GENEROSITY

Talking Threads is a system of assigning a color and number to go with every letter of the alphabet. The number code is constant. The letter “A” = 1, “B” is 2, C is 3 and so on down to “Z” which is 26. To spell GENEROSITY (pictured above): G=7, E=5, N=14, E=5, R=18, O=15, S=19, I=9, T=20, and Y=25. There are 9 different letters, which means there are 9 different colors. The color selections were made by me and 5 of my friends. Each bar is cut out of a piece of matte board randomly 1” or ½” wide and the length is trimmed after the bamboo yarn is wrapped around the bars. The process is quite meditative, and the quality of the word seems to enter through the hands as what looks like a miniature quilt takes shape. The wrapped bars are templates for possible future weavings, but they are also complete as artifacts of contemplation.

I don't think that I have ever actually explained the process on my blog, but in the spirit of "generosity" it seems like the right thing at this time. How the work is displayed is shown in the second and third images of the post if you click here.

New Camera, New House, New Class, New Show

But not necessarily in that order!


First let me mention my upcoming class at John C Campbell Folk School. The class runs from Sunday September 16th- Saturday September 22nd and is called Color Horoscope Weaving---the Ultimate Color Experience. (INTERESTINGLY AS I AM WRITING THIS, I SEE A DOUBLE RAINBOW OUT THE WINDOW!) This will surely not be the last time I mention the class, however. I have been trying to figure out a way to put the class in my sidebar, but I memory of how to do that escapes me today. I will have a run at it tomorrow.

Unfortunately my new camera arrived AFTER I went up to see how the Poetry Wall was settling in. My friend Marti took a wonderful picture of the piece, but I haven't been able to capture the image. Our computers are not speaking to one another. But I did want to show you the reason I decided to get a new camera. Notice the attractive green line on the left side of the image below. I was able to crop it out in the image above.


When I get a great image, I will include the statement that accompanies the piece.

Below are TALKING THREADS ---more on that later as well.


Now to a view of my new place. I am still surrounded by boxes yet to be unpacked, but the good and bad news is there is lots of room.

So not only do I have a green line, but the whole lighting thing was off. The new camera, a Nikon Coolpix 7100, has many more bells and whistles (and an on-line manual which I have yet to begin to study), but I charged up the battery, popped in my old memory card and snapped the pic below. The purple blanket under Gary is just so I can slide him around easily until I settle on the perfect placement. Gary and Grace are now very close although you will notice each has a separate room (grin)... Also the good and bad news is there is plenty of room for more looms

Fifteen Mintues of Fame

Here is a lovely article about me in the Missoula paper. Unfortunately they wanted to have the photographer come take my picture at the very moment when the movers arrived.

To top it off, my camera has become quite ill, so there are no pictures yet of the show, but soon.....

New camera is on the way!

New Show at the Hangin Art Gallery

So besides moving (during a hail storm) and sitting in the middle of a mountain of boxes, I am the featured artist in a show opening on Saturday. Now to stop unpacking and posting, and get busy writing my artist statement. I think I am even going to be in the newspaper. Wouldn't you know that my 15 minutes of fame would come at a time when I can't find where I packed my toothbrush (grin)

It's Hard to Hit a Moving Target

I'm on the move again. I just had to take a break though and share my THIRD ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF MOVING. The movers come on Tuesday, and I am far from ready.

The good news is that Grace and Gary will be reunited.


More good news is that I only moving blocks away. And even more good news is that I will be able to do some one on one teaching "retreats" in the new place, but more on that later.


And more good news is that 2 of the 3 towels have been sent. Sue Bye, please email me your mailing address, and I will send yours (after I move)


And last (actually first), my classes at the Montana Conference went extremely well. I wish I could say the same for my camera. It seems to have developed a problem. (also a topic for another post)

Perhaps the move will be the beginning of a resurgence of enthusiasm and continuity in posting. It is not that I don't have anything to say. It is more that I have too much, so I just don't say anything at all.

But very exciting things are coming down the pike.

Tencel---Learning and Teaching

What promises to be another phenomenal Weaving Conference begins tomorrow! Interestingly enough, this Conference is taking place on the University of Montana campus (in walking distance from my soon to be former residence (but that is a post for another day).

I will be teaching 2 one-day workshops: Intentional Design and Almost Ikat. I decided to challenge myself a bit with the Almost Ikat workshop and try a new fiber (for me)--TENCEL.
My interest in tencel stems from the fact it is produced in Canada and dyed in the USA. WEBS carries an interesting array of colors, including many space-dyed options. With not a moment to spare (after returning from the Alberta Conference), I ordered up a box of assorted colors which arrived last Thursday (waiting on my doorstep after I returned home from hanging my solo show which opened on Friday evening. This, too, is a topic for another post!).


As you can see, these are not my usual colors (except for the red and turquoise, which I ordered because two of the colors in the main palette were currently not in stock). The colors were actually selected by a client who has commissioned a Woven Words scarf (so I am really "killing" 3 birds with one stone/cone of yarn).

The students in the Almost Ikat class will be winding a warp using these very yarns, so I thought I should give it a test run. I wound this warp on Sunday, a 6" scarf, sett at 24 epi.

I tested all the colors in the weft---including some tencel yarn I had from "Just Our Yarn" to see if I could combine it with the yarn from Webs.


I cut off a portion of the warp and laundered it, so I could see how a finished scarf would look. Below is how it came out of the dryer with no pressing.


With a 1-day workshop, the students will just be able to wind their scarf warp to take home and weave, so I will only be able to send images of the various warps. Since the scarf above was purely a test of fibers, the design is not as powerful as will be all of the student warps.

So if you are signed up for this class, be prepared for a rockin' good time with Tencel! Plus I have some surprises in store (grin)

What Makes it All Worth It

There are hardly words to express my feeling when I look at these pictures. Merin selected the colors for her blanket--the first time I have had the opportunity to engage a youthful recipient in this way. This experiment was most satisfying for all concerned.


Can you just imagine how wonderful it is to curl up in OUTSTANDING MORAL FIBER--recycled cashmere sweaters.


Some of us have been lucky enough to have had that special blanket. I will always remember mine---named, interestingly enough, PINKY