Tapestry Retreat

I spent a good weekend with my first guest at my studio tapestry retreat. She arrived on Friday afternoon and stayed overnight at the studio. On Saturday morning we talked about what she might want to tackle during her couple of days on retreat. We both worked at our looms during most of the day--just taking an extended break to have a walk around our small town, stopping to chat with a few of the local craftspeople and artists who have studios or galleries on the square.

On Saturday night there happened to be an art exhibit opening reception at the Buisson Art Center and we dropped in for that. The artist, Billy Roper, is a friend of ours and as the evening was winding down he invited us to his small studio at the Center to see some other works he has underway there.

We finished off the evening with dinner at Wylie's on the square...a great place to eat in Dahlonega (one of many!).

Yesterday (Sunday) my guest had a few more questions and we talked about assorted tapestry problems and possible solutions. She wove a bit more, I worked on the hanging finish of my small format piece, then she packed up and took to the road around 3:30.

I've asked her for a critique of the experience--since is the first for me, a stay-over tapestry guest--I want to be sure I can accommodate desires for a good learning and retreat experience. I already know one definite thing I need to improve--directions of how to get to Dahlonega! We're not really too obscure but there are so many road numbers that meander in and out through these mountains...when you grow up in a place you just take the road from here to there that you've always known...or at least I do. When trying to give directions I found myself falling far short of what I needed to know quickly!

SO, my task before the next guests come, maybe later this month...get on the road and have a map handy...make some notes and be ready for questions!