Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild tapestry class--second session

Everybody made it here through the rain today and had wonderful things to show. Lots of progress took place on the looms during the week... even enrolled a new "distance learning" weaver, Boo, who decided to weave at home with Terri:



A couple of folks had finished a first tapestry. Nancy then had time to start a second one above the first, using the same warp. Lauren was ready to hitch the top of the completed first one and move ahead into a second area above. Her husband had also constructed a pipe loom for her at home that she'd warped and she'd gotten quite a lot done on the next tapestry.







More to come next Saturday!

Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild tapestry class begins...

Yesterday dawned bright and breezy--perfect late winter day to start a new tapestry class here at my studio in Dahlonega. Five have enrolled and we warped my AB copper pipe looms during the morning, then began weaving in the afternoon. I'm loaning the looms so the students can continue with the weaving throughout the week. We'll meet again next Saturday for another all day session.








The photos show everyone squeezed into my studio around a long table and a short one at the end. I bought additional PVC fittings to make legs for these looms, as I'd done for a couple of the frame looms when I taught the Arrowmont class last fall. The legs really are handy as they allow the loom to stand on the table.

Here's hoping the five will have time to get several inches into their tapestries before class next Saturday!

next tapestry begins

A new tapestry is now underway on my larger Hagen loom. I started it last week so I'd have a weaving on the loom to take to the Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild Open House. The cartoon is based on one of the drawings I did while at Hambidge Center in October--this one of an oak leaf.



I scanned the drawing, opened it in Photoshop and began to manipulate with filters. I don't use a methodical approach to that... just play around with various filters until I like what I see. So, here's what I decided upon for the basis of the tapestry design.



I'll be busy this week working on the move back into our house. A trip to Asheville for a SHCG board meeting is also coming up for me in mid-week, then I'll be teaching the first of a 3-part tapestry workshop sponsored by Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild on Saturday. Oh, and in the meantime I'll also have my NGCSU class to meet--we're talking about weave drafting and doing a twills sampler there.

I'm looking forward to getting further on in this new tapestry, though. Yet, the tapestry diary continues to grow an inch or so at a time.

spring is coming... the plants are sharing the secret

Even though our black walnut tree is saying this:



other plants in the yard are telling me this:





I'm going to choose to listen to those budding green things, I believe. I know the black walnut has the insight about the possibilities of the next couple of months to come... more freezing temperatures, maybe some snow, definitely cold times still remain here in north Georgia. But those new bits of life peeking out are going to help me weather the rest of the winter.



The tapestry diary continues. I've missed few days now, all indicated with white woven "blanks" but, so far, it's moving right along. I decided to top off the February days with a pass or two of black (January had red-orange at the top of each day). I'm still going 10 days across and indicating the date with some blip within the small color field of the day's woven entry. The blip might be just that, a spot. Or it might be a series woven with pick and pick. I've used horizontal lines, as well.





It's still fun... even if I don't know what each day will bring with the weaving but that's the main part of this particular tapestry trip.

another tapestry enters the world

Yesterday I had the pleasure of snipping a few threads as Martha Bishop cut off her new tapestry. I met Martha when I was at Hambidge for the first stay this past summer. She's a musician and composer who was in residence there at the time. The first night, I admired the beautiful socks she was knitting and we started talking about yarn. At the end of the week, she was at my cutting off party for the fiddlehead tapestry and she was intrigued with the process. She was quite interested in the Brennan looms I had with me. We exchanged e-mails at the end of the week and usually that's that for contact with those who you meet in brief occasions like this.







BUT, not so with Martha! She has indeed become fascinated with tapestry and is eagerly pursuing it on her own. We've had a short tutorial here at my studio a month or so ago, but mostly she's been reading about tapestry from several of the current books (including Nancy Harvey, Carol Russell, Kathe Todd-Hooker and Kristen Glasbrooks). She's built a loom or two, has thoughts about more, and brought this lovely adaptation of a Glasbrooks sampler to the Chattahoochee Handweavers Guild open house yesterday so that I could share the cutting off.




I'm always so excited to see others become entranced with tapestry. Making tapestry gives me such pleasure that I'm happy to know that others are experiencing the joy of it, too. Oh, and in the top photo I'm holding a beautiful pair of handknit socks Martha brought me--and have them on my feet right now--thanks, Martha!

Grumpy today--no, that was yesterday!

Even then, at a quite young age, I preferred to get my way. But that doesn't always happen, does it?

I got my kind rejection letter yesterday about the ATA exhibit in San Jose.

Oh well... the tapestry of my life moves on (gag!)

I felt better soon, just spent a few minutes in a hissy fit after opening the envelope.

Today's a new day, bright and sunny--still cold but not so cold as yesterday. Everything improves with time, doesn't it?

really great grid site!

Ever want a grid that you just don't have? Or maybe even didn't even know you needed?? I "rediscovered" this website this morning as I was looking for grids for my NGCSU class (I am teaching weave drafting tonight). Someone told me about it a couple of years ago... maybe it was Kathe Todd-Hooker. Anyway, bookmarked it then on another computer and promptly forgot about it. BUT here it is! Hooray!

So, happy gridding to y'all! It's c-o-l-d here in north Georgia and I'm trying to put on as many layers as I can and still move around.