Simple, Not Easy

knot in warp - repair end threaded through same heddle, woven together with original end for 1 to 1.25", then cut original end and continue weaving until...

original end is long enough to re-thread through the heddle.  Weave 1 to 1.25", then cut repair end.  Clip all tails once cloth is off the loom before wet finishing.  No sewing required.

This warp is reminding me that just because something is 'simple' doesn't mean it's 'easy'.

There is a reason so many testing/learning programs concentrate on the execution of a good plain weave.  While the thread interlacement is 'simple', making it good is much, much harder.  Every little inconsistency will show up.

How do you get better?  By first of all training your eye to detect those pesky inconsistencies.  By listening to your loom, yarn and most of all, your body.  Weaving is a biofeedback activity.  It has to be because you are using equipment and tools and you need to be able operate the equipment and handle the tools with skill.  And by that I mean obtain the results you desire through the use of those tools and equipment.

People who don't weave don't have a good grasp of just how skilled you have to be to make good cloth.  Especially good plain weave.

The first step in achieving a good plain weave is to learn how to wind and beam the warp under consistent tension.  There are many different processes that people employ to do this - it doesn't matter which you use so long as you have a warp that is consistent on the beam.  In my studio this means beaming the warp with fairly high tension, using firm warp packing (unless I'm sectional beaming on the AVL in which case the warp is beamed with high tension and no warp packing).

The warp must then be tensioned for weaving - again, consistently.  Unfortunately this is easier said than done because when the fell is advanced and tension reapplied it is nearly impossible to achieve precisely the same tension as was previously used.  Looms with finer adjustments (two 'dogs' rather than one, for instance, smaller teeth in the pawl for another) are easier to reset.  So the weaver has to replicate as closely as possible the tension on the warp each time the warp is advanced.  And then s/he has to adjust their beat to compensate for the different tension on the warp.  This becomes more difficult on a long warp as the cloth is being woven, building up on the cloth beam.  Instead of a nice hard surface, the cloth beam becomes padded with layers of woven cloth.  In addition the ratio of the diameter of the warp beam to the diameter of the cloth beam continuously changes.

The weaver has to train their eye to spot inconsistencies so that s/he can see what is happening, analyse why it is happening, and know what and how to adjust what they are doing to get the results they desire.

They must pay attention.

They must be able to handle the shuttle in such a way as to leave the appropriate amount of slack in the weft so that there is appropriate draw in.  If they choose to use a temple, they need to know how to most effectively apply that.  They must know how to wind 'good' bobbins and control the feedoff of yarn from the bobbin.

Again I say, pay attention.

Pay attention to their equipment, their tools, their results.  Spot errors immediately and fix them to avoid unweaving or worse, have to fix them off the loom.

Once a weaver has mastered plain weave they will have achieved a level of skill or competency that will bring them a long way towards understanding the subtlety of the craft and a level of mastery that will make weaving less stressful and more enjoyable.  They will even be able to function with just surface attention so that they can have other thought tracks running alongside of their weaving.  But their eye and their body will know what to do and as soon as an inconsistency crops up, the weaver will be able to deal with it efficiently.  Mistakes will happen, but they won't be the end of the project. 

 Most things in weaving can be fixed, one way or another, depending on how much time one is willing to devote to the fix.  Some things aren't 'perfect' but don't really do much harm.  I know my beat isn't perfect in this cloth but I'm also working with a slub yarn which makes achieving a 'perfect' beat pretty nigh impossible.  And ultimately it's a tea towel.  I'm not submitting it for jurying.  I just want to make something 'nice' for people to dry their dishes.  These will do just fine - even though they aren't 'perfect'.  

Sometimes the best lesson to learn is when to let go of perfection.

Subdued

towels

close up - showing hem woven in 2/16 cotton and towel body in the cotton slub/linen

White dilutes
Grey muddies
Black intensifies

This little mantra will help in choosing appropriate colours for your textiles.

I think you can see quite clearly that the deeper colours of the warp are being subdued by the pale weft I'm using.

So it appears that the four cones I had decided to use up this time are much bigger in real life than expected.  I'd assumed that the cones were about 2 pounds.  Except that two of them are 3.5 pounds each, and the other 2 are 2.5 pounds.  With 3100 yards per pound, that is about 37,000 yards, give or take the cone weight.  I number crunched and discovered that 12 pounds of this cotton/linen yarn is enough weft for (wait for it) +90 towels.  !

Well, I won't be using up this yarn any time soon.  I don't have the time to make 90+ towels before the show season starts, nor do I need that many towels for inventory.  I've actually got quite a good inventory of towels because I've been weaving them on the AVL on 30 and 40 yard long warps.

So I will do a few warps with this combination, then it will be time to weave up some rayon chenille for scarves - because two simply isn;t enough - and then finish with a few more place mat warps.  I took a look at inventory the other day and there aren't nearly as many mats on the shelves as I expected to see!

Technology

has been kicking my butt this summer.

So far I have replaced my desktop, the computer that runs the loom, my iPad and now we are waiting to see if the boiler that runs Puff (industrial steam press) can be fixed.

I have to give thanks to Bob (Fiberworks) and Allan (computer guru friend) for helping me get the new computer talking to the Compu-Dobby I.  With the proper adapter, all appears to be well.

Thing is, the Compu-Dobby I is, in the electronic world at least, a proper 'antique'.  When I bought the new cpu, I suddenly realized the Compu-Dobby I is probably older than the sales clerk that sold me the computer.  But so far it still works, so I'm not about to invest thousands of more dollars to upgrade it, especially when I have no idea how much longer I'm going to be able to weave.

Bottom line is that by the time I'm done with weaving, this loom and the gear that makes it work the way I need it to will more than likely be worn out.

It's kind of sad in a way.  Looms used to be solidly built and passed down from one generation to another.  Now we have a society that doesn't expect anything to last more than a year or two and when it breaks or wears out, we throw it away.

I bought this loom in 1981.  I added the Compu-Dobby I a year after it was introduced (took me that long to save the money) so about 1992?  In 1998 or 9 I got Doug to install the air assist.  So all of the parts of this loom are old to very old.  And it has been used, pretty much daily.  There have been literally thousands of yards of cloth roll across the beams.

When it comes time to 'retire' I will be sad, but that time is not here, not yet.

Currently reading The Acadians by James Laxer

And Now...

...for something completely different...

first half of a towel warp wound

both halves wound ready for beaming with huge cone of cotton/linen for weft (and warp yarns because there are a few knots in the warp that will need fixing)

I am getting tired of place mats, even though it's apparent I haven't nearly enough made for the upcoming show season.  Rather than flog myself to keep going with the mats, however, I decided to start on another of the yarns I inherited from Lynn...a fairly fine 2 ply, one ply cotton, one ply linen - with a slub in the cotton.

Since it's not appropriate for warp, it will be used for weft.  It's all 'natural' (natural white cotton, natural beige linen) the design emphasis will be in the warp.  Warp stripes to be precise.

Since I'm thinking of doing a blog post for Craftsy on using the Fibonacci series to design stripes, I started with a very simple stripe design.  I will do this stripe in several different colourways, then design another stripe using a different set of numbers and probably a different number of colours in the warp.  I've used just three in this warp - a warm reddish beige, moss green and a brighter sandy beige.

The weave structure will be plain weave and the lighter weft will 'wash' the colours of the warp to a pale pastel value.

This summer has been rather expensive in terms of technology.  I replaced both my desktop and iPad, and this week I wound up having to replace the computer that runs the loom.  Today Doug informed me that Puff isn't working and he has to call in an electrician.  I'm waiting to hear if it's 'terminal' or if Puff can be fixed.  If he can't, I am going to downsize, give up the annex and shoehorn all the stuff currently stored at the annex into my studio.  Where, I have no idea.

It will be back to trails and a possible episode of Hoarders but if Puff can't be fixed, there is no point in carrying on renting off site storage.  Since I'm cutting back anyway, perhaps this is just a timely reminder that I have waaaaay too much stuff and need to work harder at using up my stash and getting rid of some equipment.

Puff may be the first to go...

Just finished Tapestry of Lies by Carol Ann Martin and started Queen of Silks by Vanora Bennett.  I'm not sure if I'm going to keep reading that one - I am waiting to see if there is more information on the silk industry or if it is just a 'romance'.

7 1/2 years

Don, in his happy place...The Little Prince

It's been 7 and a half years since my brother died and what a roller coaster it has been.  Little did I know then the ups and downs that would enter my life.

I have learned so many lessons since then.  How to stay in the now.  How to worry about the future less and enjoy the present more.  How resilient the human body is.  To judge others less.  To be more compassionate.  More forgiving.  Less angry.  More peaceful.  To look for the lesson in events.  To fill up the glass when it appears to be half empty.

I'm still working on other things.

To have fewer regrets.  To complain less.  To mine the clouds for those silver linings...because you know they are there...somewhere.

To watch for the rainbows.  Capture the joy, whenever possible.

But oh, how I miss having my brother on the journey.

Showing Up

People often comment on how much I get done.  What they don't realize is that a) weaving is my job and b) I really don't do anything else.

Thing is, when you are self-employed, every day is a potential workday.  (It's also a potential day off, but if you have too many of those, nothing, and I mean nothing, gets done.)

Weaving is so much more than a job to me, though.  It's my happy place.  It's therapy - physical and emotional.

One of the reasons I chose weaving as a career is that I wanted - needed - work that had an element of creativity in it, plus I wanted to make the decisions.  So I decided weaving might just be the answer, even though I didn't actually weave at the time I made that decision.

The biggest challenge is that you have to show up.  You are answerable to no one but yourself.  While it is you that makes the decisions, you also have to accept the consequences of those decisions.  And sometimes that means working even when you don't really feel like it.  Showing up when your energy levels are in the toilet and doing something in spite of feeling like you are dragging a grand piano behind you.  You show up with a headache, muscle pain, etc.

Creativity is not something that comes to you in a blaze of glory, completely formed and perfect.  Being a creative person means that sometimes you have to deal with the administrivia, the prep work, the 'boring' bits.  Being self-employed means that you get to do All The Things, regardless of whether or not you enjoy them.  If they are necessary somebody has got to do them and in a one person studio?  That person is you.

You have to show up for all the jobs.  And you do.  You either get to the point where you don't mind them, or you hire it out.  That's why I have an accountant.  I'd much rather beam and weave a 40 yard long warp than deal with year end and taxes!

The first thing you need to do on the road to 'success' (whatever success means to you) is that you have to show up.  And you have to do the work.

Poor Man's Damask

Twill blocks are sometimes called 'poor man's damask'.  So here is the pine trees and snowballs pattern woven with the same yarn both warp and weft.  Yes, they are, indeed, the same colour.  So why do we see a very distinct difference between the warp and weft?  It's physics, m'dear.  It is the way the light reflects off the surface of the yarns.  It is this principle that makes damask work with it's very elegant white on white (or any colour on itself) to show up the pattern woven.  It's all a trick of the light.

As you can see, I've used up the last of the very fine singles linen.  I'm very happy to finish this warp using up as much of the red cotton as it will take to complete the 40 yard warp.  I think there's about 10 yards left, give or take.  The red on red cotton will be turned into towels, the linen and cotton will become table runners.  I'm hoping to cut the linen off the loom tomorrow after weaving enough length so that I can cut at the back of the loom and not have to re-tie.  Mainly because I'm lazy and I'd rather just keep on weaving than stop and cut off at the reed and re-tie.  It's one of the nice features of the AVL - this ability to cut off what you've woven without having to actually cut off at the reed.

Doug made me several storage rollers so when I get about 2 yards woven I cut the cloth off the apron and insert a storage roller.  I can, at any time, cut off at the back of the loom and remove what I've woven for the next step.  When I was weaving for the fashion designer I'd weave about 40 yards or so and process the web (inspection and repair) and ship to her.  No time was lost because I could just keep on going.

I have no problems with the tieing of a warp.  So many people say they struggle to get even tension, there are numerous processes that 'guarantee' 'perfect' tension.  I just use the good old surgeon's knot and have rarely had any problems getting good tension.  But whatever works, right?

If I'm working with something slippery that won't hold a knot, I lash on.  I think I demo'd both of these methods on The Efficient Weaver.  The trick, as far as I can see, is to tie groups that are neither too large nor too small.  Too small and it seems as though it's nearly impossible to get everything close enough to the same tension to get good results.  Too much and the outside ends are under more tension than the middle ones, and again - almost impossible to get good results.  So my bouts are about 1 inch.  (.75" - 1.25")

If you are having tension issues due to the method used to tie on, do some research and see the other ways there are to accomplish the task.  Perhaps one of those other methods will suit you, your loom and your materials better than what you are doing.

Book Review - Looming Murder

In the best tradition of the 'cozy' mystery, Looming Murder presents lots of interesting characters and plot twists with a big dash of romance.   Weavers will find the addition of looms, yarns and textiles satisfying.  This is the first in a series and if you enjoy the 'cozy' genre, well worth looking at.  If you enjoy Monica Ferris' books, you will most likely enjoy Carol Ann Martin's. 

Ephemeral

Textiles are ephemeral.  Unlike pottery or glass, they do not age well, rather they return to cosmic dust, leaving very little of their passage through time left behind.  Unless they leave an imprint in clay or some other medium which will record their existence.  In rare instances some traces are left behind - either frozen (literally) as the grave goods from Greenland, or bog finds or in extremely arid climates.

My textiles are meant to be used.  I don't aim to make heirlooms which will stand the test of time because eventually the vast majority of textiles will disintegrate.  My hope is that my textiles will bring joy to the user, whether that be in the home or wardrobe.  I don't spend a lot of time on fancy, intricate finishes.  I try to make sturdy textiles, ones that will serve their purpose, even if that purpose is to wipe dishes.  Sometimes I will make a textile that is a little more 'delicate' but generally I always try to keep the purpose, the job, if you will, the textile is to serve in the forefront on my mind.

Many people will look at my tea towels and exclaim that they are too 'nice' to use.  That sort of comment always makes me a little sad.  Why shouldn't we have beautiful objects around us?  Textiles that enliven our lives through the use of good design and colour?  Who says that our everyday items have to be...not nice?

As I work my way through the red cotton warp making a very traditional looking cloth which I hope will grace people's tables for festive - and every day - occasions, I hope that they will bring enjoyment to the people who use them.  And that they don't get consigned to the closet because they are 'too nice' to use.

Currently reading Looming Murder by Carol Ann Martin - more on this when I've read a bit more of it...

Big Jobs

I was maybe five when a friend and I decided it would be a good idea to dig to China.  I don't remember now WHY we thought it was a good idea, but we swung into action with our toy shovels and maybe a trowel and started digging.  The hole was sizeable.  It had to fit the both of us, after all, and by the time my mother came out to see what we were up to, the hole was already a foot or more deep.

I remember her standing on the pile of dirt already excavated, asking us, not in an angry way, just curious, "What are you two doing?"

"Digging to China."  "That's a long way away."  "We know."  "OK."

What she did NOT do was demand we stop, comment on the amount of dirt we were wearing, or make fun of us.  Knowing my mom, she probably brought us some cold drinks. 

By the time dinner was ready the hole was about four feet across and about three feet deep.   Digging to China had kept us busy for the whole afternoon.   I doubt dad was impressed but I don't recall him scolding me, either.  What he did do was quietly fill the hole in after I went to bed.

The lesson?  Not to be wary of working hard.  Not to be afraid to have a dream and work towards it, even when it might be futile.  That my parents respected focus and hard work.

People often comment that they get bored and wonder how I can weave off a 40 yard warp.   It's easier than digging a hole to China!  😇

No Pretense

The first time someone referred to me as an 'expert' I literally cringed.

I cringed because I felt so far away from being an 'expert' at anything.  How could someone know so little about the vast ocean of knowledge that compromises the construction of cloth be an 'expert'?

Even after being granted the master level by the Guild of Canadian Weavers I was very uncomfortable using that designation.  It took a couple of years before I added that to my business cards. 

Eventually I realized that an 'expert' didn't have to know All The Things on a broad base but could know one tiny facet very deeply.  

Studying, exploring, experimenting in the other facets keeps me coming back to the studio.  The what if I do this, or that, or something else.  Changing one thing to see the results in the finished cloth is endlessly fascinating. 

I do not pretend to know all the answers.  The creation of cloth is way too large, much too complex for one person to Know Everything.

Thing is, it isn't necessary.  It is only necessary to know what you need to know to get the results you desire.  It is up to the teachers to tell people where to look for answers, even when the student doesn't know the question to ask.  Because when you don't know what you don't know, you don't know that you don't know it.

Percolating

While other things take my conscious attention, ideas for the Next Big Project continue to percolate in the back of my mind.

With my analytic mind I have been sub-consciously thinking about The End Product - as is my usual approach to creativity/design.  Where do I want to end up when I'm done?  What milestones do I want to see on my journey to That End?  What breadcrumbs do I want to leave behind so that others can follow my path...if they wish to?

So gradually a form is beginning to emerge.  It's all very fog shrouded, still, but objectives are beginning to make themselves known.

Vaguely stated, I want to distill 40 years of weaving experience into a format that others can learn from.  Bearing in mind that experience can not be taught, there are still ways of expressing those experiences that others can hopefully relate to and absorb into their own personal journey.

I have a working title which expresses my philosophy towards weaving and which will help to keep me on track - a focus to aim for.

It will all have to wait until December when the current crop of deadlines has been dealt with.  At least knowing that I want/need to do this Next Big Project, I will be deterred from establishing other projects (deadlines) - at least not other big ones - so that over the winter I can start roughing out the map which will aid me on the journey.

Hmm - last time I wrote a book I did the first draft in Sweden...

Practicing

Not a great photo but here is some yarn I originally spun a few months ago, still singles on the back spool, now plied with fine bamboo on the front spool.

I'm not entirely happy with the degree of plying but I was using a borrowed wheel (the guild Lendrum), the chair at the Fair was too low and very uncomfortable, and the bobbin had a whole lot more yarn on it than I expected.  It wasn't a particularly happy experience.  I had intended to ply both bobbins during my demo shift today but I opted out of more fighting with the wheel and wove instead.  But not too much - I didn't want to use up too much of the demo warp on the second day!

I will ply the other spool on my own wheel and see if I can match the one I did today.  There should be enough yarn to make *something* with.  The singles is a wool/cashmere blend, the other yarn is the Silk City bambu 12 - about the same grist as 2/16 cotton but of course very loosely plied and very flexible.

Not sure if I will knit with it myself, use it for scarf weft (probably not enough) or gift it to someone.  It's not the smoothest yarn in the world, it's definitely 'beginner' level spinning, but useful for something for someone.

Time to go thread the small loom.  I'm too tired to attempt to weave on the AVL - that will wait for another day.

Nothing to See

Nothing new to see - just plugging away at the 40 yards of this warp, plus inserting a few warps of place mats on the small loom.

The good news (for me) is that all of the fine linen has been wound onto bobbins and is currently 'resting' in humidors.  Once that runs out I will switch to the red cotton and finish off whatever is left in red on red towels.  Stash busting proceeds!

This week is the annual 'fall fair' (yes, we have it in August!  Tells you something about our growing season...) and I was thinking I was going to have to spend every minute in the guild booth but a last minute volunteer came forward so now it looks like I will be able to get some weaving done in between trips to the fair grounds.  Since I'm feeling pressured to get stuff done, it was a relief to have the volunteer slots pretty much fill.

Just had a (deep tissue) massage and am under instruction to 'take it easy' so I'm going to go dress the small loom with another place mat warp and maybe wind another one - or two.  And it's time to get back to my daily walks - if you don't use it, you lose it - and I barely made it up the 4 flights of stairs to massage (thigh burn - yikes!)

Currently reading Brush Back by Sara Paretsky

Aging

I belong to a group on Ravelry for Leclerc loom owners.  One of the fun things people do is post photos of their looms in an effort to decipher when they were made. 

My loom has a serial number but I think it's a fairly early model and doesn't seem to indicate the year.  From the style of decal I've decided it is probably from somewhere around 1945-1955.   Why?  Because by 1956 they were including the year.  Since mine doesn't have a year, I think it must pre-date 1956.

The number isn't easy to see.  I finally found it to the left of the treadles on the cross piece that holds the treadles.  A light aimed sideways on revealed the date.   The imprint says F-36-11215.

Patina

I'm not getting old - just developing a patina - like my looms...

Testing, Testing

After taking the year long (two semester) class in weaving at the local college, I knew I had merely scratched the surface of what could be learned about cloth construction.

Now there is no need to delve into the depths, as it were, but like an iceberg what you see initially is only the tip!

Being a compulsive perpetual learner, I wanted to know as much as possible.  I scraped up the pennies to take every workshop I could afford, bought as many books as my budget would allow, read extensively (this was all pre-computer, pre-internet, pre-digital days), haunted the library requesting books on inter-library loan.  And wove.  I wove lots and lots of things.  Everything I could think of - rugs, tea towels, scarves, shawls, wall hangings.  If it could be constructed with thread, I would give it a go.

Little by little, the enormity of the iceberg was slowly revealed.

I didn't rely on other people to tell me what to do or how to do it, although I was always open to constructive feedback.  I would take that feedback on board and decide if it was valid for what I wanted to achieve.  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

A group of local weavers were following the Guild of Canadian Weavers levels and I decided that I would do the same.  By the time I began I felt I was well beyond 'beginner' but was I really?  Doing the tests would allow me to see if I really did know what I thought I knew and how well I could execute the physical skills involved in weaving.  Wanting to teach more, I also felt that if I could pass the tests, other people would have some idea if I had a grasp of the concepts.  Whether or not I could convey those concepts was another matter - just because you are very knowledgeable doesn't mean you can teach someone else.  Teaching is another skill entirely.

So I did the tests for a number of reasons.  Being a self-directed program it was also a test of my dedication to learning.  Could I actually fit the test problems into my life?  How much was I going to invest in terms of time and money to accomplish the task?

It was a struggle at times.  The tests are not meant to teach you how to weave, but to see what your level of knowledge is.  So there were times when I had to find resources, read up on a weave structure, do the draw downs, weave the samples.

The tests also forced me to look at weave structures that didn't actually appeal to me.  Doing the test problems gave me a greater understanding of weaving than I would have pursued on my own.  They broadened my knowledge and gave me a greater appreciation of those weave structures that I didn't enjoy doing.

Understanding a larger variety of weave structures gave me a greater understanding of how threads interlacing worked so that I could pursue the things I did enjoy in a much more thorough way.

The tests were a challenge and part of the reason I did them was to see if I could rise to that challenge and succeed.

Ultimately not everyone is interested in delving that deeply into weaving, nor is there any need for everyone to do so.  But weaving can be a lifelong investigation into and study of textiles.  It all begins with a glimpse of the tip of a very large iceberg.

Currently reading Speaking in the Bones by Kathy Reichs

Forging Ahead

The colour isn't quite true in the photo - the red is a true scarlet.

Over all I'm pretty happy with this.  I could have futzed some more but in the end it's working and there are very distinctive pine trees (border) and snowballs.

I've been wanting to expand my intellectual pursuit of weaving for a while and converting the overshot (and in this case Summer and Winter) designs into twill blocks has been fun.  But I think I've taken this as far as I want/need to.  Which is a good thing considering that I'm contemplating Another Big Project.

I rather suspect that preparing, developing and ultimately writing and promoting another book is going to be all the intellectual stimulation I'm going to be able to handle.  All the while weaving for the craft fairs.

Linda Heinrich made the observation that writing a book is like birthing an elephant.  It takes at least two years.  I would have to agree with her, especially when it is a technical book.

In some ways, not having very many teaching dates is A Good Thing.  I will be pouring everything I've got into this New Big Project.  There isn't going to be a lot left over.

The Foreward has been simmering away in the back of my mind as I prepared this warp.  I'm not quite ready to put words down, but I'd like to have that accomplished before I meet with the graphic artist because the Foreward will essentially be my Mission Statement.  Once I get that firmed up, the focus will be clearer.  Once I know where I'm going, I will be more able to chart a path in order to get there.

Or at least, that's the plan.

Favourite Teacher

Once again Handwoven/Weaving Today is running their 'favourite' teacher contest.  Click on the link to the left to submit yours...

All Queued Up

Two and a half sessions at the loom and the cream warp is history.  :)

Next...RED!  Again.  I figure I've got enough yarn left on the tubes to do a 40 yard warp, which ought to also use up the last of the doubled singles 24 linen.  And if the linen runs out before the warp, the last bits on the tubes of red can be used as weft.

Which ultimately accomplishes several things - use up the linen and the red cotton AND I will have table runners for the fall sales.  I lost count of how many people asked for table runners.  I don't know if red was what they had in mind, but at least I will have table runners this year?

The draft is a simplified Pine Trees and Snowballs design I adapted from Mary Black's New Key to Weaving and will weave in twill blocks.  This will be woven as yardage and I'll cut them to length when it gets pulled off the loom.

Once this warp is done the next shawl warp must go into the loom or they won't be finished in time for the sales.  I'm going to be out of town the first two weeks of October so pretty much everything I want/need done for the sales has to be at least woven before I leave on Oct. 1.

Deadlines are my friend.  Deadlines are my friend.  Deadlines...