Month: April 2014

I’m home, and this particular re-entry was more difficult than usual.

First, let me say that I always adore my trips to the west coast and time with my weaving buddies.  The CNCH 2014 (Conference of Northern California Handweavers) was a lovely event, as always, and I was so thrilled to be a part of it.  I however, failed to take even one photo of the event.  Actually, that’s not completely true, I found this on my cell phone, I did take a shot of Roberta Foster’s pieced vest, made in a class with me a couple of years ago.  Roberta is from Central Coast Weavers.  Fashion show events are always extra fun when I come across “Daryl” garments.

I taught four seminars, all lectures with me talking for three hours per seminar.  My congratulations to all who endured 12 hours of my talking…  I got great feedback, all seemed to love the classes, and I look forward to my return next spring, where I’ll be teaching for a month, starting with a five day garment construction in the Central Coast, followed by the CNCH retreat at Asilomar, where I’ll be teaching advanced inkle weaving, and then heading up to the Washington State guilds and on to Vancouver.

I flew to San Francisco last Thursday, with the delays and the flight times, I probably had close to eight hours of knitting time.  I finished my vest.  This is a stash busting vest, I had three odd skeins of Araucania nature wool, two of the wheat color and one of the teal.  It is a bit collegiate but I’m going to enjoy it around the studio next winter.  The pattern is from Harrisville Designs, Alstead Vest, note there is a major error in the directions!  Only took me three rip outs and confirmation from my knitter’s group (Thanks Marie) that there was an error before I got on my way!

I got to the San Francisco airport well before my flight.  I spent the afternoon with my college friend and weaving/spinning buddy Carol.  We had lunch at Jack London Square, and then took a leisurely drive down to SFO.  I planned to curl up in the United Club lounge, have wine, cheese, and knit on my sock, but then I saw the brochure for this…

SFO is actually one of my favorite airports for public artworks.  There was a pretty cool exhibit on Japanese toys, especially since my dad had a huge collection of battery operated toys, gifts from his secretaries at Christmas.  My sister has the collection and I recognized two of those from the display.  Pretty cool when you see things you have that are part of museum collections.

I picked up the brochure for the lace exhibit, and started reading about it, curled up in the club lounge.  I got to the fine print that said that this exhibit was actually in the airport and after asking about half a dozen airport employees, and walking half the airport, I found out I had to leave security and go to the international terminal, but I was assured by a very enthusiastic guard that it was totally worth it.

It was.

There were displays of Bobbin Lace,

Metallic laces,

The Princess Lace Machine,

Tatting (note I have that exact tatting shuttle, the one on the left with the face.)

And Battenburg tape laces.

There were many other lace displays and I sort of felt like the universe (or my mother in law’s spirit) keeps throwing me back in the path of lacemaking.

I made a wrong turn trying to get back through security where the TSA PreCheck was, and ended up walking the entire loop of San Francisco airport dragging my luggage, and was sufficiently exhausted by the time I got to the gate.  But I stumbled over this glorious mosaic in a remote part of one of the terminals.  Always leave yourself lots of time to explore the unexpected…

I made the flight and was glad I gave up the free wine and cheese.  I flew home Sunday night on the red-eye.  I probably had about an hour and a half sleep, which left me really messed up yesterday, but at least I got home.  I got into Newark at 6am and my husband was there waiting for me.  We took off for the animal hospital.  Many of you who were with me over the weekend know I got a call from my husband after my class Saturday afternoon, my stupid lovely dog ate a stuffed bear with a squeaker in it, and it lodged in his intestines, causing a blockage which resulted in emergency surgery over the weekend, and a vet bill of $4000.  We picked him up from the hospital and transferred him to the regular vet, poor thing was a bit loopy and not sure what was happening, but it was good to see him walking.  We delivered him to the regular vet where he is now, recuperating from quite a trauma.  No more stuffed toys of any kind and no more squeakers…

I fell asleep at my desk last night, trying to add numbers and balance the ckeck books.  Silly me.  Note to self, don’t try to balance checkbooks after an hour and a half sleep the night before…

And today is my 36th wedding Anniversary.  Happy Anniversary to my partner in crime.  We’ve had an entertaining 36 years, been through a lot, raised two kids, and have dealt with many assorted animals that have given us major opportunities for eye rolls.  We have built a house and life together, and always without fail, the cherry tree in the front yard blooms for our anniversary, we were married in a church that had these gorgeous trees and our wedding photos used them as a backdrop.  Sadly with the harsh winter and very delayed spring, the tree didn’t bloom today.  But bloom it will, providing the massive rains that are  moving in don’t wreck the buds.  At least it isn’t snow…

Stay tuned…

I’m off to California tomorrow for the CNCH 2014 Fiber Conference in Oakland, a bit worse for the wear.  But really really happy with what we, actually that should read, what WE accomplished late last week.

Thursday the moving company arrived at William Paterson University and these amazing guys hauled a bunch of Macomber and a couple of Leclerc looms, ten in all, down from the second floor, into a moving van, and I only had to dismantle one of the Leclerc’s that wouldn’t fit through the door of the textile studio.  Those Macombers were sort of like small pianos.  And with all the peripheral equipment and a spinning wheel thrown in for good measure, (which I put in the back of my car for safety) we all took off for western NJ and Peters Valley.  They were loaded in an hour and a half, and were at the Valley by noon.

My lovely wonderful textile buddy Carol was there to help oversee  and by the afternoon, we had everything reasonably in place and mostly unpacked.  I headed back out to the Valley on Friday where the most amazing crew from the Jockey Hollow Weavers Guild met me with rubber gloves, buckets, and a gallon of Murphy’s Oil Soap.

Meanwhile, Gary, a huge supporter of Peters Valley, and an amazing woodworker, showed up with his truck of magic tools and took seven of the worst of the Leclerc benches out onto the lawn, and proceeded to do some major surgery.  I understand all the sides that were cracked in half were biscuit joined and glued and then years of gunk and dye and detritus were sanded off.

Inside the studio we scrubbed, and polished, thanks Jenny, Sally and Betty (though I seem to not have a photo you).

And another marvelous member of the weaving guild, Bill, became my trusty brake man…

It seems that there was a box, unknown to anyone, way in the back of a closet at the textile studio at the Valley, that had a large amount of Macomber metal parts, enough to repair and/or replace all the hardware that these looms seem to be missing.  It is one of those mystical coincidences that all the missing parts of looms that were 60 miles away, seem to be hiding at the place where they were destined to end up. There are no words.

On Saturday I picked up Elisa and we headed back out to the Valley and did more scrubbing and waxing, Howard’s Feed and Wax is an amazing product.  Between Howard’s and Murphy’s Oil soap, the studio has never smelled so good.

And so, still needing some minor tweaking,  and all new aprons, which I’ll start on next week, I’m flying off to California with some very happy looms, in a very happy place.

Please come out and see how wonderful these three rooms of  looms look at Peters Valley’s annual open house, Sunday May 4th! All of the yarn should be unpacked and up onto the shelves.  It will truly look like a weaving studio.  I’ll be there demonstrating and playing the role of proud mom!  I feel like I gave birth!

Stay tuned…

The days are going so fast I can’t believe I just filed my first quarter sales tax report for 2014.  We are into spring, though you couldn’t tell by the weather today, it has dropped down 30 degrees in just a few hours and it is damp and cold and frightful.  The poor daffodils are regretting opening up into bloom not 24 hours ago.

But the last couple of weekends I’ve been able to enjoy more spring like temps and had some great adventures as well.

First was the speed tapestry class at Brook Falls Farm, a gorgeous setting, cozy space, and eager students.  We talked about tapestry and how it is usually worked in reverse…

Then they all took small frame looms and filled the warp quickly with roving.

 

That allowed them to go back “into” the piece and create design areas as time allowed.  It was great watching students with no fiber experience just play with yarn and chat, and listen to background music, and enjoy the afternoon.  Thanks Deb D’Anne for a wonderful opportunity!

This past weekend I dressed up in my 1800’s costume (Folkwear Gibson Girl Blouse and Walking Skirt). I know I was about 125 years off the mark, but hey, it’s what I have available.  I joined other weavers, spinners and lacemakers from local guilds and demonstrated the fiber arts at a local historic site, used by George Washington and Alexander Hamilton in their travels through NJ during the Revolutionary War. NJ is full of places where “George Washington Slept Here”.  The Henry Doremus House in Montville is about a mile down the road from me.

Saturday I demonstrated bobbin lace. I reconnected with a couple other lace makers, which was too coincidental considering I’ve just dug out the old lace pillows to teach my intern.

Sunday I demonstrated spinning.  If you’ve never demoed at a historic site, it is lots of fun, and I remember working at the Dey Mansion in Totowa way back when I was in college, showing the public spinning.  I should make an effort to do this more often.  (I know the space dyed roving isn’t quite period, but the public loved it.)

And I did manage to sit down Sunday night and finish up my blouse, Vogue 1260.  Can’t wait until it is short sleeve blouse weather…

Stay tuned…

I knew that my wonderful five months of uninterrupted studio time would eventually end.  I knew it would be time to go back on the road, and it would be time to re-enter life.  I knew that spring would eventually come and there would be monumental work to be done outdoors, taking me away from my studio.  I knew it and yet, I am not going softly in the night…

If you read my last couple blog posts, you’d know that I’m a bit preoccupied with things that require a lot of energy, which I’m willing to give, but the down side of all of these extra curriculars, is of course, no more opportunity to make stuff in the studio.  Still, I’m not going without a fight…

When I started this lengthy winter, I had hopes of finally clearing all of my Tools of the Trade looms, all seven of them, and I not only cleared six, but set up two again, and cleared one of those.  There was however one remaining hold out.  That was my adorable little 8 shaft 15″ wide Tools of the Trade Table Loom, my most recently acquired of the bunch, and yet, it languished with a warp from a workshop I took with Sarah Saulson at the Frances Irwin Handweavers guild the summer before my daughter returned to college for her sophomore year.  She is finishing up her junior year.  I’m embarrassed.  Though in my defense, the warp was a bit complicated, since it was white.  The idea was a length of warp would be pulled out, dyed, dried, and then rolled back on to the warp beam, woven off, and rinsed later.  I did one two yard length at the workshop.  There remained another couple of yards on the loom.  It was bugging me and I couldn’t bring myself to just cut it off.  Trouble was, I had no idea what dyes I used, and how I actually woven the fabric.  There seem to be pages of notes missing.  Or maybe I thought I’d remember…

So last Wednesday, Jen and I rolled out the yardage and I was determined to just get the stupid thing painted already and maybe if I had an hour here or there I could actually work on weaving it off.

We mixed dyes as best we could from looking at the finished first cut of cloth.  It took us about a half hour to mix the dyes, and about 10 minutes to paint it.  It dried overnight.  Carol came the next day and before we headed back over to William Paterson University for more loom packing, she helped me beam it back on.

I looked at the sample and figured out the shaft sequence, and I’m on my way.  I think I’m going to use the loom for a demo when I volunteer at Peters Valley’s Open House on May 4th.

Meanwhile, I was desperate to sew something.  Anything.  I was so desperate I even decided to skip the step of making a muslin and just jump in head first.  I picked this rayon batik on the shelf, and grabbed Vogue 1260 from the pile.

The layout was actually tricky.  I didn’t want the big bunches of batik branches to just hit any old place.  And the collar and front bands are on the bias which eats fabric.  After some careful placement and frequent rearrangement, I got a layout I was happy with, and managed to get the blouse cut out.  Then of course life got in the way.

I taught a class over the weekend, more on that in a later post, and spent all day Sunday, planting and scrubbing and planting some more.  The yard and gardens are a frightful mess and I’d planned to spend today cleaning as well, but I woke up to a chilly 43 degrees with rain on the way.  I’m not stupid.  The deck cleaning can wait another couple days.

I’m also in the middle of writing a six page article for Threads magazine, which is requiring me to visit my inkle loom collection, and the desire to just clear another loom, any loom completely consumed me so last night and all day today, instead of cleaning the deck like I was suppose to, I wove off the band on this little loom that has been on there so long I sneezed from the dust every time I changed the shed.  It is complicated and takes some real focus.

I found a way to make the thread manipulation easier, charting out exactly what needed to happen in each row between the 7 thread pick up, supplemental warp, and the name draft.  I was determined not to go to bed tonight without finishing it.

I actually finished up by dinnertime.  Another loom empty!

So my son and I made dinner tonight, opened a bottle of wine, and watched the second episode of season one of Game of Thrones.  He swore to me that I’d love it, but I won’t watch the new fourth season until I’ve seen the first three seasons.  So I just watched episode two and I’m hooked.  Which is time I can’t really afford out of the studio, but I’m trying to find a little balance in my life and while my husband is away golfing, this is great bonding time with my son.  It is important.

And I did manage to sew for about an hour tonight.  The blouse is starting to come together…

Stay tuned…

I’m one of those fibery people who believe that their equipment has a soul, or at least a personality of its own.  Looms are something that have a voice, and a strong relationship with their owners and are things that need regular attention and feeding and care.  I always feel my heart skip a couple beats when someone “scores” a loom on eBay and writes to one of the Yahoo Weaving Groups about how they have painstakingly restored their found treasure and now need to learn to weave.  Almost every loom can be brought back to life, and when that happens, I can hear a collective cheer from the loom gods.

In fact, not every loom works for every person.  Case in point.  I have, as many of my long time readers know, seven Tools of the Trade looms, various sizes and shaft configurations, and both table and floor models.  One of my recent acquisitions was a 36″ model, eight shafts that I bought from a weaver acquaintance who told me honestly that she had bought the loom used, and never quite felt the “marriage”.  They never really hit it off, and knowing these looms the way I do, I decided to purchase it from her.  Turns out that our personalities (the loom and me) were a perfect match, we bonded instantly and truth be told, it is my favorite loom in the studio.  Looms are like that…

I got involved in an email string about a month ago, brought in because of my long association with Peters Valley Craft Center, and close proximity to William Paterson University.  It would seem that the University has decided that the remaining 10 full size looms in their possession were just taking up space and not serving the needs of the direction of the textile department.  They had the wisdom to not throw the looms out, but seek out Peters Valley to see if they wanted a pretty substantial donation.

Substantial is an understatement.

There are 2 Nilus Leclerc four shaft looms, and 8 full size Macombers, ranging from 8-10 shaft.  If you aren’t a weaver and have no idea what this means, let’s just say that Macombers have been around for a long time and are pretty much the work horse of the old fashioned production weaver.  They are solid heavy looms, with a lot of metal parts, and are pretty indestructible.  They can weave fine threads, rugs and everything in between.  And if cared for , they can last a number of lifetimes.

Sigh.  Those are the magic words.  In a setting in academia, getting little attention and use over the last number of years, they have sadly begun their decline.  So I’ve spent the better part of this week, back and forth between Peters Valley prepping the studio there, and William Paterson, disassembling and packing some pretty dirty and declining looms for a mid-month move by a professional moving company, to Peters Valley.  I had the most amazing help from my former college textile professor Carol Westfall.  She hauled and packed and shifted and moved and disassembled right along with me, trying to put heddles back on shafts, which we eventually gave up on because I quickly realized that the heddles were not all facing the same direction and each of the 70 some shafts  over these 8-10 looms would have to be taken out of the looms at some point and re-heddled because every weaver knows what a pain in the butt it is to thread heddles that don’t face the same direction.

Still, as we worked, I felt the sleeping spirits in each of these looms slowly wake up in anticipation of moving out of that dirty neglected environment anticipating a move that could bring them back to life.  I’m cheering them on and feeling a bit overwhelmed at the same time. Meanwhile, the weaving community is pretty amazing at stepping up to the plate when it comes to saving a loom or two, and I was so encouraged when 10 members of the Jockey Hollow Weavers Guild immediately signed up to help in any way they could with the rescue.  It will be a long process to restore all these magnificent looms, but I’ve agreed to take on the challenge and I’ve got another strong Peters Valley supporter, one of the wood workers associated with the Valley, standing by to help with any of the actual hardware and wood restoration needs.

 

There are even a dozen benches to go with the donation.

 

When all of this is finished, Peters Valley weaving studio, affectionately known as Hilltop, will have 11 working 42-48″ Macombers, all eight or ten shaft, (they already own three) capable of supporting any class they might offer, and that would put them as the most well equipped weaving studio in probably a couple hundred mile radius.  But we have a long road to go…

Just sorting through the bins of mixed up tangled heddles is a bit daunting.  Carol and I sat on the deck for the first time this spring and chatted and sorted the flat heddles from the wire ones.

If anyone of my readers lives in the northern NJ, northeastern PA area, and would like to assist in any way with this huge undertaking, toss me an email, and I’ll include you in the string.  No obligation, I’ll let you know when I’ll be out there and if you are available, wear old clothes, bring rubber gloves, and be prepared to get dirty and at the same time bring a bunch of amazing looms back to life.

A huge thank you to the head of the art department at WPU for believing that these looms needed a place to thrive and not taking the easy way out by calling in a dumpster. The loom gods are smiling…

PS, I’ll be teaching a garment construction intensive at Peters Valley the last week of June.  Click here for more information. And come celebrate with Peters Valley at the annual Spring Open House, May 4th from 12-5.