Canada look quite interesting. I have been their and liked it. I would call ahead and ask ( very, very, politely, of course YOU would:) ) about how many pieces are in  each collection., then base your decision on that.

something that is really worthwhile too is seeing The Group of Seven. Canada's famous and influential landscape painters ( not all realistic!) of the 1020's - mid 1930's. They are incredible.  The Ontario Art Museum in Toronto. There is another museum outside of Toronto, which is great, the McMillan(?) that has quite a collection too, but prob. Too far for you To drive if your time is limited.

There is supposed to be some tap. In Toronto, I'll snoop around for you! I love Toronto!

Cathie

Sat, 06/18/2016 - 14:44

Erica J

Well I haven't quite made it to the 1" mark of this stripe, but couldn't resist taking a photo. And of course, I've just had some new ideas on how youncould combinw these 2 blocks. :)

BTW, can you tell we got LED lights installed?

Sun, 06/19/2016 - 13:30

Artistry

Queezle, it's The Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and The McMichael , outside of Toronto , that have the most Group of Seven as I recall.

Back in Michigan after the workshop, pix with have to wait until Sept. I did make a major breakthrough with Patagonia and now I can say confidently the design is all done. Rebecca had me draw a strip vertically (4 inches) the length of the cartoon. Then using colored pencils, color it in thinking about values. It took two full days! I'm really happy with it and resolved so many questions.

Rebecca watched my hands when I showed her briefly how I weave. Nothing wrong. She suggested that when I go back in the fall no more than 10 mins a day . That I had probably done too much too soon. 

I am no longer wearing a brace! Yippee! Only when I'm active. So I really should be able to weave in the Fall:) Right now lots of excercise for the wrist. Squishy ball, my new best friend !

Sun, 06/19/2016 - 19:13

10ashus

Cathie, keep doing the physical therapy exercises. They work. I do them too. Where you must ease off from the weaving for the healing of the hand, weaving is part of my therapy.

Squishy balls and shuttles. Part of the must have equipment for all weavers.

Sun, 06/19/2016 - 19:24

Artistry

Patagonia tapestry cartoon, colored

 

Nancy from the workshop had a photo of Patagonia with the strip colored in.So here it is. It gives you the feel of what the tap. Will be like:)

 

Sun, 06/19/2016 - 19:39

Erica J

Wow!! Amazing as always Cathie. Thank you for sharing this, this is a true inspiration. THis really helps me understand what you were talkinga about!! :)

Sun, 06/19/2016 - 19:51

Artistry

10ashus, thanks for the encouragement:) at what point were you able to use weaving as therapy? I'll ask the dr. First of course, but curious minds what to know !    Cathie

Thanks Erica:)

Sun, 06/19/2016 - 20:30

Queezle

That colored stip of your cartoon just knocks my socks off.  That will be one amazing tapestry.  And it seems you have a good plan going forward to being able to resume weaving.  I was lucky to have only a ~4 month bout of tennis elbow.  It was shocking to me how debilitating it was, and so I do still try to stretch and do some of those exercises that helped me.

The Art Gallery of Toronto is top of my list - thank you - and there is a yarn store in Toronto, too.  Won't be able to get out of toronto (I am there for a conference, after all).  The group of 7 is very amazing, my grandmother was an art (and weaving) collector in Canada from the late 1920s.  It will be enriching, I am sure.

No real time for weaving, except that I got my shadow weave dishtowel/runner re-sleyed.  I was unhappy with the draw in when the 8/2 was at 20 epi, so I re-sleyed the reed for 24.  Only got an inch woven last night (and I'm trying to add interest by using colors not the same as the warp, but with similar value).  I'm liking my 1 inch (light pink instead of white, and purple instead of dark blue).  I think there is enough warp left for maybe 2 more dishtowels, where I will think about value vs hue as I dig into my stash. 

 

Sun, 06/19/2016 - 22:02

10ashus

Today - Very excited. I am almost finished weaving my first worth keeping project, a cowl. I will try posting it under Projects next week.

Tapestry - Cathie, that is a breathtaking tapestry plan -the scene and the colors. The color strip reveals how your colors will work. A clever time saver.

Therapy - Weaving is good for my brain to practice motor skills, coordination, memory. It also helps with my ligaments that want to draw up. And, then, there is the touch the floor exercises when I drop things. See? Weaving is a complete health regime.

Mon, 06/20/2016 - 11:59

sally orgren

I was in Toronto for a conference in 2013. I was staying downtown. The Textile Museum was on the modest side compared to some of our U.S. museums, but excellent. Romney (yarn shop) was also worth a stop. Predominantly for knitters, but the coned yarn was in the basement. Safe travels.

Mon, 06/20/2016 - 12:01

endorph

Cathy - I love the color strip on your cartoon - what a great tool and inspiration. I wish you luck with patience as you continue to let your wrist heal.

I have not been very weaverly lately but i am treating myself on Friday afternoon to weaving at Fiber Crafts. For the whole month they have severl looms warped and ready to weave on with a variety of projects. you rent loom time and pay for materials and can come in and weave away. I will be making one or maybe two, bath towels. Depends on how fast I am! I am looking forward to it. All the fun without the work of warping. . . . Any of you within easy distance of Waco should check it out. They have everything from simple plain weave to drawloom. . . .

Mon, 06/20/2016 - 14:09

theresasc

Cathie, I am so impressed with the color work you did on your cartoon.  What a fabulous weaving tool that is going to be.  I cannot wait til you are back to weaving and we can see your color tool become reality.

I am still playing with the geometric tapestry.  I had to do a little bit of reworking on it but it is still fun for me to weave.  Amazing how the perspective changes when you walk away and come back.

Mon, 06/20/2016 - 15:16

Erica J

Oh what I would pay to weave on a drawloom I didn't have to warp!!!! :)

Mon, 06/20/2016 - 16:52

Artistry

Thanks about the color strip :) I went to the workshop with color cards made up with all the yarns I had for the project. I pulled the colored pencils to match the color cards, or over layered the colors to match. 

funny about walking or being forced away for a while. When you come back , it seems you have a clear sense of whether you want to do it anymore.

i better get back to it soon or they will put me in remedial tapestry weaving, Lol!

 

 

Mon, 06/20/2016 - 17:38

Erica J

2" into the next block the design is finally shaping up!

Mon, 06/20/2016 - 19:47

endorph

Fiber Crafts usually puts enouh warp on the drawloom to make dozens of towles so they do not have to warp it very often. They usually tag team the warping process. They often prewarp the looms for their advance classes and workshops. Makes its really nice. We get spoiled!

Mon, 06/20/2016 - 20:02

10ashus

I love seeing the progress. Every shape and line is symmetrical and straight.

Mon, 06/20/2016 - 21:51

Joanne Hall

I got a photo this weekend from Karen Isenhower, showing the pattern on the drawloom towel she wove last Tuesday at Homestead Fiber Crafts when she was there with a friend who wove on another loom.  She wove the eggs pattern.  That is the one I wove when I was there just over a year ago.  It is fun.  You can choose the pattern you want to weave and they have a lot of them to choose from.  Or, you can design your own pattern. 

Yes, it is not often one has this kind of opportunity.

Joanne

Tue, 06/21/2016 - 13:46

ShawnC

Wow, Cathie! That tapestry is going to be amazing. Been a bit hectic as I prepare for a move in a few weeks. Eek. Trying to weave off the warp on the drawloom. The other looms are ready to go.

Erica J., you probably know this already, but I was halfway through my first warp when someone asked why I didn't move the ground shafts back and thread both groups of shafts at the same time. Sigh. Of course this method assumes you have all units on one heavy bar and will transfer to shafts later. Or would work well for a single unit too, I guess.

 

Taking down the drawloom will be a bit sad, but putting it up in its new home will be quite wonderful.

 

Shawn

Wed, 06/22/2016 - 10:53

Erica J

My weaving goals for today are:

At least 3" of damask- done so will not aim for 6" total today

At least 1.5" of rug one more inch to go

Plus I finished measuring out all the donation incentives for Convergence (approximately 25 grams of British wool for the first 100 people to donate $10 or more at Convergence :)

Wed, 06/22/2016 - 13:48

laurafry

End of day three (aka hump day). Sorry photo is sideways!

 

 

 

Wed, 06/22/2016 - 13:53

Erica J

Amazing as expected Laura. Please congratulate your students from me! :)

Wed, 06/22/2016 - 14:46

Erica J

6" of damask woven today and 1.5" of rug weaving done today! I may be able to finish the damask tomorrow.

We leave for Scotland on Friday. I was originally going to take my spinning wheel, but I may take TJ's scarf instead, then I'll just need to finish the rug after we get back! :)

Wed, 06/22/2016 - 18:19

sally orgren

I am digging out from attending Complex Weavers Seminars in St. Charles, Illinois this weekend past. Along with the seminars, several of us joined a special expedition on Monday morning for a behind-the-scenes-tour of the Art Institute of Chicago's Textile Department. (Thank you to coordinator Mary Underwood.)

 

We were given a personal tour of A Global View: Recent Acquisitions of Textiles, 2012–2016 (on exhibit now through Sept. 5th, 2016) by Daniel Walker, the Chair and Christa C. Mayer Thurman Curator of Textiles, followed by a tour of the textile storage and conservation departments by museum staff.

 

At this point, I have to thank Cathie B for mentioning the Ethel Stein exhibit here on Weavolution, because when I walked into one of the rooms, I immediately recognized the work laid out on the table. (And yes, that is a Shelia Hicks in the foreground with Dorothy Liebes samples resting on the box at left, with a William Morris at the other end.)

 

The whole seminar weekend was like having a buffet of treats, one after the other.

 

Wed, 06/22/2016 - 20:53

10ashus

I wove the final 3 inches of the cowl last night. The dream is to finish both ends today. Most likely, it will be one end today and other end tomorrow. 1) Twisted fringe button hole loops; 2) Thead ends back through the fabric.

Go, Erica. You are a goal getter this week.

Laura, that photo got my attention. How many people did weave to make that length?

Sally, in this case, a marvelous thing to be overwhelmed. Experiences, such as that, touch all the senses and give pleasure for a life time.

Wed, 06/22/2016 - 23:44

laurafry

I think that was nine students work.  If there is warp left on the second warp, AND time, a couple want to sample a bit more.  I think they all see the value of sampling now.  ;)

Thu, 06/23/2016 - 18:40

Erica J

I finished weaving the rug! As you can see it still needs to come off the loom, have ends woven in, etc. I did a dang good job estimating how much weft I needed on the shuttlesame the last time I refilled!

And I finished weaving the damask scollar liner, but I didn't get a photo yet. :)

Fri, 06/24/2016 - 01:26

laurafry

well Olds Fibre Week is over for another year.  Feeling happy/sad.  13 weavers in my class, 9 in the beginning weaving class, 14 or 15 (never did hear the final number), and 8 in the level four...the first time there have been enough to run that level.   

my class was enthusiastic, supportive, overwhelmed (at times), confused, (at times), and ultimately dedicated enough to plough through that to leave feeling more confident about what they needed to do in order to learn.  

The class IS a college level class for credit.  Certain expectations are, well, expected.  It is called a master weaving class so principles are presented and students need to do the work to translate theory into practice.  

I am happy to have provided a stepping stone along the way.  I am sad we are all heading home, some to far flung corners.  But through the power of the internet, I hope they will stay in touch.  Because we are community. 

Fri, 06/24/2016 - 05:25

10ashus

I raise my glass tonight to toast, Laura and Erica. Well done, Ladies. 

Erica, does the rug require any other finishing steps?

Laura, were the level 4 students contemplating textiles as a career?

 

 

 

Fri, 06/24/2016 - 06:56

Erica J

Thanks 10ashus.

Yes other than weaving in the ends and hemming, there is wet finishing. I will soak a towel in really hot water and lay it over the rug and let that soak in overnight. Then I can manipulate the edges a bit the next day and finally give the rug a hard press until dry or dryish, depending on my patience. :)

I also started a bit sampling on the reminder of the rug warp. I am using the same cranberry and an electric blue! I have a few other colors I can sample with just for fun. I'm also playing with block proportions on this sample.

We're off to Scotland today. We're driving half way to Loch Ness today and the other half tomorrow. I'm taking TJ's scarf and will hopefully finish weaving that while we are away. It is on the LeClerc Voyaguer, which makes it easy to pack. TJ wakes up really early and most things don't open until 10, so I usually get several hours to weave in the mornings while we are away from the house.

Fri, 06/24/2016 - 18:02

sally orgren

It has been an exhusting two weeks. I am certainly looking forward to a demo day out at the National Park, as it will be quieter and calmer than what I have been involved in for awhile. (And maybe a "sun nap" in a sling chair on Sunday, beach optional.)

 

At Complex Weavers Seminars they launched the Richard Jeryan Poster Sessions, which was kind of fun. Below, I captured two attendees examining Cally Booker's poster. Tien had a poster, Karen M (from MN) and I had one, there were about 15 or 16 total. Laurie Autio coordinated and did an excellent job. There were a variety of poster topics describing projects and collaborations, study groups, and new books under development. Norma Smayda is working on a book about ondulé, and I believe I read the Brown book is going to have a vol. II.

 

This was a fun idea, and I hope CW considers doing it again. I am sure Richard was smiling!

 

Fri, 06/24/2016 - 18:28

laurafry

Not sure what the intentions are for the level four students.  I know at least one has set up her studio to take students.  :)

Sat, 06/25/2016 - 00:43

endorph

afternoon at Fiber Crafts weaving a bath towel. Here is a photos of my towel in progress, a close up of what the finished towel will look like, and Some of the other looms and projects available for weaving. They include a rep weave placemat or runner, summer and winter dish towel, canvas weave runner or place mat, cotton boucle shawl, chennille scarf, natural colored (cream, green and brown) organic cotton dish towel in either plain weave or twill stripes or plaid, color study banket. Projects not pictured inclde a warp face tote bag, a striped shawl, linen dish towel, silk and wool cowl, dish towels on the draw loom. . .  Besides weaving there were lots o visitors to the store that we talked to and explained what we were doing. Wish I had more time to do things like this but unfortunately work gets in the way. Cool

Sat, 06/25/2016 - 01:46

10ashus

Homestead Craft Village. Go west, young (wo)man. Go west.

I am trying. Those photos made my hands twitch. Everyone keeps telling me, "Maybe in the Fall. It is too hot to stroll about in Texas for now." 

A hand woven towel. Long ago, the wealthy persons would have preferred machine woven. Now, I think of hand woven as luxury towel.

Sat, 06/25/2016 - 02:55

Queezle

Well, I will be in Austin for 8 days this summer, and I would love to escape in order to do some weaving.  What an amazing opportunity.  i have sent Homestead Crafts an email to see how one might arrange a visit. 

Sat, 06/25/2016 - 02:56

endorph

Fiber Crafts offer classes year round - rigid heddle, floor loom, spinning, knitting, cheese making, basket weaving, pottery. . . . check it out here http://www.sustainlife.org/ Cool

Sat, 06/25/2016 - 03:01

endorph

let me know when you are here - maybe we can meet for lunch! I work in Waco adn am only a short 15 minute drive from Homestead. If you don't hear from them let me know. I know Sue, the Fiber Crafts manager, is out of the country at the moment. I am out there nearly every Saturday to knit so. . . . It's my home away from home.

Sun, 06/26/2016 - 13:43

Erica J

Wow! I think I have gotten almost 12" woven today and TJ slept in even!!!

Here is his scarf so far.

 

Sun, 06/26/2016 - 14:27

tommye scanlin

My studio is shown in the latest issue of Fiber Art Now magazine.  #8 in the group pictured.  The only thing wrong with it is that the name of my town, Dahlonega, is spelled as "Dahlone" !!  Oh well, isn't that the way it always goes?  I remember onetime being pictured in a local newspaper when I'd had a work selected for inclusion in a permanent collection as "Tommye Scanlin, with work not chosen"--!!  Yes, that was a true statement as I was photographed in front of an second piece that was not indeed chosen for permanent collection. But, really!? 

Tommye

Mon, 06/27/2016 - 21:09

Erica J

We drove an hour up to Inverness to catch a c I ach tour of tge Orkney Isles. So no weaving today, but I took a lot of inspirational photos! :)

Tue, 06/28/2016 - 00:29

sally orgren

I wish I could be tucked away in your boot, Erica. (We saved Inverness for another time.)

I enjoyed the Scottish Crannog Center, thanks to a recommendation by Cally. They have two warp-weighted looms on display, and a piece of ancient 3-shaft fabric. I thought I had a detail photo of this textile, but I did not. If anyone follows in my footsteps (and is very tall) I would love to have a closer shot of that fragment above the reproduction garment shown in the photo below.

 

Group Audience
Daily Weaverliness