All in Good Time

It has been quite around the blog for a while.  The end of the semester this year was partially grueling.  Final critiques, tests and then juried show deadlines all sat and waited to pounce on me.

I was sad to see the semester go.  My weaving class was wonderful - once all the students gelled and began to talk to each other.  We produced three projects - a tapestry, twill-overshot scarf with dark warp and a final brocade scarf (inlay weaving).

I accidentally left my tapestry at school - I need to go eventually and pick it up.  My brocade weaving needs to have one side of the fringe adjusted and then it will be photographed.  Learning brocade has led to a whole new side of weaving for me.  It really gelled and I have a lot of plans with this technique.

The History of Photography class was always interesting always a bit puzzling.  Much of the work we looked at was conceptual and challenging.  Photography is hard to get one's head around.  What is it exactly?  The end of the semester the students presented on a topic we have been researching for most of the semester.  This turned out to be surprisingly interesting.  Food photography, Islam and photography and specific artist were highlighted   I researched and spoke about the work of Lia Cook.  Cook combines photography and weaving together and it really appeals to my technical brain.  I first learned of her work in an episode of Craft in America and then every time I picked up a weaving resource I'd see her name.  The more I learned about her and her weaving, the more I wanted to know.

The other big news is last week I mailed in an entry to my first juried show.  I don't know if my work will be accepted, but even so I feel like I accomplished something.  I felt nauseous on the day that I put the required paperwork and images together.  Possibile rejection isn't anyone's favorite thing, but I just pushed through it.  Two years of art school and my own drive have led me to some paths that I never thought possible.  I have another entry deadline approaching this summer and I hope to make a strong entry for it.

I have been working on a lot of projects now that school is out.  I feel almost more busy now, but I'm able to set my schedule.  This can be a good/bad thing.  My knitting mojo is back in a big way and I've been working on finishing up some projects.

I finished the shawl with yarn that I bought while in Seattle.  Pattern - Seaside Shawlette by Wendy Johnson.  I call it my Soundside Shawlette in honor of my time by the Puget Sound.  The yarn is Vamp by Seattle dyer Hazel Knits.

Next I finished the first sock in my Summer Lovin' socks.  This has been on the needles a long time!  I'll cast on for the second sock this week.

I've also returned to knitting Mister's sweater.  He should have it in time for the heat and humidity of summer.  I finished the back of the sweater in December (I think), but stalled out on the front.  Last night I bound off the front and now I have two sleeves and finishing work left.  Good news is we both still love the color I custom dyed for him.

Weaving has become a large part of my life and daily language.

I made these towels as a thank you gift for a friend.  This friend cheerfully helped Mister lug not one but two heavy floor looms up our awkward stairs and into the studio.

I've been slowly working on the finishing of other weaving for the Etsy shop and for art & craft fairs.

My summer to do list gets longer and longer.  The quilts are also begging for some work time!

Thrums

thrum ²  (thrm)

n.

1.

a. The fringe of warp threads left on a loom after the cloth has been cut off.

Finals are coming up and I've got a lot to do to get ready. See you on the other side!

Creative Spaces

This isn't going to be a pretty photo filled blog post. My studio isn't fancy, with designer fabric covered boxes, fancy lighting, and posh flooring.  My spaces are often cobbled together, rigged, purposed and made up of found or built parts.  I'm okay with that.  My studio has stretched and flexed a lot this past year and eventually it was divided up a few months ago.  So without further ado, the photos.

Weaving studio/home office.  This is the original studio, where I used to design, quilt and weave. It has been redesigned to accommodate the two large floor looms and the sewing things moved to the other studio space.  It is a cozy space though it is tight at times.

My favorite corner - and my design wall made out of foam core board, green duct tape (only roll I had) and quilt batting.  Because wall space is at a premium, my design wall is attached with the Command hooks to the closet door.  These days I mostly use it for photos.

Another favorite area of the room.  this shoe organizer is perfect - I can store a lot of things and see what I have.

The other studio lives in the basement.  I've had to make peace with this fact.  The basement is cold, with no natural light, and unsightly as basements can tend to be.  When I'm heads down working though, it doesn't make much difference.  One one wall lives the design wall (foam core & quilt batting - super light and held up with the Command hooks) and sewing table.  I have other various work tables for dyeing, surface design work, cutting and ironing.  Most are simple lengths of wood covered with contact paper and held up by filing cabinets and shelving.

 Another view.  The shiny floor is due to plastic shower curtains which help contain spills.  Space is a little messy as I'm in the middle of some projects and deadlines.

On the other side of the basement near the laundry sink and washer/dryer lives my indigo vat and drying rack.  Today I have lengths of dyed warp drying.  I rigged up lengths of pvc pipe on clothes line to dry yarns and fabrics.

So there is my space.  Nothing fancy but super functional.  My spaces will be able to be adjusted as I find better ways of working or add in more equipment.  Unfortunately, most of what I work with is equipment dense and that takes up space.  I will move some of my dye work to the covered patio now that temperatures are rising.  I love seeing dyed yardage hanging on the line outside.

This post is being linked up with Nina Marie's Sew Many Spaces blog tour of artists' studios.  Thanks for visiting if that is how you found me!  Have feedback?  I'd love to hear from you.

Progress Towards Finishing

How does one know when a quilt is finished?  Sometimes the quilts just say - hey, I'm done.  Other times I pin them up on my design wall in my studio and live with them for a bit.  I think this one is finished.  I think.

I won't take the official photograph until I know for sure.  This quilt is heavily hand quilted.  It incorporates a lot of skills that I've picked up since childhood.   In fact the quilt is all about time which I will have to incorporate into the title.

Next is a in progress quilt.  I sketched this one out on a whim, stitched the resist thread and threw it into the vat.  It is called Kind Eye and I think it has a home waiting for it.

Today I'm spending some time caring for my indigo vat and hopefully I'll be back to dyeing.  I have some things waiting for a swim and some of them are on deadlines.

Linking up once again with Nina Marie's Off the Wall Friday

Whirlwind

I had a very busy weekend.  On Saturday, I made a reed rack to safely store my reeds for the looms.  Racks are expensive from weaving supply companies - $90-150.  When I looked at the various designs, I figured that I could make one very easily.  I sketched what I wanted, added in measurements and went to the hardware store.  Turns out that I made mine for less than $30.  I used only simple tools my trusty drill and a handsaw.  If I had an electric saw, I could have made it quicker and perhaps with more accuracy.  My rack isn't quite square, but not noticeably so.  It is a tool, solves a problem, keeps the reeds out of the way and wasn't expensive.  Perfect in other words.  I'm delighted with it.  I made it larger than I currently need so ultimately it will hold eight reeds.  I have four reeds currently - 6, 10, 12, and 15.  I plan to add an 8 and maybe another 10 in stainless steel.  I will probably eventually paint my rack, but for now it is in place and doing the job.

We had an unexpected and very heavy late snow here in St. Louis on Sunday. It was a perfect day to get things done as we were going no where.

I measured out warp for ikat warp dyeing.

Ikat is something I've always wanted to try.  It is labor intensive - warp threads are bound to resist the dye, and then it must be unbound after dyeing.  My indigo vat is temporarily on hiatus.  After many weeks of heavy use, I need to add more indigo!  So my warp will wait until then.

I warped the loom with some hand dyed yarns for a simple plain weave scarf.  I'm enjoying watching the color shifts and it is working up nicely.  I should finish weaving it today.  Once the finishing details are done and photographs taken it should be up in the shop soon.

Finally, I've started spinning up my first fleece of 2013.  It is a sweet little Romney lamb's fleece.  It is the cleanest fleece I've seen, soft, beautiful almost black to gray and spins beautifully. 

I'm still plugging away on my quilts.  I have one for a show submission almost finished.  It has been quite a taskmaster as it demanded all hand quilting, but I'm very pleased with how it is turning out.  I next need to turn my attention to a quilt that has a home waiting.  I was at a meeting last week and someone saw the in progress quilt.  They asked to purchase it once it is finished!  

Spring Fever

It is about 70 degrees today in St. Louis.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing and my neighbors are all out and about.  I'm in my studio with the window open and I'm working on an idea.

I have a quilt idea that has been given me fits for the past few weeks.  I have some of the cloth dyed and ready to go, but my original idea didn't work.  So I put it aside and chewed on it for a while.  I am hoping my new idea works, but if not I'll learn something and move on.

This lump of string is the beginnings of my idea.  I am warping up a loom today to make some woven shibori (tie dye) cloth for a quilt.  I use a lot of shibori cloth in my work.  I've wanted to try woven shibori and use handwoven fabric in quilts for a few months now.  I'll keep you posted.

Linking up once again with Off the Wall Friday

Weaving Begins

with many decisions and calculations.  How big do I want my cloth to be?  How long and wide?  What yarn will I use? How much of it do I need?