The Gathering…

I’m not sure how many of you dear readers have been watching the Outlander Series on Starz network.  I rarely watch TV, except Project Runway and the occasional Masterpiece Theater, but I’ve been a fan of the books by Diana Gabaldon for many many years.  It was a weaver in CT that turned me on to them, somewhere around the third book, and I like everyone else must wait four or five years for the next installment.

I finished the eighth episode on the miniseries last night.  Breathless.  One of my all time favorite things I’ve ever watched on Television.

One of the episodes featured a Highland tradition (in the early 18th century, the books center around a time traveler) called The Gathering.  This is where all of the villagers and townsfolk, and farmers and important people and not so important people gather together for a period of time to celebrate, do business, and generally celebrate all that is good in life.

I left for Sievers two weeks ago today.  Sievers is a 40 year old fiber school on Washington Island, Wisconsin, and truth be told, it is my most favorite place in the world to teach.  For many reasons, but to sum it up, as Cindra sings at every closing, “When once you have slept on an island, you’ll never be quite the same…”

Though I was scheduled to teach my regular 5/7 day workshop in Garment Construction, I flew in early to attend “The Gathering” an event that happens every two years in the fall at Sievers.  A large number of fiber enthusiasts from across the region drive/fly in and attend three days of amazing fiber related events, gathering together kindred spirits that talk of fiber and life and for a brief time, the entire world disappears and island time stops long enough to allow you to breath in gorgeous air, gentle breezes and lots and lots of fiber and fiber related stash busting opportunities.  (In fact one of my priority mail boxes was delayed, I thought it was lost in transit until one of the gatherers returned home to read about a fire at O’Hare that cancelled 2300 flights across the country.  We had no clue.  And my box did eventually arrive.)

I was brought in as this year’s keynote speaker, and for a Saturday afternoon demo, but most of the time, I was idle.  Which is not a terrible thing, especially for me.  I brought my Kindle loaded with books (I’m starting to reread the Outlander series), and my latest knitting project, and of course a determination to finish up the sweater that was almost complete, which turned out to be the best idea I had, I finished it mostly Wednesday night and then proceeded to wear it every day for the remainder of the trip.  It got pretty chilly towards the end.

After meeting the other instructor, staying with me at the cottage, and seeing my schedule with a lot of down time, I last minute signed up to take Lorrie Abdo’s Surface Design on Paper class, which was a day and a half long, provided they understood I brought nothing with me and no old clothes!  Lorrie graciously loaned me an apron, and eventually one of her old shirts, and provided everything I’d need to simply play for a couple days.

Those of you reading this who were in my lecture at the ASG group a couple of weeks ago in Kentucky, might remember my story on finger painting in High School.  One of my art teachers was very frustrated with how tight I was, I think the word she used was actually constipated, and gave me a detention.  Her goal was to loosen me up, and she covered the art tables with finger painting paper and made me spend the entire detention finger painting which is probably the free-est form of expression there is.  You just mush paint around, get messy, and see what happens.

That’s exactly what happened in Lorrie’s class.  I will say, that I’ll never ever complain again about the amount of crap I bring to a workshop, in fact, Lorrie brought her entire studio, boxes and crates of paints and paper and buckets and brushes and tools and stencils and rollers and squeegees and brayers and stamps and carving tools and Gelli plates.  She even brought a box of unflavored gelatin, and made a mono printing plate from the hardened gel.  She set up stations, gave a few demos, and let us have at it.  I was in love and so enjoyed myself.  It was an unexpected treat and I’m so glad to have had the opportunity and adore Lorrie as an instructor, and as a roommate.

Here are some of the images taken of me having a blast along with a demo from Lorrie…

And some of the work I did including some monoprints on pages from a piano song book…

The weather was glorious for the Gathering, warm breezy days and cool nights.  And bright sun.  Many of us gathered on the porch of the gallery/store.  That’s me on the right with Ginnie and another new friend.  We were all knitting away, and chatting about life.

Friday night was the keynote address.  No one has ever been able to capture me actually giving an address, since I’m so animated when I talk that the photos are downright embarrassing.  But here is a shot afterwards, in my handwoven dress.  Everyone seemed to enjoy my story, and I heard all weekend from gatherers as they shared their experiences back to me.

Saturday was full of events, including the Garage Sale, where donated items, mostly fiber related were sold in the garage and on the lawn, for mostly a name your price.  I picked up a series of Harriet Tidball Monographs from the 60’s.  I paid 50 cents a piece (the soft cover books were 50 cents, I swear that’s what the sign said).  And I bought a gorgeous book called The Romance of French Weaving, or something like that, I don’t have a photo and it is still in transit but I found it on eBay for you to see.  From the little I read, it is an amazing book.  I paid $2 for that.  I bought a few skeins of yarn, and a couple of cones, all of which are still in transit, but knowing whatever I bought had to be shipped home, helped keep my wallet in my bag.  There were looms and wheels, and fleeces, and patterns, and books, and magazines, and fabrics and even a few unrelated things for sale.

Saturday’s events also included a series of vendors, mostly fiber people selling their work.  There were lots of fun things to look at and purchase, but again, knowing I’d have to ship whatever I bought home, it kept me frugal.  I did buy a Danish Mill pecan bar, since I could eat that… 🙂

Saturday afternoon I demonstrated inkle weaving in the Walter Studio, and had quite a crowd around me most of the afternoon.  I sold a number of my advanced Inkle Weaving books and more than one person purchased an inkle loom from the Siever’s shop.

Saturday night there was a dinner at the local Lutheran church followed by a lovely performance by Siever’s own Cindra and Doc Westring at the Fiddler’s Green.  They did a series of Cole Porter pieces and presented an enchanting finish to an enchanting weekend.

By Sunday the rest of my students rolled in and the week got underway…  And the weather changed dramatically!  Even in the cold grey wintry days, Sievers is still a place of refuge.

And the coming rain didn’t stop us from being creative in our rain protection (and before you freak out, there is a hole cut for my face!)

Stay tuned for part two…