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

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.

The Shifting Whispering Studio

So I had been weaving for a full 10 minutes when the downstairs neighbor came knocking on my door. She said that it sounded like an army marching on her head. I knew this might be a possibility as jack looms tend to be somewhat loud (and after living here for a while I realize that the sound proofing in non-existent). I had purchased a sheet of something I hoped would absorb the sound, but no dice. I invited my neighbor in and we discussed the possibilities and options and decided to try moving the loom into the guest bedroom. So here is Grace moving yet again.I had been using the guest bedroom as my office, so here is the office now where the loom used to be.

Here is where the loom will now live. Someone asked me about the "platform" the loom was on, so here it is, a 2" thick piece of foam isolation which I covered with a rug.
And now Grace has a room of her own.

My neighbor downstairs does not spend much time is the room directly below, so I have my fingers crossed (which makes it much harder to weave). The room is really much brighter than it looks in this picture.

And the Weave Goes On

Here is my new Grace-full studio. Gary, as you know, is living elsewhere for the foreseeable future.
My first piece in the new studio will be a Bambu 12 Woven Words scarf with the words
(fittingly) GRACE/RELEASE. I like to do a wrapping before I wind a warp. It gives a chance to see and work out some of the colors.


As you know, the client selects both the words and the colors. I am merely the agent in this co-creating process. I use the black and white "almost ikat" to separate the words.

And, again, that most wonderful and scary moment---cutting the weaving off the loom.

And then the most exciting moment--walking backwards across the studio while holding the beginning edge of the weaving.

Stay tuned for more on the words: Grace and Release!

Endings and Beginnings

Weaving delivered to happy owner. I know some have asked about the piece in the background, but for now you will just have to speculate.



I will not bother to show you another round of packing and loading and hauling and moving, but here is an arty shot of my new entry way taken with my phone. I am now wading through mountains of boxes and slowly embarking on the the next phase... life without Gary.

The Very Last Words

DEDICATION//CURIOSITY
It was very exciting using words I normally wouldn't have chosen OR colors I wouldn't have chosen.
But I just love it.
The most exciting moment---yet again.

So as Gary's last warp slowly sinks in the West, we begin our farewell to the little house.

Gary's Last Words

As my moving date looms large (pun intended), it seems that in order for me to move into the apartment of my dreams---Gary will not be able to make the move with me. As I wove the words ADVENTURE/LOVE/LAUGH/CLARITY, it became clear to me that Gary was ready to have an adventure on his own. He hasn't yet figured out what he is going to do, but we have had a lovely weave together.

I've had a couple of people offer to house Gary, and I would be able to come and weave whenever I wanted.

There have been a couple of times that I tried to sell Gary, but I had no takers. Ideally, someone close by would either be interested in buying or renting, and I would have visitation rights (be able to weave 2 pieces a year on him). I can weave most everything I need to weave on Grace.
(with a few exceptions) As I get older, I find it easier to weave on a smaller loom.


I will keep you posted. If you have been hankering for a fabulous Fireside Loom, this might be the time. (And summer is a great time to come to Montana)

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)

I'm in Montana Now

I'll be resurfacing soon. I'm much beyond this point. In fact I am actually setting up the loom. I wasn't sure I would be able to make a blog post as I am unable to send email (although I do receive it). More to follow......

It may be cloudy in the picture, but it was sunny, warm and beautiful today.

Letter to a Weaving Friend

Hi Dorothy,

Just a quick note as I am now in the throes of packing. The movers come on Monday, and there is so much to do. But I wanted to take this moment to share a special picture with you.

This trip to Montana was amazing-- truly a once in a lifetime experience! Just to be clear, I wasn’t weaving FOR the Dalai Lama. I was weaving FOR a group of people who carry the vision of creating a place so sacred in the middle of the remote Flathead Reservation---that the Dalai Lama has accepted an invitation to consecrate this “garden” upon completion. I created the Dalai Lama's horoscope weaving as an offering to help raise money (which they dearly need) to complete the project within the next year. The result of this offering, so far, has been nothing short of a miracle, and I haven't even delivered the completed weaving yet. Call me if you want details as it is a story that must be told rather than written.

On the last day of the trip, I looked through the glass front door into the little house I was to rent and took a picture through the glass

and saw the future......(grin)

Colorfully,
Bonnie

Weaving in the Garden--- Final Preparations

I wound the Dalai Lama warp all the way back on the warp beam. I wrapped a nice towel around it all and secured the lease sticks in place. I have never done this before. It should work though.

Awaiting the arrival of the chariot.
Grace and Gary have changed places. While I am weaving the Dalai Lama on Grace in Montana, Breanne will be weaving her horoscope on Gary---her first weaving. I left her Peggy Osterkamp's new book, so she should be just fine.

Giving and Receivingand Planning and Sampling

Before I begin, please check out the Color Horoscope Weaving Booth by Cotton Clouds at Convergence.

Again I was talking with Roberta about my trials in finding a new apartment, and she said "Why don't you move back to Montana?" I COULDN'T DO THAT! I replied emphatically. But I decided to pretend for just one day that I was, indeed, moving back to Missoula, Montana (where I lived for 12 years and moved away from 30 years ago). As soon as I opened to the possibility, it was as if I had fallen in love (you know that feeling). Ten pounds (of the 20 I gained in the past 2 years) fell away as if by magic. I am filled with energy and excitement. I didn't share this sooner because I was remaining open to the possibility that some wonderful living situation in Seattle would appear (didn't happen).

So I have been sorting, tossing, selling and (the most exciting) gifting my possessions in preparation for a new chapter in my life. My last day in this apartment will be August 31. I will be heading over to Montana to Weave at the beginning of August, but will return mid-August to pack in earnest. I will be offering gifts to everyone (especially my blog readers) then.

Meanwhile finishing up----The Memory Mitzvah is complete and ready to go to the framer.


I realized I still have one more weaving to do before I leave. (well, I really have more than one, but this one is going on Grace). Cheryl Kolander of Aurora Silk is natural dyeing silk for the Dalai Lama weaving. I have not tried to combine my recycled cashmere with silk. I have been using the cashmere with bamboo which has a lot more tooth. Earlier experiments combining wool and silk has not been particularly satisfying to me.

While waiting for the silk to arrive (and pawing through my old yarn stash), I found some yarn that Cheryl had dyed for me back in the 80's. Although the yarn size is different from the yarn I will be using, I thought this would make a good sample.


This yarn is totally yummy. I used to weave Color Horoscope Weavings with it when back when. I no longer have the whole spectrum, but there is certainly enough. Of course there is always this fun part---winding balls.


And the next fun part, winding warp. (I will tell you about this warp in a later post)


And the final fun part of dressing the loom.


Grace is excited to be working again---as am I.

I received a comment from Lindsey asking if I will be selling instructions for the Dalai Lama's horoscope. I had not thought of it, but now that I have, I believe that I will make the draft available on my blog (once I figure out how to do that) . Thanks for the idea, Lindsey!

Independence Day

Life continues to sail along at an amazing clip. When am I moving? The official date is August 31 to be out of this place. Where am I moving? ...yet to be determined. I am attempting to stay open to all possibilities and pray for the doors to open that should be opened, and the doors to close that should be closed.

Meanwhile, I glance around the apartment and notice many items I haven't touch since I moved here 2 years ago. Do I really want to move these things AGAIN?! I have this cedar chest (a wedding present when I got married in the early 60's. The chest has help up much better than the marriage, but the contents....as they say (Oi Vey!)

I have things in there that go back to before my marriage. I really don't need or want these "treasures" any longer.
So I decided to have an open house and invite my friends and neighbors. Some things I will sell, but many things have a combination of no value and priceless. It will give me great pleasure to know that someone who will love and cherish an items of mine will get it while I am still quite able to take joy in the giving.

I am having a blast arranging "things"

And hanging things on my main wall.
And moving things around.
One of the amazing aspects of this venture is that as I divest myself of stuff, I seem to be divesting myself of some extra pounds that have crept back onto me while I wasn't paying attention.

It turns out that the place I used to live in is having a yard sale next weekend, and they told me that I could be a part of it. (The things on the wall are not "yard sale" things. You should see the yard sale things.) If my last move was a Festival of Moving, this one is bound to be a Movapalooza.

In between sorting, tossing, shredding, boxing and gifting, I am finishing up the last things I need to send to Cotton Clouds for their Convergence Booth. I will have a picture for you before the last weavings are sent off.