Throwback Sunday

This is the second of the two articles from the newspaper my friend gave me a while ago.  This one is from 1999 and shows my then studio assistant modeling an evening gown I wove and a friend sewed up for the ANWG conference fashion show in Bozeman, MT.

It was interesting to read through both articles and see how little my attitude has changed.  And to think about how much has happened since 1997 and 1999.

Throwback Friday

Recently a friend gave me a couple of newspaper clippings she had saved for me many moons ago and recently found.

This article was done in 1997 and published just a few days before my birthday.  :)  It brought back many fond memories as my aunt (mom's sister) was visiting and I was able to show her this exhibit of my work at a local art gallery.

As I read the headline, I was reminded of how much has happened since 1997, and how little has really changed.  I still feel as though I could keep weaving for whatever is left of my life and still not know it all.

Currently reading The Patriarch by Martin Walker

Nuances

The above textiles were woven for A Good Yarn:  Linen.  They are primarily linen, although some of them are combined with either hemp or cotton.  As such they share some characteristics, but there are subtle nuances because of the different combinations of fibres.

I think it is this aspect of weaving that continually attracts me to keep exploring, keep pushing boundaries...keep learning.

I've got the broad strokes - I have my preferred methods, processes and equipment which don't change very much from day to day.  I have my comfort zone in terms of what I like to make and which yarns I prefer to use to make them.

But there are times when I do choose to try different things.  Not as often, perhaps, as I should, but often enough that I am very aware of the nuances in using the different fibres.  The inelasticity of linen compared to the huge elasticity of some wools, for example. 

I like to contrast matte and shiny yarns for effect and I like to create the illusion of curves within the grid of the cloth.

Weaving is like that - simple but complex.  Bold but subtle.  Structured but flexible.

Weaving satisfies me on so many different levels - intellectual, creative, disciplined, free.  I need to use math regularly (thank goodness for calculators), visualize, break through creative constraints, make mistakes - and learn from them.  Weaving has been for me intellectual stimulation, educational, therapeutic.

Weaving has allowed me to weave a life.  

And for that I remain continually grateful.

Books!

I really love delving into books, especially ones as eye appealing as this one.  

It only arrived a couple of days ago and therefore I've not read it thoroughly but so far I'm liking what I see.  

What I have read is clearly stated with good illustrations.   While the book is geared toward the rigid heddle loom, basic principles are given which will transfer seamlessly to a treadle loom, should the reader decide to expand in that direction.  If not, there are plenty of suggestions for making the most of a rigid heddle loom.  

The photos are clear and plentiful and overall, it is an attractive presentation. 

Others who have had the book longer than I have are pleased with the information on using more than one heddle, which makes the loom more versatile for those who want to explore weave structure, but there are plenty of ideas for a more organic approach for those more interested in colour and texture.  

For those just entering the wonderful world of weaving using a rigid heddle loom, I think this one is a very good investment.

Present

Saw this at the craft fair in Calgary and convinced Doug to buy it for my Christmas present.

Today he got it hung, which was a bit of a challenge on the brick wall.  

Bad Hostess

Word of warning...since my work is also my play, I assume my visitors like to 'play' with me.

Mary and I have made a significant dent in the hemming pile.  We are a little over half way through the 50 towels Doug pressed last week.  Of course there will be 20 more to do soon.  But that will finish the cotton slab/linen two ply for weft.  There will be a little left, but that may run away in Mary's suitcase.  ;)

Currently reading Unsinkable by Silken Lauman

363 days

I've used up three of my lives now, I think.  It was 363 days ago that I prepared for surgery - a fairly major surgery that left me weak as a kitten, but 'saved'.

It's been a long year in many ways - the recovery was long and challenging.  At times it was down right difficult, but I kept reminding myself that what I was going through was temporary.  That things would get better.  And they did.

I'm still not back to where I was before my body started to deteriorate - that slow steady decline that 'robbed' me of what physical fitness I had and sapped my energy.  I don't feel as though I am nearly back to where I was.  And I'm resigned to never - possibly - regaining it.  But, on the other hand, people have said that it took them up to three years to feel as though they had completely recovered from by-pass surgery.  So there may still be room for improvement.  And I can weave - so what if I can't walk up four flights of stairs anymore?

That sense of...fragility...is making me feel that if I have goals, if I have a bucket list, I need to address them.  I need to work steadily, with focus, towards achieving what I would like to achieve.

Progress has been made on several fronts:

A good dent has been made in the text for The Book

The Olds College website has details of the level one class here in Prince George in May and I'm hoping there will be sufficient registrations that it will be a 'go'.  (It is also being run in North Carolina with Jean Curry teaching so if you are interested but on the east coast...click on the link and scroll down.)

There will be a 'beginning' weaving class here in April, and the Edmonton Guild has asked me to teach in June.  Plus there is the Olds Fibre Week later in June, where I may be teaching as well.

Stash has been woven down to the point where entire boxes have been emptied.

On a personal note, Doug and I will be taking a holiday in March, visiting friends in NC (and possibly at their cabin in TN), then again in September we are planning on touring round Nova Scotia.  We have always said we wanted to travel.  Better do it now.  I might be teaching on Cape Breton, too.

After getting through cardiac issues, cancer, then cardiac issues again, I have spent a lot of time thinking about Life and what is Important.  In the end, material goods are ephemeral.  Knowledge passed on to future generations will have some chance of surviving.  And so, in spite of my Inner Critic wondering what on earth I'm doing writing yet another book about weaving, I carry on in hopes of helping others.  Sharing what I've learned seems to me to be the best thing I can do.  Encouraging others to be creative, helping them to overcome the obstacles they might encounter on their journey of learning.  Lending a hand, an ear, a bit of assistance in figuring out what might be going 'wrong' and how to make it 'better'. 

To me that seems the most valuable thing I can do right now.  Because to light someone else's candle does not diminish my own...