Picking Up

I have been using a blogger that was part of my old website format... that has disappeared! Good ole Blogger to the rescue!

So many things change so many things stay the same and wait for recognition that yeah still here still just fine. Since beginning this bloggery, I've learned a lot of things that I didn't' realize I would ever,

well. sometimes the thing to learn is what you already know, sometimes the learning is about the same thing from a different perspective

When I realized I wanted to study textiles in a more academic way, along with grabbing yarns and fabrics and making whatever impulsive ball of stuff I had in mind I was using natural dyes. Living in NC there is so much color to see and so many pigments to use though not all are deep not all are permanent but enter chemistry and its a whole jam-packed toolbox of color and fun.

Weaving was line and color, then weaving brought structure and sculpture. Clothing was no

t just something to wear but a statement of hues, weight, motion and presence. Costume is an introduction, a character and can be subtle as a historical garment or dramatic as a moving bit of theatre. (ShaSha Higby comes to mind here.

So while rambling around I hit a fibers program (or four) and learned structure and synthetic dyes which didn't replace all my dyeing but definitely allowed for predictability and time management. And to a degree more safety. When i began working with natural dyes i had limited chemical knowledge. I still have limited knowledge but i learned that i needed to read more before blasting into the dyepot..

I have been using more natural materials again. I have a larger idea of how to use my tools and I may be offering some workshops soon. To that end I've been reading collecting growing sampling and so have a lot of people! There is a lot of information to be found. I've recently read a workbook-style collection of dye information by Joy Boutrup, if you search for it (tho Catharine Ellis is listed as a co-author) I still have my copy of Mary Frances Davidson's Dye Pot and am finding more websites such as Dekel Dyes

I'm trying out workshop names- color garden, earth pallet and scrappy dyes(color before compost)

none are screaming "come to mama" but.. I'm kind of warming to color garden.

It is more of a slow down time stop and think time and a time to decide what to really do next. Weave on!

bright colors, brilliant weather

After this crazy warm-cold warm-cold weather it's time to make the color commitment to bright and happy!

warm blues, soft rose reds and bright budding greens are twilling on three looms! the blues will undulate,  roses will point and diamond and the greens and violets will double up in double weave.

should be some fun weaving in between residencies and workshops. I do love those workshops with drawing, painting, dyeing and weaving.

join us at Studio107 for workshops in Gourd Embellishment, Choctaw Elbow basket and Stained glass! visit the blog #funatstudio107.blogspot.com

. z cu 5

my pocket posts for me now, hence the title of this post! lol
someone apparently needs to!!!

So, off we go.
May was a superwonderfulslammed month
Had a lovely time  with the students at Terry Sanford High School and their art teacher Kellie Perkins! I mean a terrrrrrific time! Fayetteville has a lot to offer and I'd never had the chance to see much before-- the students made some really nice pieces and they were very brave to try things that they had not experienced.

If that sounds shallow... let me 'splain,  Lucy!!!

 I've had a chance to bring weaving to a variety of venues... community, schools, demonstrations, festivals... and I LOVE when people want to try it. really.. i just don't bring something i cant share! (this is a point for when you meet me at one of these events... i just bring stuff that i CAN share, not the special orders so be fearless and weave with me!!!) It takes a bit of bravery to try something outside of your comfort zone.. and that ability to try is what brings our spice to life, new ideas and stuff to experience plus helps us keep developing in our process of being human. To quote my best man Leonard Cohen in Anthem
"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in. "


Thanks again to the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County for funding here and at Edwin Baldwin Elementary (in January 2017- and these guys were so fun, wonderful teacher there, too!

Ms. Bahkakh is so good with her students) to work with these wonderful people!!!


And then... I was able to get the Wolf started at Walkertown!! This one is almost ready to photograph and I'll share that soon. Thanks again to the WSFC Arts Council and WSFC Schools  


and now we are in June, documenting all the stuff we did in May!
so to keep stuff in one place to locate projects, workshops and calendar items, I've got a website up. Please check it out and share!!!

dyecrazy.com

it is homebase for social media, projects and all the strung-out bits and pieces of my weaving adventures!!! :)

Featuring Fabric

 

(I apologize for being such a slack blogger! It's been so busy and I've been pushing images on Instagram and Facebook! New blog for the new year 2017! Launching Now with a new project!)

Residency in Hope Mills, NC at Baldwin Elementary.

I asked the students participating in my visit to Ed V. Baldwin Elementary School,Hope Mills, NC what they liked about weaving. They had some wonderful answers- "patterns", "color", "relaxing thing to do", "creating" and other inspiring and fearless responses. 

I love visiting schools. Sometimes I get a bit anxious meeting new teachers and I suppose that is mostly because I want the experience to be good, I want the project to be successful and I want the students to like what they do. When teachers are as engaged in the success of their students as the teachers I had the opportunity to work with here, I expect these students to grow into intelligent young adults; to be fearless, supportive, sharing,  ready to make good choices and be "risk takers". That is a phrase that was used a lot as we brought a variety of non-traditional materials for students to use and they used all of them!

We wove on grids with shoelaces, plastic newspaper bags, re-purposed fabrics from clothing, sheets and towels, yarns, roving, basket reed (we dyed a little, too), beads and buttons were worked into the composition and papers.  Some of the materials were from my personal collection but we had contributions from many students and their families. Students were very eager to show that "sharing is caring" and were fine putting their fabrics into the community stash where we all took sections of tshirts, leftover sewing projects an clothes that were ready to be re-purposed.

Using the idea of a monochromatic color scheme, we worked texture as much as we could squeeze into an 8x8 square.   The pieces are to be included in a spiral design that will be installed in the hallway of the school entrance. We are inspired by Native American patterns for this project and the squares are assembled into the Lumbee Pinecone Pattern, an attractive pattern that uses the Fibonacci numbering system.

 The Arts Council documented the project as we worked along- I like to take photos but usually I'm not the better photographer. I read that documentation is usually created by the winners in history... here is a winning documentation- an on the spot interview!

As soon as the pieces are assembled I'll post images.

There are so many reasons to support arts in schools. Some reasoning includes the opportunity for students to embrace and express their individual creativity while many support the idea of independent problem solving skills used in the students' own challenges. My best guess is both are good conclusions. The programs we have been sharing include addressing age appropriate classroom goals and give more support to the work where the classroom teachers have given instruction. We know that the more we use our knowledge skill-set the better we can develop our problem solving skills and be more creative individuals in our personal lives and in future workplaces.

(Soapbox entry begins here- scroll on past if you'd like!) As we currently have some polarizing politics, proposed budget cuts, concerns about how we look to the rest of the world, consider how we look to our most valued assets. Our children embrace the world with enthusiasm, creativity and if supported properly they radiate promise, positive energy and an intelligence that is so warming to view. They discuss and speak what they have heard- I think often they say "things" to just test it out in the world more than an actual opinion. Consider what you say and how you say it.

The teachers at this school let students know they care about what they think, the importance of how you say something and behave to be a good citizen and part of a loving community. I am so glad I had the chance to meet these people.

And, as you decide how you support local, state and federal policies don't lose focus on the way things come next. The consequences of your actions and those you support. It is easy to just look for answers that you want and while a mantra for focus is a way to stay on task for goals you've set, review and perspective are important.

As a goal is a monochromatic color scheme, there are varieties of that color. There are textures in the color and there are a variety of materials that can be contributors to that color scheme and composition. (end of soapbox entry.)

If you're interested in a very tactile project Featuring Fabric please contact me and let me know! I really enjoy meeting new groups and bringing a carload of stuff to work with to create a Community Tapestry.! We received funds from the Arts Council for this project. If you need help with funding, I can possibly help find that (bit of experience there).

Passion and profit

I've been thinking.

I've been working and reading and painting and weaving and dyeing and listening and not blogging. I am still ruminating.. I am a Capricorn so it is natural to gnaw on stuff a while.
And the more important the stuff, the longer the gnaw.
there is my new tagline.

I think this is a good time to take some of the inside thought and give it a shot at sunlight. So please, share your thoughts as I am struggling with this.
This year i hit a milestone that i was pretty much unprepared for. I've hit a few things for which i was not prepared and while they are mostly behind me, they do give me a poke in the back pretty regularly... but it is a familiar poke and i  am better at deciding how much time i want to spend on worrying.
except for a few things
and here is one of those things

The market for art and craft has changed significantly.
Things do change. It would be dull as f*ck with the same old thing every day. I am not against change (there is another whole epic rant here ... i'll save for another time. But just to say that in most cases, doing things the same way every time usually gives the same results. Usually. Comfort in familiarity isn't always very productive. And I'm not  referencing anything chocolate here. or scotch. so there.)

When I joined the studio I share with (now) four women who work primarily in fine craft and wearable art the world embraced a very different economy. We enjoy our studio with folks coming in that were there to observe a live working studio, invest in handmade items that we carry of our work and local artists plus a few we met along the way and are a physical point for tourists and downtown functions. We have always maintained regular hours so we are easy to find open and ready to help.

As the economy changes, as the energy in downtown changes, as the traveling "shows" and exhibits we used to plan for throughout the year changed and expenses increased above profit we have made a LOT of adjustments. We have an online presence through Facebook, SquareUp and an eletter, have social events, present workshops, bring new artisan work to the gallery and continue to research what we can do to meet our expenses. My situation has definitely come to that.

I  am a counter.
I think about expenses and income and their relationship to each other. Very often this is wrapped up in "state of mind" (a short Lifehacker article about that is here). As I am older, finding outside employment is really not working. Even tho anti-discrimination has a large voice, it is huge. And I feel it like a bucket of ice pretty regularly as a "mature" woman. That is two. Being an alpha just puts the wet nuts on top. I've realized that cutting expenses doesn't increase income. I read a lot of articles that support this, support how over-saturated the online market is, confirm that there is a giant disconnect between an item and a handmade item (this article is very well written on this subject).

Adding workshops and supplies has given us some new perspectives on what attract people. While it is fun to learn to make something, not everyone has that connect. And usually there is someone who is selling online for less than a small shop like ours can offer the item. (interesting article here... again!)

So where does that leave the small business retail shop? We have consignors that do very well at local markets. We participate in local markets -- it is a different energy. As discussed in the last Mary's Maven's group I attended (check that closed group on Facebook out here)  where women in a variety of careers, business ventures and demographics listen and speak out about their life experiences with a supportive atmosphere, your work is a passion and business is so important. Really patronizing those businesses is the way to show that support- it takes commerce, collaboration, inspiration and positive interaction to keep those things.

It is easier to let something go or to tear it down than to rebuild. Always. I cannot think of ANY situation where that is not true. Are small retail businesses unnecessary? With the over-saturation of craftiness on Etsy and other online shops, is online still the venue? Has the market become so polarized with the pop-up market vs. gallery making the small business/studio invalid?
so many questions, such conflicting answers.
What do you think?

January is such a Confused Month!

This is North Carolina. We have days that are 68 degreez, now it is 12 and we will probably get snow this weekend. Among all of this variety of weather, daylight, rainy days, icy days, snowy days we have some inside time.

Fortunately, we have just about wrapped up the Tapestry Club. And good thing-- we will have snow.

And that means closed school and makeup days, no  more after school work time. Then, it will be time for snowballs not yarnballs. You can read an article about the project in Eden's Own, our local newspaper (we are on page 23!)

We will finish the last bit of weaving, work on a few details and mount the tapestry on a board. The principal says we can display it in the cafeteria. The kids have been great on this project!

It is a good time to weave. And I continue to be challenged with weaving- color ways, structure ways and new inspirations. I recently wove a lovely baby wrap... Sandi chose some wonderful colors. After weaving with these familiar yarns, I miscalculated how much a large piece of fabric will full. While the first wrap is fine, it can be better so I'll be making a do-over wrap that will look the same but the threads won't need so much processing to full to the proper size. She has been really wonderful about the process.

I have a new loom! New to me and I received a grant to purchase the dobby head. I am really excited about this. I can do more complex weaves and as much as I love tapestry, plain weave, simple color changes, structure is such wonderful stuff!!!

As many changes as there are in January I think it is moving along ok. Time to check out shows to take work, update online shops and fill out artist residency forms. Happy New Year!!!

Over the Rainbow babywrap

This sample is for a special order on its way to get squeezed! Tiny hearts on a field of rainbows for a toddler wrap!