Winter Wearables

I had plans to complete a series of jackets for December but as my schedule has become filled with so many other things they'll be ready by February. I am excited about the way they are coming together-- changes in color, pattern and a nice drape.
But, there are scarves made of silks, some mohair, and most are soft cottons and tencels. Colors range from holiday reds and forest greens to deep blues, warm earthy browns and I have a few deep violet and softer wintry blues to go into the new year. New year already!
I have a new series of wraps that I wove on my 8-harness Gilmore loom-- more delicate fabric, not so thick, that has two alternating blocks that give it a change in pattern and creates a little pucker. In some I have woven a reverse twill that reminds me of ripples in a current- kind of like where a pebble falls in the water or when you put your finger in running water.
For 2010 I plan to use a lot more surface design on the fabrics and have a few juried exhibits to apply for. And it is grant time. I have a couple of textile projects to do with school groups and intend to work with a few adult groups too, as soon as I can get the schedule confirmed I'll post it here.
Happy Holidays!

Marbling Techniques Workshop

I will be leading a workshop in marbling techniques on November 14 from 10am-1pm. at Art Alliance of Greensboro, located in the Greensboro Cultural Center. We'll cover basic patterns- stones, some feathering patterns, and try some compositional techniques. Everyone will have some mordanted paper and a silk scarf ready to marble.

We'll use textile pigments, a carageenean based bath, and alum mordant. Marbling is such a relaxing technique I expect this to be a great workshop. So far, we have enough students and can take about three more people.

Fall Fabrics

The colors of fall cannot be ignored! I am threading up new warps of the last greens and blues of summer, warm rusts and reds, soft browns and golds-- I am excited about the new weave structure I have on, too. It alternates two blocks of plain weave with either a twill or a basket weave and when the fabric is processed I get a slight pucker. And the color patterns are part of the structures too. Like lines, stipples and waves.

I will be using this in the new jackets and the wraps. Perhaps in the scarves, too.

And it is time for baby blankets-- not just for my NEW GRANDSON!!! but my buddy Carl's granddaughter, my bff Dee's Great-grandchild and I think there will be more babies to wrap this fall and winter. I am thinking soft yellows, blues, pinks and greens in pointed strupes making up squares with some lofty softball and organic cottons. I stared winding off these threads Thursday so I will have to take some photos.We should be modeling the blanket sometime last of December, first of January.

Orion's belt

The winter sky has been so clear at night and the consellations are so crisp. The sky is so huge and puts my worrisome thoughts into perspective. And I found these yarns! and wove some starry night scarves that are soft cotton and reclaimed silk. I have been purchasing millends for a while now and I feel better about considering the sustainability of the materials. I haven't been using much blue in the last year, but I seem to have some new blues to work with.
Maybe I have been listening to too much Bruce Cockburn again!

I purchased a new-to-me loom. It was supposed to be a contramarche Glimakra, but when I went to see it, the loom was a counterbalance. It is a nice little loom, and I was really looking for an overhead beater. Sometimes when I am weaving a lot, controlling the low pivot of the bottom beater is hard on my wrists and back. So I will last longer- but I wish it had been a contramarche.

Holiday scarves are taking over my world. Fortunately, the colors I am working with are exciting to me and I like the yarn weight. I am looking forward to some workshops in the first of the year.

Working through the Storm

All of the drama that I have been driving through falls behind me when I start getting out the yarns, dyes and sketches. I have been working on a group of scarf warps with rich jeweltone colors all over the spectrum. The fall leaves are always an overwhelming gift of inspiration. I have to try and keep up with the sketches, the color combinations and get all my yarns together for the right textures. So these have been great- the warm glowing sunsets that are here every evening, and those apricot colors on the tips of the yellow-green maple trees, but some of my favorites are the rich reds, purples and golden yellows that are on the fragrant sweet gum trees. And the clear nights and deep blue evening sky with the sparkling clouds- when there is no rain! but then, when there is rain, the gray and the yellow and the green. Wow. I may never get them all!