A Great Conference

I just returned from a fabulous week at the Hand Weavers Spinners and Dyers of Alberta Conference. The truth of their vision statement was demonstrated in every way.

"A community that supports, promotes, educates and inspires Fibre Arts."



We started off the week with a 3-day Color Horoscope Weaving Workshop. This workshop just keeps getting better.


I have to remember to take group shots--next time.

The Intentional Design Class ---image below should be vertical, so turn your head to the side.

This is close to a group shot---the many shades of peace.

And below is the Woven Paper Collage class. I hope to have some virtual quilts as soon as I receive scans of all the woven collages.


Now pretend you are seeing a short film of everybody at the Conference waving to you.....

Teaching Schedule

Color Horoscope Weaving threads all counted out and ready to go on the loom

I don’t know why I am not a bit more proactive in letting folks know about my teaching schedule. Perhaps it is because last year I didn’t have one. I had been trying out an experiment---accepting invitations to teach rather than sending out applications. I am happy to report this year I have received some invitations which I will somewhat belatedly share with you at this time. Below is an overview

DATE: May 22-25 (Pre-Conference workshop)

PLACE: HAND WEAVERS SPINNERS & DYERS OF ALBERTA, High River

TOPIC: COLOR HOROSCOPE WEAVING (3-day)

DATE: May 25, 26 and 27

TOPIC: INTENTIONAL DESIGN (1/2 day)

WOVEN PAPER COLLAGE (1/2 day)

DATE: June 8-9

PLACE: MONTANA ASSOCIATION OF WEAVERS AND SPINNERS, Missoula

TOPIC: WOVEN WORDS (one day workshop) class is full!

ALMOST IKAT (one day workshop)

DATE: September 16-22

PLACE: JOHN C CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL, Brasstown, North Carolina

TOPIC: COLOR HOROSCOPE WEAVING (7 day)

To register: www.FolkSchool.org

More Intentional Design

I couldn't resist focusing in on Diane Ayers loom and weaving. For all the years I have been teaching, I have never seen a workshop loom like this---especially for a 4 harness plain weave gal like me.

I really had to put all of reverse loom snobbery aside on this trip (grin). but when all was said and done, Diane decided that plain weave was the most effective solution.


With a thick chenille alternating with a thin cotton (still amazingly with plain weave), the perfect marriage of plain and complex weave.

I couldn't resist making a "virtual quilt patch"

There is so much to tell and so many chapters yet to written. I think I will be coming back to this workshop again and again.

Intentional Design Workshop with Central Coast Weavers

Finally, some words and images to go along with the wonderful memories of my California sojourn to San Luis Obispo and Atascadero (where the workshop was held). I apologize for the lack of images, but I got so involved I forgot to take out my camera to show the outside of the wonderful straw bale barn, home to what looks like a working loom museum. What a fabulous resource and a great place to weave!


Each student arrived at the workshop with their loom warped with their Color Horoscope Weaving all ready to weave.

I am always amazed at the variety and inventiveness displayed by weavers. Don't you just want to try out one of those balls as a loom bench?

More to follow in upcoming post

Hello from the Central Coast Weavers

Of course, now I am back in Montana after an amazing visit to the Central Coast Weavers. I don't usually like to back-track, but this guild has much to share. If you click on their link, the first thing you see is this:

Guild Motto: Friendship is the shining path we weave

Perhaps all guilds have a motto, but this is the first one that I heard more than one guild member say to me. (and I got to see it in action as well as experience it fully during my all too short stay). If you belong to a guild that is struggling, study CCW's model. Their membership has grown considerably since the last time I was there. I came away with a deep sense of gratitude and a feeling of optimism about the future of Handweaving .

I finally have moved into the 21st century with my first power point presentation. In addition to bringing my laptop, I brought a copy of the presentation on a disk and a thumb drive. I did this because I had yet to see a power point presentation where everything worked right off the bat---except for this one (grin)

My new lecture and workshop, INTENTIONAL DESIGN, focuses more on the meaning one weaves into cloth rather than trying to figure out what the finished cloth will look like.

Many non professional weavers tell me they are not creative. I believe creativity is like a muscle that must be exercised in order to become stronger. I provide a gentle creativity workout for all levels of creative fitness.

More to follow!

Meanwhile on the Other Side of Town

I took a little break from getting ready to teach a workshop in California to co-teach a little kumihimo braiding workshop to my guild, Missoula Weavers Guild.

Imagine being able to re-create amazingly complex braids with a little square of Masonite.

Although we looked at many wonderful reference books, the main source of inspiration comes from Roderick Owen's book, Braids, 250 Patterns from Japan, Peru and Beyond.

The process was just complex enough to keep everyone engaged and easy enough to be lots of fun.

No time to thread the loom today or to pack, but tomorrow is another day.

Chenille, My Old Friend

Here I am having taught 2 workshop already this year, about to teach one this weekend (all 3 local), and preparing to head down to San Luis Obispo to teach a new (in name and focus) workshop called INTENTIONAL DESIGN. I will talk more about this in another post, but one of the things I like to do before a workshop is to wind a warp and set up my loom while I focus on the upcoming workshop.

There are 18 students in SLO winding warps and setting up their looms as I write. They will arrive at the workshop ready to weave.



I thought the least I could do was to share their experience.


In the spirit of "multitasking, I decided to get started on a commission---a Color Horoscope Weaving in Rayon Chenille. For some reason, I started wearing my own Chenille Horoscope Weaving around town. I wove this piece about 15 years ago. It is sooo 20th century (grin). But to my amazement, folks in Missoula are crazy for chenille.


Another surprising fact about chenille is that my 15 year old shawl (which I have treated rather badly to see how it would hold up) looks brand new! In fact, I have it draped over my shoulders as I write.


Because of the thickness of the chenille, I have to wind the warp in 4 sections (pictured above). So to Patty (whose shawl this will become) and the Weavers Guild of San Luis Obispo (who are winding and threading), I dedicate my latest weaving efforts.

Woven Collage at Hangin Art Gallery in Arlee

Pictures are lacking at this juncture, but I wanted to share the final results. (14" x 20")


Here are 5 of the 8 wonderful women in the workshop. Each created a woven collage 5" x 7" based on the theme ---weaving the highest wishes for self into highest wishes for the world. (empowering and uplifting)

Know joy and create. As we care for ourselves, we respect & care for the world. No worries. Shown His love! Unity through unlimited diversity. Working toward compassion from me from the world, to me to the world. Travel, teaching and pleasure. Give the people of the world a voice.

So I Cranked Up the Air Con

And pulled out the recycled cashmere
And started winding another warp---Missoula's horoscope. (use the date and time of the founding of any place)
But this time I tried something just a little different. A couple of years ago, a student (Karen Driscoll) said to me during a Color Horoscope Weaving Workshop, "What would happen if you put an ikat stripe around each planet?"


This isn't the first time I tried out this delicious idea. In my previous weaving, however, each ikat stripe was the same width. On this one, I varied the width of the stripes---the Sun being the widest stripe, next the Moon, then the inner planets, and the outer planets with the narrowest stripe.


If there ever was a reason to continue teaching workshops, this weaving is it!


Just when I was getting bored with horoscope weaving, along comes this and I am all fired up again. The Sun is the big stripe to the left and the Moon is just to the right of it.

I can't wait to see this finished!

Too Busy to Blog

I love the blogging community! My 4 years of blogging has brought me more pleasure and friends than I could ever imagine. I have been struggling to keep up in the midst of so much change in my life. I can hardly believe that I will be moving again within a month! Please continue to check in on me, and I will post whenever I can.


Here is a quick recap of April.

Wrapping Words for a Blessing Shawl.
Winding Almost Ikat stripes to go between the words for the Blessing Shawl


Finally finishing off the towel warp (or better, the warp that would be towels, but will be table mats instead). For those of you who are patiently awaiting your towel (3 of you!), my goal is to weave some towels before I dismantle the studio.


Teaching a Woven Collage workshop


Creating a Virtual Quilt from each students woven collage.


Anything else will just sound like whining and complaining (grin)

COLOR HOROSCOPE WEAVING CLASS AT JOHN C CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL

For anyone who has wanted to be a part of a week long hands-on workshop with me, here is a golden opportunity!

Join me the first week in May at the fabulous John C Campbell Folk School in the mountains of Western North Carolina, to learn the whole process---from creating a personal horoscope draft to weaving a finished cloth. I will also touch upon Turned Weft Ikat, Almost Ikat, and Woven Words as they apply to designing textiles with intention to create magnificent colorful weaving.

It would appear that my traveling to teach is winding down, and my energy and interests are changing with a stronger leaning towards weaving as a means of healing and service. Although I am no longer submitting applications, I will continue to accept interesting invitations.

A Wonderful Workshop

I always think my workshops are wonderful, but I really believe they get more wonderful each time. I also believe that a more accurate title for this workshop would be Creating a Personal Color Gamp. Since many of the students decided to use bamboo yarn, I thought it would be helpful for me to bring my current Bambu 12 shawl. I manage to cut it off the loom at 10:30 PM the night before the workshop. I brought it unfinished and measured it---28" x 104".

Then I took it home, finished it, and brought it back the second day. It was great to be able to demo the change not only in size (27" x 96") but in the amazing change in drape and hand.

I had taught an earlier version of Color Horoscope Weaving to the Missoula Guild several years ago. Three of the students from before came back to do it again. Here they are: Karla, Vanetta, and Coby showing off their horoscope shawls in 20/2 cotton (tripled and sett at 24 epi).
I can't wait until they finish their new weavings. They all agreed that the new improved workshop was more fun.



One of the things that made the workshop fun were the color exercises. Creating a personal palette and the introduction to Woven Words made me wish we had at least one more day to further our color exploration. The Missoula Weavers Guild is a great group!


Of course, now I can't resist making a montage of the Color Horoscope Weavings in process. (although now that I look at it, I can see that I duplicated some and left out others) Ah, it is surely a work in progress.


So now I am a member of the Missoula Weavers Guild---something I didn't do when I lived here in the 70's. (grin)

There and Back Again

I cut the weaving off the loom almost on the way to the airport. When I decided to finish it off in Columbus, I felt much better. It would become a part of the workshop. The students couldn't quite believe the difference before and after laundering. I'll attempt to get a nice picture of it being worn.

I got so caught up in the workshop that I really didn't take very many pictures---in fact these are the only ones. I just spent the whole evening trying to create a pleasing arrangement. I'm not sure which one I prefer. I love all the variations in the warps! Hopefully I will get to see pictures of the finished pieces.

There is only 1 block in the same position in both.

Which do YOU like better?

Next workshop: Color Horoscope Weaving
Location: Missoula, Montana
Date: November 13-14

I believe there are still a couple of spaces if you happen to be in the area and are looking for a colorful experience.

Five Reasons Why I Love "Almost Ikat"

I finally found the perfect name for creating ikat-like effects using commercial space-dyed yarn--ALMOST IKAT.

If you love ikat, but don't like or don't have the space to dye yarn, here is a good solution.


It is so much fun to weave because the design unfolds before your eyes.


There is minimal planning.


I can use Almost Ikat as a stand alone design (as simple or complex as I desire) or use it as an accent with other techniques


I am about to cut the scarf off the loom and toss it in my suitcase on the way to Columbus, Ohio. I will finish it off and launder it at the workshop.

Check out my little YouTube tutorial for instruction on how to create Almost Ikat.

Buddha Garden Weaving Day #2

Did I mention that my daughter in spirit is weaving a rendition of the Dalai Lama's horoscope in Hyderabad India at the very same moment that I am weaving at the Buddha Garden in Montana?

Here is just one of several pictures that she sent me. Isn't it wonderful! We think this is a great way to have a "peace demonstration"
Meanwhile, back in Montana the wind was howling and the rain pouring and people dropped by to watch and to weave. I was glad I brought a turtleneck jersey and socks although it did warm up in the afternoon.
There young weavers.....
And not so young weavers.....
For some reason blogger will only let me upload 5 pictures, so I don't have picture of the woman on the right weaving. Nor did I get to put in an arty picture of the woven part.

The day ended with thunder and more rain followed by a nice rainbow. I wonder what the weather will be like tomorrow. It was a fun and exciting day. I should have no trouble finishing the weaving tomorrow.

A lovely woman from the Ronan newspaper, The Valley Journal, came today and took lots of pictures of me, so I will be in the news. I will put in a link when it comes out on Thursday.