Hello Blogisphere from the Seattle Weavers Guild Sale

Especially Sue Bye! We miss you too.

For those of you who have never been to this sale, let me tell you it is the most amazing and totally fun weaving event I have ever attended (or been a part of). If there is a recession, you certainly couldn't tell by the people lined up outside waiting for the doors to open. You couldn't tell by the bank of cash registers that never stopped working.
One of the things that distinguishes our sale is that all of the creations are co-mingled in departments. There is everything from clothing


To jewlery
To towels

And everything in between. I was told we had 600 scarves in the scarf department this year.

I haven't seen the sales totals, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn we broke all records. I sold 1/3 of my sachets, but I will talk more about that in a later post.

Below is a picture of my purchases. I always buy one towel. I started doing that 15 years ago because I KNEW I would never weave a towel myself. Even though I have since discovered the joys of weaving towels, I continue to select one favorite from the hundreds that are offered each year.

This year we had lots of wonderful dyed yarn. I couldn't resist getting a skein of Bambu 7 to combine with my solids. And best of all I got the brand new publication by Robyn Spady. I don't see a link for purchasing a copy on her website, but if you contact her I am sure you can get your own signed copy--a must have for your weaving library! Be sure to mention where you saw the link.


Now to but my apartment back in order and begin getting ready for my next workshop---Turned Weft Ikat in Bellingham Washington on November 5.

Oh yes, stay tuned for all the posts I didn't make when I returned from the East.

All Tagged and Ready to Go

Well, there they are! The final count is 92 lavender sachets. I don't know if it is because I was working with lavender (which is so calming), but this has been a wonderful project from beginning to end.

These little pillows have been created with love and gratitude. I wish you could see them and touch them.

Since each tag is almost as large as the sachet, it is impossible to make the presentation look as sharp as one would like. I do have a concern that the display will look a real mess as soon as people paw through them.

I will report.

Now to the guild and check in......

Hang Tags and Inventory

Thursday is the sale, but preparing items to bring to the sale can be quite an involved task.

Since each little sachet is unique and has a "story", I realized I needed to create a hang tag to explain about the recycled cashmere and woven words and a little about me. This decision came to me too late to hire a graphic designer, and I don't have (or if I do I don't know how to use) a graphics program on my computer-----so I resorted to cut and paste.


Above is the outside, and below is the inside. I decided to have the tag fold vertically. I will let you know how that works out.

I also knew that I could go to Kinkos and have them print it out on card stock, but for some reason I felt compelled to print it at home.
Because I have used somewhat thinner paper than card stock, the results are not as spiffy as they could be---rather homey. I have to say it took some effort to get the back and front to match. Here they are folded and ready for the next step.


The Seattle Weavers Guild Sale is not set up in booths but rather departments. (rugs, clothing, scarves etc) Because of this, each person must fill out an inventory tag and 2 copies of an inventory sheet.

Ninty hang tags ready to go. The next step is to attach each tag to the sachet, so off I go to do that.

Oh Did I Mention My Article in Handwoven?

The article features directions for weaving Mary Meigs Atwater's horoscope (pictured above on the loom). To purchase a copy of the magazine, click here.

For those of you who have ordered a draft of your own horoscope, I am currently awaiting the return of Mary's horoscope weaving from Interweave Press. Each order will include a 2" strip of this weaving.

For those of you who have yet to order your own horoscope weaving, you will also receive a 2" strip of the Mary Meigs Atwater weaving while the supply lasts.

For those of you who just want the 2" strip, the price is $15 and a stamped self addressed envelope.

Ninty Lavender Sachets

Ready to be inventoried and tagged---which is no small job.

I want to design and create a splendid hang tag that will explain about the recycled cashmere and Woven Words. I do not have a graphics program on my computer, so I going to do the layout by hand.

Onward!




You can see the (trying to be invisible) hand stitching I used to close the stuffing space. It took me about 12 minutes to sew each one.

Stuffed and Pinned

Can you imagine breathing 3# of lavender?

A True Picean Dilemma

What to do? what to do first?
Tell about the absolutely wonderful workshop with the Jockey Hollow Weavers! Can you believe they finished in two days what usually is a 3-day workshop?! I learned so much I hardly know where to begin.

OR....

Do I tell about the mind-blowing experience of viewing the spider silk weaving at the Museum of Natural History in NYC?


OR

Do I begin with my making 90 lavender sachets and getting them finished for the sale coming up in 4 DAYS?


Unable to decide, I just didn't post anything. I am so full of weaverly things to share, but the sachets with a deadline have won out. I will post something each day to chart my progress in the run-up to the sale. I really am much further along than the picture above, but that is where I left off in my documentation.

Juicy reports of my trip East to follow after the sale.

Pre-Packing Plather

Here are just a few of the supplies I'm bringing for my upcoming workshop EXPLORING NOT SO PLAIN WEAVE at Jockey Hollow Weavers in New Jersey. This will be a "round robin" style workshop if you know what that is. There will be 13 students, 13 looms, and 13 different plain weave variations. Each student gets to weave a sample on each of the looms and ends up with a sample notebook. Tons of fun for the students. Tons of work for the teacher.


The white skeins are bamboo from Habu. The bag of little balls is a lb of assorted un-knitted cashmere. The tubes are Bambu 7 from Cotton Clouds.

I leave first thing tomorrow morning.

I still don't have a lap top computer, so I won't be blogging until I return.