Side Hustle

I'm thinking I could start a 'side' hustle, dressing looms for others.  Why not?  It's the part that most people complain about the most.  It's the most time heavy part of the process.  I could hire myself out, like itinerant fruit pickers, visit weavers, dress their looms, then move on.  Like the tooth fairy, but better...

I have already done that, here and there as I've visited with people, getting their workshop looms ready because they ran out of time.

This warp is for Janet Dawson's workshop.

Through a comedy of errors (so to speak) we confirmed her workshop, then had people drop out due to Life Happening.  Having already confirmed, we decided to go ahead, but three people, three looms, wasn't going to do the class material justice.  So I asked how many looms would.  We settled on a number, I asked for the loan of looms and in the end one other guild member will dress her loom and loan it to us.  I'm doing two more.

One of the reasons I wanted to complete all the registration data crunching was because I still have those two warps to get ready.  Here is one - 2/8 Tencel which will be set up in an 8 shaft deflected double weave.

One of the local participants is borrowing my 'table' loom and will set up the loom with the colour and weave warp, which I wound for her.  I think the last warp is a twill gamp.

After not touching a loom for almost two weeks, I'm happily winding this warp.  The colours appeal and it's not so complicated that I can't just go with the flow of winding, four threads of each colour.  A nice repetitive mantra of 1,2,3,4, change colour, 1,2,3,4, and follow the cheat sheet.  

Many Hands = Light Work

When things look tangly, before order is established***

It may seem like I'm doing the conference all by myself, but that's because I'm constantly talking about it!

In reality, an event like a conference of this magnitude cannot be done by one person, and I have a great committee working alongside of me, every step of the way.

Birthe Miller is co-chair.  She has been sounding board, facilitator, facility negotiator.  She arranged for the discount codes on the two airlines, and block booked the hotel rooms.  She has helped form policy and also developed and maintained the official conference website.  She is the person who receives all the info emails sent through the website and distributes them to the appropriate person, or answers the questions herself.  I'm probably forgetting a bunch of stuff.

Wendy Knudson is the treasurer.  She has developed the budget and keeps track of all the expenses.  She advises on financial matters, has charge of the bank accounts for the conference and oversees payment of the bills.  She also is a great sounding board and give feedback on policy.

Serena Black worked tirelessly last summer/autumn getting the details for the instructors information confirmed so that she could then set up the registration at Eventbrite.  She has crunched numbers and provided the information I need to keep track of numbers in workshops/seminars.  Provided feedback on policy. 

Grace Morris is dealing with the vendor and guild booths.  She has been negotiating with the display company for the booth dividers and other amenities the vendors will require.  Sounding board and policy feedback.

Elizabeth Gibbs is covering a number of different fronts - liaise with the art gallery, marketing locally and generally filling in holes that she sees that are needing to be dealt with.

Two guilds offered to help and Sheila Carey provided assistance with her guild who assembled the name tags while Alison Irwin volunteered her guild to weave the award ribbons while contacting people to see if they were wanting to sponsor a cash award.  She did a spectacular job as we have received nearly $5000 to reward the people who (are registered for the conference and) submit an entry.  Some of the awards will be used for the guild booths and fashion show.

Now that the clock is ticking down, I have begun requesting volunteers for various things that need doing.  This morning I sent a newsletter request for people to assist with providing items for our guild display to be mounted in the stair well of the public library for the month of June, and people willing to pick up and/or return instructors to the airport.

Other tasks will soon be coming up as the days whip off the calendar.

So no, I'm not by any means doing this by myself.  I just talk about it more.  A lot more, apparently!

***to finished!

To Everything There is a Season

We tend to forget that for every beginning there is an ending.  When we are reminded, it can be difficult to cope with the feelings that the reminder brings with it.

In weaving there are lots of beginnings and endings.

Warps end.  Thread ends. Shuttles empty and need to be filled.  Projects come to completion and we are either satisfied with our results...or we are not.

Endings can be fraught with emotion.

As we head into true spring life has served to remind me that there are also endings.  Spring rolls into summer, which rolls into autumn and then...winter.

But as life is a cycle, there is hope.  Spring comes again with the promise of new life.  A friend has goats and they are popping out babies.  Chickens are laying and hatching.  Trees are beginning to leaf out and there are little hints of green showing up in my 'flower' beds.

I have not done as much as I intended - or  hoped - over the winter.  But the current warp is significantly reduced and I'm down to about 7 or 8 more of the navy towels to weave.  That yarn was way thinner than the turquoise and therefore wove a lot more yardage!  But that cone is now empty as all the navy yarn is wound onto bobbins, currently steeping to make them more co-operative.  I'm already planning the next warp.  It was supposed to be a shawl warp, but I'm determined to get this fine linen woven up.  Besides, I think weavers will be more inclined to treat themselves to a half linen towel than a shawl - those are mostly intended for the autumn craft fairs, anyway.

Early bird registration for the conference has ended, and while we will gladly accept 'late' registrations tonight we need to make some decisions.  Better get back to crunching numbers.

In the Fullness of Time

after wet finishing and brushing

before wet finishing (loom state)

Patience has never been one of my attributes.  I have a plan, I want things to fall into place.  NOW!

Over the years I have had to curb my impatience and just let things develop in their own time.  So I tend to cope with uncertainty with distractions.

Waiting for word on a project?  Oh let's work on that other one (or two, or three...)

Unfortunately repeated health issues and the brain fog that comes with them mean I can no longer multi-task like I used to be able to do.  The tendency has been - of late - to wait and fret for deadlines to come - and go - and not accomplish much of anything at all.  Getting old(er) has not been easy.  On the other hand?  I'm still here - so many aren't.  And since stopping the cancer drug I am feeling so much better.

So it was with a sigh of relief that I read the email yesterday, saying I was booked for level one at Olds College Fibre Week in July.  I will know soon about Tenino, WA.

The early bird registration for the conference ends April 15 and a lot of uncertainty will be addressed when we crunch the numbers of those signed up for workshops and the conference proper. 

I know that our conference instructors are also impatiently waiting for word on their numbers and I want to give them their class lists as soon as possible.  (If you are planning on registering, please do so as soon as possible so that we can give them accurate information.)

We have extended the deadlines for the exhibits, partly because we have been overwhelmed with the generosity of guilds sponsoring awards.  We have a significant number of awards to hand out!  To be eligible for an award, you must be registered for the conference, deliver the item(s) and pick it/them up.  You can still enter exhibits if you are not attending, but assign someone to deliver and return to you.

April is well begun.  Teaching takes preparation and so I'm also watching registrations for Yadkin in NC where I'm booked to do level two and then one; September is the John C. Campbell Folk School.

After that it will be full steam ahead for the craft fair season.

And poof - the year will be gone...

In the meantime, I need to practice patience while events develop in the fullness of time.

Conferences

Aerial view of my town showing the horizon

Naturally enough, conferences have been much on my mind of late.  I thought I would share some thoughts...

A conference is so much greater than the sum of its parts.  The whole package adds up to an event that can inspire, inform and broaden horizons. 

Choosing the theme of Confluences, we looked at inviting instructors who - in many ways - epitomize the theme.  They look at how cultures inform each other.  They look at how the various stages of fibre prep affect each other.  They look at how manipulation of the materials can create a range of qualities of cloth and decorate it.

Instructors were chosen for their commitment to the craft and their specific knowledge set.

We tried to choose people mainly from the region, but also a few from further away.  People who ANWG members might not be able to learn from because the cost of getting to them might prove too great.  Bringing those people here means more people can have access to their knowledge.

But we are also blessed with a large number of textile practitioners here in BC, so many of our instructors were drawn from our own pool of very talented and knowledgeable people.  (Instructors are listed on the conference website.)

What do conference registrants get?  First of all, three seminar time slots.  The seminars range from introductory, historical, or technique exploration.  The seminars can be used to find out more about something that is of interest to see if further investigation is the direction to go.  Or maybe a little is known but resources are thin on the ground (eg ceinture fleche')  Or take knowledge to the next level, find out about more resources, maybe try a little hands on.

Seminars are a menu tasting while workshops are the full meal.

Traditionally there is a key note speaker.  We have invited Abby Franquemont for her unique perspective on Peru and North American approaches to textiles.  She is currently in Peru gathering up to the minute information and will no doubt have a lot to share.  (She may even have textiles and spindles for sale - we have offered to manage sales in my booth in the vendor hall.)

The fashion show is always fun.  I'm hoping that my challenge to think about pockets makes a splash in the fashion show, but also in the other exhibits.  Speaking of which, we now have in excess of $5000 in sponsored awards to give out - BUT!  You do have to be registered at the conference to be eligible for awards.

There will be some special interest group meetings - the time and place will be listed in the registration area.

But most of all?  Conferences are a time to meet with others who are as interested in textiles as you are.  There will be time to socialize.  There will be time to shop.  The vendor hall is filling with some great booths. 

There will be opportunities to be inspired - by textiles, by people.

Conferences are an opportunity to educate yourself and grow - as a textile practitioner and as a person.

Prince George isn't hard to get to.  WestJet and Air Canada both fly in/out.  Regional airlines such as Pacific Coastal and Central Mountain Air have flights.  Or drive.  BC is a beautiful place and the highways (97 and 16) intersect here.

A conference can be an adventure.  Of the very best kind.

Adventures...

...I've had a few...

obligatory pretty textile picture

As I was writing up my latest conference blog post I thought about adventures.  I remembered how many fantastic experiences I have had since I took up weaving, all the people I've met, the textiles that have inspired me.

My first conference was 1978 Convergence in Fort Collins, CO.  (I wrote about that recently so I won't repeat that story here.)

Having dipped my toes into the biggest textile event in North America, smaller regional events such as ANWG (Pacific northwest, western Canada) were far less intimidating - and far less expensive.  They were, if nothing else, within reach - either a one or two day drive.  So my first ANWG was Spokane in 1979.

After that I attended as many conferences as I could afford - ANWG as it moved around the region (Oregon, Montana, Washington, here in 1995, Victoria 1997, Alberta)  Convergence when I could scrape the pennies together.  I even managed to get to Vav in Sweden two years ago - a dream I thought I'd never manage.

Eventually I started teaching at conferences, my first in Montana in, um, 1983?  

On the way I met so many talented people.  Some became friends and the internet makes it possible to stay in touch.

As an introvert I was nervous about attending these events, but the people are just as fascinated about textiles as I am and if nothing else there is the learning in the workshops/seminars - and smaller groups make it easier to get to know people.  Then there are the exhibits.

At Victoria's ANWG in 2017 one of the entries in the fashion show was a silk shawl made by one of our instructors - Coleen Nimetz - made from silk she had spun (may even have raised the worms and reeled it, I can't remember) and then knitted.  It was a show stopper.  

(If you want to know about silk, sign up for her workshop!  She is incredibly knowledgeable.)

One of the down sides of organizing an event like a conference is that I have no time to actually take anything.  And because I helped  choose the people and their topics, I want to take every single one!

Early bird registration ends on April 15.  If you haven't made holiday plans yet, consider coming to Prince George and join us in a fibre adventure.  Y'all come!

Girl Friends

All of my girlfriends are textile people.  As I engaged more and more with weaving, writing about and teaching it, the more weavers/spinners/etc. I met and the more I found myself wanting to spend time with a group of people who were as passionate about what I was passionate about.

One of the ways I met most of these wonderful women was through attending conferences.  How better to expand your contacts by going to where other like minded people are going to congregate?

Eventually we started meeting up whenever we could, not just at conferences, but at other times as well.

I'm really hoping some of the people I have gotten to know in the fibre world will come to Prince George while the Prince George Fibre Arts Guilds throws a party to celebrate fibre, share their talents, delve into techniques perhaps heard about but not really studied, maybe due to not having a teacher or not knowing where to find literature.

My very first conference?  I knew three people there.  One was the person who talked me into attending Convergence 1978 in Fort Collins, CO.  One was my weaving instructor.  One was the owner of a shop I had been buying yarn from and visited a couple of times.  She introduced me to another weaver from her area.

Otherwise?  I was by myself, surrounded by literally hundreds of people.  My host had been detained by a family emergency.  My teacher warned me she had her own interests she wanted to pursue.  The shop owner?  I only knew because I'd written letters to her.  None of them were 'girl friends' to hang out with.

I'd never been on a university campus before and it was huge.  There were long distances between events, so those few people I knew to speak to?  Never saw them again for the entire event.

I'm an introvert and I was feeling very lonely and isolated.  In fact I was throwing myself a pretty serious pity party, when on a march from one event to the next I spotted a man weaving on a back strap loom, attached to a very young sapling.  There were two women close to him and one was explaining to the other that the man was from Peru.  He had come with an anthropologist who had encouraged the man to attend the conference and could give him a ride.

I didn't know if the man spoke Spanish, let alone English.  His journey to arrive at that place at that time had to have been much more difficult than mine.  I'd simply climbed on a plane, been met at the airport and driven to the conference. 

But even more importantly...I spoke English!

I chewed over my pity party for the rest of the walk to my destination, where I lined up - again.  And realized that if I really wanted to get to know people?  All I had to do was turn around and see if the people behind me were open to talking to a perfect stranger - but one who was at an event celebrating textiles, just like they were.

So I turned around and interjected a comment into their conversation and then happily chatted while the line moved forward.

I'm really hoping that even if someone doesn't know anyone else attending Confluences that they will come by themselves.  Because they will be surrounded by people just as fascinated by fibres as they are themselves.

And the campus?  Small.  Three blocks by three blocks, not huge with long walks.

Come to the party! 

Next!

Today the last of the padded envelopes will be taken to the post office.  Tomorrow the multiple copy orders will be mailed.  They don't qualify for the small packet rate and require different customs forms, so it is just easier to deal with those last.

Once the 'dust' of dealing with the books is over, the next things on my priority list will be Olds College master weaving marking.  I'm working on one student's work now, with another box waiting for me to pick up at the post office when I drop the books off.

The college is working on Fibre Week and the satellite classes.  Hopefully there will be news about the Cape Breton classes soon.  The Gaelic College wants to run them a wee bit earlier in the year - May, not June.  Olds Fibre Week will be in July.  In between?  The conference.

Which - if you haven't heard - opens for registration on Jan. 27.

The conference website has the scheduled workshops and seminars listed.  Do go and look, make a list of your #1, 2 and 3 choices and be prepared when you go to register on the 27th.  :)

The website also has links to the hotels where we have block booked rooms, links to entry forms for the exhibits, fashion show and for any authors attending, registration for the author signing event.

There are also codes for those planning on flying, either by Air Canada or WestJet.

Currently reading The Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

Highs, Lows and Long Slogs

I know a number of writers personally and follow some more on social media.  Inevitably some of them will hit a low patch in their writing, so I was well aware (also because of having done this once before) that getting this book 'born' and into the world would resemble a roller coaster.  Life also conspired - as you know if you have been reading this blog for a while - to add a few twists and turns to the ride.

All writing is challenging.  Writing fiction is challenging in terms of coming up with the story line, then figuring out how to best tell the story.  Technical writing is challenging in terms of writing with clarity about techniques and processes in a way that aids understanding.  Or at least, that's the goal.

After years of writing magazine articles and class handouts (as well as essays in school) I was no stranger to what would be involved.  It was every bit of what I expected it to be, this journey, and more.  There were more highs, more lows and more long hard slogs.  The difference between this and Magic was the scope.  Magic was about one slice of the craft of creating a textile.  The writing part wasn't hugely difficult, rather it was the choosing of the projects to provide examples of how to do wet finishing and why it was so important to do it.  And then, of course, weaving the hundreds of yards of samples.

For Magic there were initially 20 projects, which grew to 22.  The initial warps for those samples started out at 40 yards, but some of the projects required more.  20 times 40 yards is 800 yards, plus the additional warps - so very nearly 1000 yards.  Warps were typically 40 to 48" in the reed.

But that wasn't all - then came the preparation of the samples.  Loom state samples were taped and cut apart.  Wet finished samples were wet finished, most of them including a hard press.  At the time I did not have the industrial steam press, so all of that pressing was done on a small flat bed press.  It took hours and hours.

Then those samples had to be cut to size and both loom state and wet finished samples stapled to their respective pages.  In the end, all the pages were assembled and put into custom 3 ring binders.

So most of the work of Magic was the labour of preparing the samples.

This book was different in that most of the work was in the writing.  Deciding what to include, how best to describe the techniques, what photos were required.  Of course there were some samples to be woven, but the bulk of the work was in the writing, editing, re-writing, more editing, more re-writing, back and forth with my beta readers.  (Truth to be told, some of them were truly alpha readers, a few hung on to be beta readers.)

There was so much text that it became overwhelming which is why I finally broke down and hired an editor.

In both cases I self-published.  Magic was done with the assistance of a local printer, his off-set press and graphic designer son.

20 years on and the technology has changed to such an extent that I needed the expert assistance of someone who could wrangle the new technology to the mat.  I just happened to find someone who also knew and understood the 'old' technology.  Not only that, but Ruth is also a spinner and weaver.

The majority of the books are being shipped outside of Canada.  I wrote out mailing labels earlier in the week, then did the customs forms, finishing those just now.  The books are very close to being ready, but I also have other things that need to be done.  Year end, for one.  Remitting sales taxes.  Balancing my ledger.

Work has also continued on the conference.  Announcements will be forthcoming very soon, as in a matter of hours.  This has also taken longer than we'd hoped, as these things are wont to do.  But our goal, right from the beginning, was to work our darndest to make it a good event for all participants - the instructors, vendors, volunteers, as well as the participants.  So we took extra time to make sure the information that will be posted to the registration website will be as accurate as we can make it.

As with so many Big Projects, it may appear that not much is happening, but there is plenty going on behind the scenes! 

Textile practitioners are well acquainted with the degree of preparation and labour that goes into creating their pieces. 

It's no different to write and publish a book.  Or craft a conference.

Buy the books at blurb
Check out the instructors and their workshop/seminar topics on the conference website - click on Schedule

Conference Bustle

ANWG 2019 Conference - Confluences

Now that the introductory offer for the book is over there is a bit of a lull before the actual books arrive so thoughts have returned to the conference.

If people are interested in attending I strongly suggest signing up for email updates if you haven't already as important announcements will be forthcoming in the new year.

We are very excited to present the ANWG conference in Prince George again.  We did in in 1995 and here we are, holding it again.

For those guilds who say they are too small to host a conference?  If you have the facilities, you can do it! 

We are fortunate in having the Plaza with convention centre, library, art gallery and two major hotels all within a short walk of each other.  We hope to utilize the plaza as well, but that will depend on the weather.

The conference will take place in mid-June so people can enjoy our long summer days.  Our weather is generally mild, but we suggest bringing layers.  There are plenty of restaurants in all price ranges within a short walk, with food services at both hotels, the White Spot across the street alongside a Tim Horton's.  But there are others nearby and well worth checking them out.  Many are listed on the website with the tourism info.

Do check out the website where there is information on the facilities and points of interest.  If you have a spouse that enjoys hiking, there are walking trails within the city itself, but lots of trails within a relatively short drive of town.  The Ancient Forest is a rare inland rain forest with trees estimated to be 1000 years old.  The lower part is wheelchair accessible but the trail isn't terribly hard.  Do stay on the walkways though to protect the forest floor.

There are lots of rivers, streams and lakes for water sports like canoeing or kayaking or fishing.

The Railway Museum has interesting artifacts (many collected or curated by my brother - just a little bragging! - I may ask to have the jacket I wove for him on display.)  Exploration Place has interesting exhibits and the art gallery will host the teacher's exhibit in the Galleria.

photo used for inspiration - my brother created the chart, I adjusted it so it could be woven

Forms for exhibits, fashions show and author signing are available on the website with a deadline of April 1 for the first two.

Registration should go live sometime in January.  By signing up for email updates, you will know as soon as it does.

We can accommodate 500.  I'm hopeful we will sell out.  Stay tuned for updates!

Another Show, Another Year

some of my stash that needs using up

We are home from Calgary and the last 'big' show of this year.  The guild will be having a sale in the guild room and I have a small number of 'orphans' and end-of-the-line textiles that I will put on deep discount, but that weekend is more a time to sit and knit or spin as traditionally not very many people come.  It's a quiet weekend when I can contemplate what is to come.

As mentioned previously (probably way too frequently!) I have been spending a lot of time thinking about the next few years - what they will hold, what I will be able to do.

Long car rides are also a time for some contemplation and the 13 or so hour trip yesterday provided time for us to discuss what the coming year holds.

First of all...(ta-DAH) the book.  I leave in a week for San Jose (bringing filter masks because they are still under the same kind of smoke pall we dealt with over the summer and masks are getting hard to find down there).

I have to follow up with the website about their quote on a print version for my introductory special, which will be announced on Dec. 2 when we hit 'publish'.

Then the guild sale.

I have some weaving to do for Tien for her on-line class.  Her launch date is in December so stay tuned for further updates.  She posted one yesterday while I was on the road and there should be news on her blog.

Before I left for Calgary I beamed 30 yards of 2/16 cotton on the AVL for tea towels.  This will be done in Snail's Trails and Cat's Paws block twill for tea towels.  This warp should finish off the last of the cottolin in 2/16 and I will weave a sample of the singles 12 linen and see if I can finish off whatever is left using that.  If not, there is plenty of 2/16 cotton that can be used (up).

These towels (plus many others) are intended for sale at my booth at the ANWG conference (where I will have print copies of The Intentional Weaver and probably Magic in the Water as well as Weave a V.)

In the new year I have agreed to weave more samples for Tien's on-line course.

There are 8 scarf warps waiting to go into the Fanny, plus a couple of scarf warps for Tien.

The print copies from blurb for the introductory offer should arrive sometime the end of January, so time then will be spent signing them, packaging them up and mailing them out.  As long as Canada Post has settled their strike/negotiations.  Waiting on tenterhooks for that settlement.

We brought home the first box of Olds homework and I hear through the rumour mill that several more are imminent.  If all send, that's about 40 boxes to be marked.  Again dependent upon Canada Post getting their settlement done.  Canadians could (if they choose) send by courier, but Americans, please note that I will have to pay brokerage and possibly duty if sent by courier.  You might want to wait until Canada Post is working properly again.

I'm hoping to hear any day about teaching again at Cape Breton - just level two and three.  Dianne is working on getting a level one instructor.  (Dianne is also working on developing the Master Spinner program at Gaelic College, in August, in case anyone in the east is interested.)  Plus there is Fibre Week at Olds College, next year in July.

We have more or less decided to return to Calgary one more time next year, so in between working on some research and doing the above, I will carry on with stash reduction.  This year I was able to move six boxes of yarn out of the annex and into the studio storage here.  AND I still have a little space on the shelves, so the stash is going down!!!!

And of course, the conference registration is slated to open in January.  Right now my input is minimal, but come February I will have conference duties to tackle again.

Hmm.  This semi-retirement thing.  How's that working for me???

Currently reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin

Six Weeks

The deadlines have been rolling by and it suddenly occurred to me today that it is (gasp!) six weeks to anticipated lift-off aka publication day.

(looks around desperately for a paper bag to breathe into...)

With that realization now a conscious thought instead of an 'in denial' thought, marketing the book has been much on my mind.

I know a lot of people are like me - they want to have technical books on real, actual paper.  I know this because about 60% (or more - I've lost track) of the sales of Magic in the Water via the Blurb website have been print-on-demand rather than the pdf download.

As I wove this afternoon, I thought about that fact and also that I will have a booth at the conference where I could sell actual print copies.  The conference will have an author signing event, so they could even get a copy signed.

Then I thought about all the people (I hope!) who might want a paper copy but won't be able to attend the conference.  And I thought that I could possibly order in enough copies to sell actual books - signed for those who want that - starting in January.  Because I rather suspect with uploading the file on Dec. 2 that it might be impossible to get printed copies in any quantity prior to Christmas.

So I'm going to set up a poll (if I can remember how) and see how many people might be interested - sight unseen, which I know is a bit of a leap of faith - in either picking up a copy at the conference, or who would be willing to pay shipping on a signed copy in the new year.

I'm getting very nervous about this whole project.  I know there is still much work to be done, but I've already bought my tickets to go to my editor to do the final edits.  So I'm sweating bullets until I hear she has finished and turned the ms over to the beta readers who have agreed to read it and see if they feel ok with providing a cover blurb.

(where is that paper bag...)

Saying you are interested doesn't mean you are committing to actually buying.  I'm just trying to gauge interest and see if it is feasible to bring in some copies to sell...

OK - I have spent 20 minutes trying to get a poll set up.  The gadget Blogger used to provide apparently no longer works, and the alternate poll site doesn't seem to want to open an account for me to set one up and embed into my blog.

Sooooo....I tried several different things and finally found a site I could navigate without spitting nails.  

Survey

Marketing

I took a 14 week course on marketing back in the 1990s.  One reason I took it is because I'm not - never have been - good at blowing my own horn.  I am an introvert, plus I was taught that 'ladies' never put themselves 'forward'.  Conditioning that reinforced my introverted side of not wanting to be in the limelight.

The very first week the presenter defined marketing as the simple act of sharing information.  Suddenly marketing started to make sense to me.

With the rise of the internet my introvert self has had a much easier time in terms of 'sharing' or marketing myself.  Because of course my products are an extension of myself.  And since my stated aim right from the get-go was to sell my products, the job isn't done until the products have been purchased.

'Selling' a conference is no different.  It is a product, a commodity, that we hope people will purchase.  But a conference is so much more than merely a product.  A conference is also an experience.  An opportunity for like minded people to network.  To share their knowledge, to learn from each other.  It is a chance to receive valuable feedback from others who know something about what you are trying to accomplish.  A chance to shine in the exhibits.  To talk with others where you don't have to justify your passion.

Now that the bulk of the planning has been done, it is time to start marketing the conference.  Based on the information the instructors have sent, I have been first drawing up a schedule that I hope will allow people to attend seminars but also visit the exhibits.  I have also been receiving requests for meeting space for special interest groups.  And I have been working on blog posts which will be posted on the 'official' conference blog over the coming weeks.

Because I am heading into craft fair season, and even though I'm not doing as many shows as I used to, my current health issues have made my energy scarce.  Blogger allows me to write posts and schedule them for publication later.

So far I have 5 posts scheduled which will go live on Saturdays over the coming weeks.  I will continue to share information as I can get it done and scheduled.  If you aren't following the conference blog, or the conference Facebook page, those are probably the easiest way to stay in touch.

Passion - a long ramble

As we continue to work on the conference I have had time to think about this community of textile creators.

One of the things that appeals about conferences is the opportunity to meet other like minded people in real life.  To have actual conversations as we fondle each others cloth.  Exchange the 'weaver's handshake' (gently rubbing the cloth between your fingers).

What brings us together is our passion for textiles.  Our curiosity about how threads are made, then turned into fabric.

Material used to be a trade good.  Anyone interested in how this can play out, Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Series has one book of the series where an expedition to Russia is mounted with cloth in the hold to be traded for Russian furs.  In North America, Hudson's Bay blankets were traded for beaver pelts.  And so on.

Human beings have been playing with 'string' since the dawn of humanity.  Elizabeth Wayland Barber has a number of books about historic textiles and the role they played in human development and history.  The first one I read was Women's Work, the first 20,000 years.  Since that book was published the date for using yarn/textiles has been pushed back even further.

Creating cloth is a labour intensive process.  While there is no need for people to create their own as industry more than provides all the cloth humans need, there are other reasons for people to continue to keep the craft alive.

Research is showing more and more that people who make things stay 'healthier' than people who don't.  (Can't find citations at the minute but I'm sure they are easy to find with a quick Google search)

There is the simple pleasure of feeling the yarn running through your hands.  There is the meditative quality of creating one stitch, throwing the shuttle for one pick, one after the other.  I use weaving as a working meditation.  Weaving has helped me deal with stress, been instrumental in recovering from injury and also helped to pay the bills.  Spinning I do just for the fun of it and because I enjoy blending different colours to make unique yarn I then knit with.

Not everyone wants to make their textile practice a 'job', however, but there are plenty of other reasons to make cloth.

You can go right from the sheep's back or garden plot to ensure the fibres you use are appropriate for the quality of cloth you want to make.  You can dye it (before or after spinning) to get exactly the colours you want to work with.  You can use fibre prep and spinning techniques to make yarn with exactly the qualities you want.  You can then use knitting, crocheting, nalbining, weaving, etc., to make the cloth you want for the purpose you wish to fulfill.

Any hand made textile is slow cloth.  Even if you are uber efficient, you will still be vastly slower in making that cloth than industry.  Working ergonomically means you don't stress your body while doing it.  (the side benefit of ergonomics is increased efficiency - just saying)

In order to do all of those things, you must have a passion for it.  If you don't have that passion, it's just another kind of 'work'.

People who don't share that passion with me just don't understand why I do what I do.  Case in point - I have been doing a local show since before I actually started weaving.  I have missed just one year due to health issues.  After about 20 years of setting up my booth and offering my hand woven cloth for sale, some people would see me in my booth, take a second look and say "oh!  you're still weaving!"   "Yes" I would say, "I am."   I can't tell you how many times the response to that was "Well, I suppose it keeps you busy."   The first time that happened I was flummoxed.  I stammered out that yes, it did keep me very busy.  After 40 years or so of doing this I don't get that comment very often any more, thankfully. 

But yes, being a professional hand weaver has, indeed, kept me very busy.  I have drawn from my passion to work to deadline, keep coming up with new ideas for designs, burnt the midnight oil to get things ready for shows and other deadlines, like my publications, traveled far and wide to teach, woven for other weavers. 

Weaving for other weavers?  Why yes.  Yes, I do.  Because they know that I will be able to meet deadlines while they work on other stuff.  So yes, I wove for 9 years for a fashion designer.  I have woven for other weaver/designers on special projects.  I have written articles and woven projects for publication in magazines, beginning with The Weaver's Journal, SS&D, Heddle, the Ontario Handweavers Guild 'newsletter', Handwoven and others.  And I have self published books, partly because I had information I wanted to share.  I want to help make the creation of textiles less confusing, more interesting - for those who share my passion.

And so I press on with getting a second(!) book to the 'printer'.  At this point I have turned the ms over to a professional editor that I trust, in no small measure because she also spins and weaves, and am letting her do the job of the final polishing.  Because at this point and some nearly six years of working on it I have zero perspective left.

I told a friend this morning that I had wrung my brains out and onto the paper.  I have tried to cover all the 'it depends' issues that weavers face when they set about to make a textile.  I cannot tell them what to do in every circumstance so I have tried to give the background information that is needed to make good choices.  What anyone does with that information will be up to them.

It is actually painful to me to see weavers in photos sitting too low, inviting injury, working in such a way that can lead to injury.  Choosing inappropriate yarn for the project they want to create.  Not understanding the factors that need to be considered.  That every quality of a cloth is on a sliding scale.  That you can take one yarn and create a library of different qualities of cloth.

Over the years I have settled on a range of yarns that I trust to make 'good' cloth.  My palette of yarn choices is relatively small and I work within the quality that those yarns will produce.  It is just a very thin slice of the weaving 'pie'.  On the other hand, I have experimented with a lot of other yarns so I have a pretty good understanding of a wide range of different yarns. 

Someone recently commented that putting on lots of short warps is beneficial to a new weaver.  I agree with that because while weaving is not particularly difficult, it is complex.  The processes, the equipment, the choices of yarns can be very confusing.  By dressing the loom with shorter warps and doing as many warps as possible until the process of dressing the loom is understood and becomes second nature will be beneficial.  Learning how to think about your results analytically will help make appropriate choices in the future.

Weaving, especially as a hobby, should not be painful.  It should not be frustrating.  It should not be cause for tangles, tears and blue language.  Understanding the principles will help make weaving much easier, and vastly more pleasant.

Understanding the mechanics of the craft, including the equipment, will make the whole activity much more enjoyable and allow for full range of the passion of creating textiles to develop.

So I have been thinking a lot about the instructors we have lined up for the conference.  And I'm thinking that I need to sit down with them and invite them to share some of their passion with people considering attending the conference.  If I can find time when we can do that, I will - hopefully - begin writing up profiles of them for the conference blog.

Because the best thing about a conference is meeting - in real life - others as passionate as we are and having face to face conversations and give each other the 'weaver's handshake'...

In Spite of Everything

I use this blog as a diary.  A place to work through my thoughts - which can oftentimes be quite scattered and need to be corralled.  A way to sort through the emotions of a situation to discover what I actually think about something.

This summer has been...challenging.  In addition to the general stress of living and trying to keep my business running, there is the on-going struggle with adverse drug effects.  Then nearly four weeks of smoke pall.  I'm allergic to smoke and was aware that I was struggling with that, but not how much until I left for a couple of weeks and my body was able to breathe again without also inhaling what is, for me, a fairly significant allergen.

The drug I'm on has a list of adverse effect and I am having a lot of them, the most annoying one the sinus drainage, the second most annoying one (the two flip-flop on the list daily, sometimes hourly) is the feeling of being too tired to do much of anything.

I told a friend last night that once again I am in the position of trading speed for longevity.  Because the drug is working to keep the cancer under control.

Over the past few evenings I have been reading some of my posts from 2013 and into 2014.  When the hope and optimism was high.  I was in remission from the cancer, didn't need any drugs beyond the small amount of blood pressure medication I was on.

Until the wheels fell off late 2013 and in June of 2014 I was informed I was on the list to become a member of the 'zipper' club.

It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster as I re-lived those months.  And those emotions.   The high of being in remission.  The low of facing major surgery.

Well, I made it through all that and once again thought it would be smooth sailing.

And here I am.  Still.  So many aren't.  Because during that time period several people I know lost their battles with cancer.  But here I am.  Benefiting from modern day science/research, taking what my oncologist called a 'miracle' drug.  A drug that targets just the diseased cells and leaves the healthy ones alone.  I only have to deal with a list of annoying adverse effects.  A trade off I am (sort of) willing to deal with.  Because what is my choice?  To stop taking the drug and let the cancer have it's way with my body.  And I'm not ready to let that happen, yet.

So in spite of everything - the stress, the big projects (when will I learn?), the tired, the constant sinus drainage (and all the other adverse effects which are merely annoying), I managed to keep weaving.

Yes, I had to work hard to make myself go to the loom.  Yes, I was less productive than I would have liked to be.  But I did it.  And I have a respectable amount of textiles woven, some of them ready to be tagged/priced and put into inventory.

The above photo isn't all that I've done this summer and into September.  There are shawls as well, and tea towels, and table runners.

I will be going into the craft fair season with a reasonable amount of inventory.  The conference is coming together.  The Book is being worked on.

And I keep going.  In spite of everything...

Details

The colour of these shawls is more green than grey but apparently my ipad didn't 'read' it that way.

When I fringe twist, I don't hemstitch on the loom.  I just weave in 'waste' yarn to keep things in place until I can get the twisting done.

After wet finishing, I then trim the frayed bit off to make the fringe look neater.  The untrimmed fringe is above, the trimmed below.

Doug got a lot of pressing done yesterday so today I'm trying to 'finish' as many things as I can because he needs to start packing the inventory up into shipping boxes for transport to our first show - Artisans of the North at UNBC Oct. 27/28.  The following weekend will be Studio Fair Nov. 2, 3, 4.  Both of those shows are here at home.  We then have a week to prepare for the show in Calgary - Art Market, Nov. 15-18.  The 'final' show of the year will be the guild room sale.  This is where I will deeply discount end-of-line designs, 'seconds', as well as offer some current work at 'regular' price.

In between Calgary and the guild room sale I will head off to visit with my editor to do the final line edits, make sure everything is as 'perfect' as we can make it and then - deep breath - push publish.

Once I'm home from that trip I have promised to weave some more samples for Tien Chiu's on line class 

In the meantime work on the conference continues.  We are still looking at opening registration sometime in January.  

Old Lady

Then...

When I first took up weaving, intending it to be my profession, I resented the fact that the stereotype of a weaver was a little old lady in running shoes.

Now I are one.

The above photos are from a conference held in Victoria, now a very long time ago.  How do I know?  I was a brunette.  It may have been 1984, but memory fails on this one.

I taught the first workshop ever the month I started weaving class.  The fact that it was a spinning class and I knew very little about spinning was kind of incidental.  I knew more than the others in the room and that was all that mattered.  But I had my first taste of what it would be like to involve myself in this world of teaching about textiles.

Since then I have run the gamut of being valued...and not.  I have stories.  Oh my yes, I have stories.

Dini Moes used to say that 'comes from far away, tastes better'.  And that seems to be in large measure true.

For a great many years very few people in my home guild had any idea that I was traipsing all over the continent teaching.  Not only that, but my expenses were paid, I was housed in comfort, people were interested in what I had to say.

At home - well, I was just me, doing what I did.  I almost never mentioned when I had an article published in a magazine, or was attending a conference in order to teach there.

I didn't want to boast, or make it seem like I was anything other than just me, doing what I wanted to do.

But eventually people started to find out what I was doing.  That when I flew off to parts far away, it wasn't that I was going on holiday, but...working.

At one point the program person for my guild asked if I would present a program.  I looked at her and said that I would but that I got paid (at the time) $50 to do a guild program.

She literally gasped and sternly informed me that "we don't pay for programs!"  I looked at her and said "Yes, you do.  Every out of town teacher who does a guild program gets paid.  I get $50 - or more - for doing a guild program."

She sputtered and finally sniffed and said that she would have to get approval from the board.  "Fine" I said.  "Let me know what they say."

Eventually she said they would pay $25.  I agreed.  I would, after all, be sleeping in my own bed, no travel involved.

The night of the guild meeting, I impatiently waited while the guild business was done.  I'd told the program person I did an hour long presentation, and I watched the clock ticking away.  Finally they wrapped up the business and because it was getting late, some guild members left before I started.

At the end of the hour, I collected up my samples and other teaching aids (including my own slide projector) and program person brought over my cheque.  She stood there, awkwardly, finally said that the program had been excellent.  She hadn't expected that.

Inside I died a little, firstly because she had not expected me to do a job worth $50 and hadn't, therefore, fought for my right to earn the money.  Secondly because she had been a teacher and her words saying she had expected me to 'fail' in her estimation cut, most especially since I'd already told her that I earned an income by doing this very sort of thing.  Did she think I was just that bad, or that other guilds were that gullible?  I didn't know.  I looked her in the eye and said something to the effect that this was how I earned an income and doing this sort of program was just part of it.

Over the years I've taught at a number of conferences, again, all over the continent.  ANWG was the first, then local/regional gatherings, but also Mid-West, NEWS, OHS and ATQ among others.  I have also taught at Convergence.

Some of them have been miles ahead of others in terms of how I was treated.  Some of them have been miles behind.

There is a school of thought that says 'this event is sooooo prestigious that instructors should subsidize the event because this is how we make money to keep operating as an organization.'

My attitude is that, without instructors, all you have is a giant shopping event with perhaps an exhibit or two thrown in for good measure.

People who teach at conferences are - by and large - professionals.  Do they earn the entirety of their income from teaching?  Not likely.  Usually they will write and sell things as well.  But they do take their commitment to teaching seriously.

Time and again they are asked to work for less than they might otherwise wish to do because they will get 'exposure', they will 'build their resume' by teaching at such a well known event.  They will benefit in the future by participating.

Well, I'm done with that.  I gave up adding prestige to my resume back in the 1990s.  Where I live, people die of 'exposure'.

Teachers are frequently required to finance the event by buying their flights and carrying that debt for weeks, sometimes months, until the event happens and they finally get paid.

I think it's shameful that teachers leave an event without their pay and we will be moving heaven and earth to make sure that all the teachers leave Prince George with their pay in their pockets.

I am also building into the budget compensation for things like checked baggage (because what teacher ever travels without at least one checked bag, full of samples?) and shuttles to/from the airport.

We will be paying a per diem for food.  Which means we will give them an allowance that we will pay for each day, no questions asked.  If they want a glass of wine or beer at dinner?  None of my business.  No receipts will be required to be submitted, no questions asked about their food choices.

They will be given a room at one of the hotels, material fees will be collected at the door by an assistant and handed to them directly.  They will not have to go get the money because - in my experience - they will be busy getting the room set up the way they want it, organizing their samples, their audio/visual presentations (if they are using them).

All too often it has come time to begin and I have not collected the material fees and I don't want to spend presentation time trying to collect them.   I have just absorbed the expense, even when it may have been a really hard lump to swallow.

My philosophy in working on this conference is to treat ALL the participants with respect.  That includes the vendors, the exhibitors, the volunteers and... the teachers.

My goal is to have everyone enjoy the event as much as possible.  Our schedule will allow time for socializing - because all too often people say they didn't manage to connect with everyone they wanted to because there wasn't enough time.  Or they never did make it to one of the exhibits - because there was not time.

Our conference will be held in a very small geographical location - the Civic Centre, library, art gallery and the two hotels are in a three block by three block area.  All buildings are accessible, all buildings have elevators for the upper floors.  All buildings have a/c, although it's rarely required in June, here.

If I do nothing else in this life, I hope to help bring this conference into being by treating everyone fairly.  It may very well be the last conference I choose to attend.  I want to make it a good one.

...and now.

Dates on a Calendar

I keep two planning calendars - one for this year, one for next - to record events and remind myself of deadlines.

Even though I am cutting back on teaching by no longer accepting guild workshops, it seems I still manage to fill my calendar with dates.  These are just the potential teaching events coming up that I know about.  Of course they all depend on getting sufficient students to 'go'.

Olds Master weaving level 2 and 3 in Cape Breton in May, the conference here in June, for which I'm scheduled to do three seminars (in addition to the organizational duties of co-chairing - which ought to be pretty much over and done with prior to the event - one most fervently hopes), Olds level one (I haven't been asked yet, but I'm reserving the dates in case) and John C. Campbell again in September.

In addition to that I have craft fairs in October and November - how many and where are yet to be decided.  I'm old enough now that I tend to reserve that decision until after this year's shows.

Technically I have Jan-April for production for next years shows.  Which really doesn't leave me a lot of time to do much in the way of designing new lines.  So I expect that I will extend the current line of scarves I've been working on, maybe come up with a new kitchen towel design, finish the tea towel warp on the AVL and do another (mostly) natural white warp in order to use up the cottolin (already have that pretty much designed - another Snail's Trails and Cat's Paws to sell at the ANWG conference where I will also have a booth - and thank you to Doug for manning it).

I have come up with a shawl design which I may crunch today even though I have six more scarf warps already wound.  I am 'out' of shawls and really ought to have some to offer.

Today I need to write a 1200 word article for publication.  It has a really tight deadline and I need to find my words rather quickly or I'll miss it.  And it's for a magazine I haven't written for in quite a long while - plus they have agreed to mention The Upcoming Book.  It's an opportunity I don't want to fumble.

But my body is three hours out of sync and I'm feeling tired.  So the first thing I am going to do is carry all my studio stuff down to the studio.  And maybe just beam a scarf warp onto the Leclerc Fanny.  Because that really doesn't take a lot of thinking

Currently reading - oh the book is in another room - author is Dana Cameron.  A 'light' mystery that is just about the right degree of engagement.  I'll look for other of her titles.  Seems she also writes urban fantasy type books, too.

Vision

Is it possible for eyes to breathe a sigh of relief?  It felt like mine did when I put my new glasses on!

I have been feeling so tired that I've been trying to rule out the things that cause 'tired' and I was reminded my glasses were two years old.  Usually that means I need a new prescription, and sure enough, I did.

Hopefully the new glasses with their less 'severe' looking frames will help me see that things are looking up. 

It also looks like I could use a hair cut, but my hair dresser is out of town, so I will just have to make do, with my do.

Vision can also be internal.  Having the vision required to design something - like textiles, for instance.  Or a conference.  Or a book.

As I wove a book project yesterday I realized that once again I was 'cheating' - and quite consciously so!  So I messaged my editor and we agreed that I should leave the warp on the loom to take photos to include with the instructions for the project.

The other loom also has a warp that will be used to illustrate a technique, which means that once those two are woven to the point where they need to be for the photos, I will turn my attention to the AVL.  On which is another warp which could also be utilized for the book.

There are two more book projects being woven by friends, plus my editor and I will 'mine' my sample collections for other textiles that could be used.  Which means that these three warps will pretty much be the last weaving I will do for The Book.

And once again, a sigh of relief happens.

This morning I also met with one of the conference committee and we reviewed the entry forms for the various conference events.  And the registration website.  I am almost at the point of being able to turn a whole whack of conference work over to two of the committee members to follow up on. 

Another sigh.

I long ago realized that no one person has to do All The Things.  I am so grateful for willing helpers who shoulder some of the load on these big projects I envision!  I am really looking forward to completing The Book, The Conference.  And being able to focus on envisioning textiles.  And maybe helping others see how to visualize their own.

Currently reading A Taste for Vengeance by Martin Walker

Hurdles

One of the biggest hurdles I've ever faced was producing this massive missive.  It went on for literally years.

First I worked on obtaining the master weaver certificate from the Guild of Canadian Weavers.  I thought that goal was the biggest hurdle I'd ever attempt.  It was just the prelude to first writing, then illustrating - with actual samples - the principles of wet finishing.  And then marketing a fairly pricey book.

I've never shied away from tackling Big Projects.

I have chaired - or co-chaired - something like four conferences.  Or maybe five.  I forget.

But usually I'm smart enough to not attempt so many Big Projects all at once.  But right now?  Not only am I in the midst of trying to wrap up another book (lord, help me) I'm also wrangling another major conference (major in terms of textile arts) into shape.

Along with health issues.

So, why, I ask myself, do I keep doing this to myself?  I honestly don't know.  Except that they both seem somehow...important.

Yesterday someone said on Twitter that an author never 'finishes' writing a book - they just *stop* writing the book.

And so I am in that place.  I am 'done' writing the book.  At least I'm done writing the text of the major part of the manuscript.  What is left are the projects that will help illustrate the weave structures I want to use as additional insight into understanding weave structure theory.

Because sometimes people need to just follow the directions so that they can see how it all goes together - yarn selection, density, colour choices, weave structure.  And of course, wet finishing.

There will be no actual samples in this publication.  I have been using blurb.ca as a test to see if that is a good route to go and after six months of having Magic available for sale there, I'm pleased with it.  So we are carrying on with the intention of posting The Intentional Weaver for sale there as well.

One of the reasons for publishing this way is that people will have a choice - they can download a digital version (pdf) or they will be able to order a hard copy.  So far customers who have purchased the 'magazine' version of Magic have said they were pleased with the quality of that hard copy, and I have been pleased with their professional standards.  They pay what I am owed within five days of the end of the month. 

Today I am dressing the loom with the 'last' of the table runner warps, with the intention of finishing it tomorrow.  And then I will be going through the manuscript again, checking to see which weave structures I already have projects for (in part because some friends have jumped in to help by designing and weaving projects - love you all!) and deciding which ones still need to have a project.

I am also chasing down details for some of the conference instructors so that their info can be posted to the conference website.  We have had some technical issues with the website - and Internet Explorer will no longer display the website so people will have to use another browser.  Nothing we can do about that since IE is no longer supported.

I am hoping to hear soon when my editor can come to take the photos for the book - and once those are done my part in 'birthing' this book will be pretty much over.  Then it will be in her hands to mash it all together.

While I have a lot of hubris, I don't have enough to think I can do this last crucial part on my own.  At this point I have zero perspective left in order to assess if the manuscript is acceptable.  It's time to have fresh eyes - and professional editor eyes, at that - to polish this project and take it to the finish line. 

And I will concentrate on the conference and the craft fair season.