challenging jigsaw puzzle
hemmed towels, ready for final pressing
One of the challenges of 'retirement' is the new approach to my day. One of the reasons I stopped production weaving and shut down my business was my increasingly challenging health issues. In the past few months I have managed to resolve some of those issues, but not all. And coming to grips with my new 'reality' has been emotionally challenging. Dealing with a pandemic hasn't helped either, as many health services were highly curtailed which meant delays.
Coming up with the idea of the Sunday Seminars has proved a tonic and I'm feeling much more interested in doing things, especially when they can be done remotely and therefore safely in this time of Covid-19
But there are days when I feel as though I'm making very little discernible progress. I don't remember when I started the puzzle, but this is as far as I've gotten. And I do try to work on it a little every evening. But even water will erode rock, so...
Yesterday we met for the last time this year out of doors for the small stitch n bitch group I am a part of. It was only 10 or 11C and we got thoroughly chilled sitting out in my carport for a couple of hours. I figured I would warm up quickly and I could continue threading the next warp, but it took a lot longer than expected and finally I decided that threading was not on the cards for that day. I did however, finish hemming the towels from the warp that got cut off on Friday. Today they will get their final press and four will be packaged up to go to their new home tomorrow. Today is a national holiday so the post office isn't open anyway, so tomorrow is shipping date.
I also worked a bit on the Seminar Series and should be getting info on one of the seminars today. If the info gets posted to the guild website this week, I will begin promoting the seminars. In the meantime, anyone who wants to join as an associate member, the cost is $26.25, you get the newsletter, can participate in other on line guild offerings, and get the guild member rate for the seminars.
I've stopped contacting folk for now because I'm waiting for feedback from guild members about who they would like to hear from, but there are speakers booked from Jan-Sept so far. And I have not come close to running out of options. We really do have a community with talent to draw from!
The field of textiles is endlessly fascinating. I follow several historians on Twitter who specialize in clothing or the history of textile manufacture in some way. I am constantly intrigued and delighted to learn more. I also follow the Ashmolean Museum which frequently posts photos of items from their collection, including textiles.
We live in 'interesting' times, in more than one way.
Human beings are incredibly adaptable. We need to be aware of how to safely navigate through this pandemic (and who knows how many more to come) and we have the technology to do this remotely.
In the meantime, stay home if you can, wear a mask if you need to go out, wash your hands. {{{hugs}}} to any who need one.
4 comments:
Who are the textile historians you follow on Twitter? I'd love to follow them, too!
Verdandi the Weaver, Hilary Davidson, Kassia St Clair are three I can think of off the top of my head. Find one, find others. ;)
I belong to group we call Knitterbugs and their friendship has been my salvation. We keep in touch with WhatsApp as well as meet in parks once a week, though Sunday was chilly and we didn’t last long. Just long enough to see what we’re working on and laugh at ourselves, always a good thing though that might have been the end of it for this year. Our guild had a weaving workshop via Zoom with Sarah Jackson last month and 22 of us studied the use of color in weaving. Meanwhile, I just try to remember what day it is :-)
Yes, the days do tend to blur, but I think that is also a factor of 'retirement'. :)
Our guild drop ins are currently held in a larger meeting hall, the door and window propped open, and we can spread out safely. Others join in via Zoom. But winter is coming so ventilation might become more of an issue. Either that or the heating bill will be going up!
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