Happy Halloween from the Photo Archives

BONNIE BOLDLY FACES THE MILLENNIUM


I've been thinking about masks during the season of costumes, and I recall a phase of my weaving journey full of masks--the last years of the 20th century. (It seems so long ago).

There are many tutorials on YouTube on how to make a plaster mask. This one seemed quite good in case you are moved to make a personal plaster mask. After I made my mask out of plaster, I used it as a base and created a paper mache model over top of it. In fact, I can still use my plaster mask which I still have in a box somewhere.

Then I wove a horoscope weaving for the moment of the new millennium. I attached the weaving to the paper mache masks using a thinned down white glue. I won't tell you how many hours it took me to create the "hair" (twisting the fringe around floral wire so I could restyle the hair whenever I had a few extra hours).

I made this as a wall piece, but I can see that I could have made it into a headdress (which I would have done had I been living in Montana then) (grin)

Perhaps I will fish out the forms and do that for next Halloween.

Hanging Around Town

Back in 1975 when I was living in Missoula, I had an exhibition of my wall hangings---cleverly called Hanging Around Town. As I was doing some sorting back in Seattle, I happened upon the poster I made for the show. It is interesting to see where I was on my weaving journey back then.

I'll have to recopy the text below.


I specialize in custom weaving, a part of your environment that is an expression/extension of yourself.

These hangings represent--in part--a pleasant portion of the past 5 years.

It is easy to weave beautiful things---Anybody who wants to weave can weave something beautiful--but it is very difficult to see something in your mind and then weave it.

When someone says, "I want you to weave something for me." They are really asking me to weave a portrait of their soul, but most people don't realize this when they ask so casually. I think that is where the real magic of weaving lies.

When you weave for nobody in particular, you lose focus. You have to look too hard for the answers; but having a person to hold in your mind when you work puts you in touch with the truths of the universe--not that you always remember---but you always know where to look again.

I can surely see I was on the way. This was a few years before Color Horoscope Weaving and just at the very beginning of Almost Ikat.

Way to Go

The mountains of Western North Carolina are beautiful! (but you have to know where you are going). We put 500 miles on Irene's car during my visit. She lives at least an hour away from everything, good if you want to get away and bad if you don't drive.

We visited Penland, John C Campbell Folk School, Earth Guild, Yarn Circle, and the studios of Catharine Ellis and Kathie Roig. This list goes on, but I seem to have misplaced my list.

I took several wonderful pictures, but I thought this one summed up my experience. I went to North Carolina with expectations of having a life changing experience, but once I was able to put them aside I had a lovely time. I don't have any pictures of my high school reunion, (for which I had no expectations) but I had a blast!


The "Meet Up" in Asheville was jolly fun!


I have to admit I sorely missed the Northwest climate and arrived back in Seattle to perfect cool sunny weather. While in Baltimore with my mom, we un-knitted 20 more sweaters. Note the sunlight sneaking through the shades.


I must have evolved into a "mole-person" because I couldn't wait to get back on the loom with the sounds of the Gay Pride celebration echoing in the streets below.


I couldn't resist tossing in this picture I found of my mom and I circa 1945. We had a really good visit.

Now Onward to prepare for a Color Horoscope Weaving Workshop at the Golden Gate Fiber Institute on July 27th.

Wondrous Blanky The End

Woundrous Blanky Wash and Block

I held my breath and tossed it into the washing machine (after the tub had filled with water). I learned a bitter lesson having the water spill directly onto the fabric. I did one gentle cycle on cold and two rinse cycles (gentle cold) for a 25% shrinkage.

And here is my least favorite step and my most unflattering picture. (although it tells the story) I spent 5 hours blocking the blanket directly onto the carpeting. I literally wore the skin off my knees. I am happy to say I weigh 60 lbs less than I did in that picture.


Even if I moved all of the furniture out of my new place, I wouldn't have the room to block a blanket. I can't say I am sorry.

Woundrous Blanky Comes Together

No, that is not a tiny harpoon, it is actually a needle. The reflection of the metal from the camera flash distorted the needle shape.

Joining Tips: With most fibers, I find it best to join before washing. The big exception is chenille, but that is a story for another day. I have spread the two panels for photographing, but when I am joining I have the pieces stacked one on top of the other. It still amazes me to work folded, but then the weaving opens completely flat.

Always plan for a join to happen where there is a color change if you want the join to disappear.


Notice that I have brought one of the yellow warp ends from Panel #2 to be the first end in Panel #3. I discovered ( through painful experience) just how difficult it is to distinguish the warp from the weft when both are black.

When joining, I join pick to pick. I will sew through and join every single weft pick. It takes me between 3 and 4 hours to complete a join.

Again, I want to remind folks that this major project took me over a year to execute with lots of thinking time between each step.
I am really not that productive.

Woundrous Blanky on the Loom Five Times

Panel #1
Panel #2
Panel #3
Panel #4
Panel #5

My biggest concern was that the ikat would overwhelm the horoscope panels.

And, yes, I hand wind all of my shuttles. I always have. Since I weave with multiple strands of weft, I find it easy to control the tensions as I load the shuttle. In addition, the shuttle holds 15-30 minutes of weaving time. I find that if I have to stop at frequent intervals and perform a task other than weaving, my aging body is thankful.

Woundrous Blanky Warp Chains

I arranged all the chains on the floor and figured out I could weave the blanket in five panels.
I was hoping to show you each panel on the loom in this post, but Blogger wouldn't let me upload all five. The weaving will happen tomorrow.

Seek and Ye Shall Be Surprised at What Ye Find

While I continue to search (unsuccessfully) for an illusive document, I came upon a grant proposal I wrote and won in 1994. The Seattle Weavers Guild has an annual grant competition which I have applied to several times, but this is the only winner which I would like to share with you. My main reason for sharing this is if you ever have an opportunity to apply for a grant, do it. Whether you win the grant or not, writing it all down helps you focus.

PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION: (copied unedited although I am a bit embarrassed as I was rather full of myself. Thankfully I was limited to a single page). I will show you what I wove in the next post.

WHAT DO I WANT TO DO?

In the past few years, I have begun teaching and speaking about two original techniques, Easy Ikat and Color Horoscope Weaving, that I have developed over the past fifteen years. All of my textiles represent a unique and extensive study of the use of color in weaving. My Easy Ikat technique demonstrates a method of bringing spontaneity, flexibility and ease to a highly structured ancient technique. Color Horoscope Weaving, on the other hand, fulfills a need to create one-of-a-kind functional textiles within tightly structured boundaries. A working palette of twelve colors multiplies into more than five billion color possibilities. A long tradition of symbolic textiles in countries as diverse as Guatemala and Scotland come to life in these contemporary representations.

Most recently, I've embarked in a new direction, inspired by my fascination with Kente cloth. The result has been several blankets composed of panels that I have invisibly joined together.

My grant proposal is to combin all three (Easy Ikat, Color Horoscope Weaving, and invisibly joined panels) and create a wondrous blanket with written and photographic documentation suitable for publication.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

My recent intense participation in the Seattle Weavers" Guild has demonstrated my ability to inspire other weavers. Sharing my design and weaving techniques and especially sharing my process is significant because it allows others to participate in the satisfaction and fulfillment I derive from my craft. Having the opportunity to join diverse interests, methods and cultures into a single project is important as well. Creation that echoes the voices of ancient weavers is a timeless connection to humanity.

HOW DOES IT CONTRIBUTE TO MY CROWTH AS A WEAVER/TEXTILE CRAFTSPERSON?

Since "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts", this proposal will represent a quantum leap for me. I usually rely heavily on my innate design and color sense to achieve spontaneity in my weavings. Combining these three techniques will result in many new and unexpected colors and designs, which will require the use of a more disciplined approach (sketches and sample warps).

BUDGET:

Yarn---$500

TIME FRAME FOR PROJECT:

I will present a morning program in October 1995 with slides and several weavings.

Byways in Handweaving

There came a time back in 1969 I was living in Connecticut, and I didn't have a loom. Byways in Handweaving literally saved my life. I worked my way through the book cover to cover, and had a wonderful experience.

This was not the first time that Mary Meigs Atwater changed my life though. I first got this book in 1960 (although I only looked at the pictures then). It showed me another path---away from commercial weaving and industry for which I was being trained.

I know everybody has heard of and possibly tried inkle weaving, but I had never seen or heard or it back then. I taught myself from the book and created the piece you see below.


Yes, I was crazy even then. What I find most interesting about this vest is it shows the seeds of weavings to come in the following decades--piecing together smaller weaving--and bands of vivid color. I don't know what became of this vest. I sold it to someone now lost in time. I was thrilled to find these slides. In many ways it is better than having the actual weaving. You know it would look terrible on.


If you were alive back in the 60's, you know that fringe was very important.

From the Archives

© Geoff Manasse 1982

This is one of my favorite pictures. Have you ever had a professional picture taken? It is quite a process. Unfortunately shortly after I had this picture taken I gained 100 lbs, my hair turned gray and I started wearing glasses. It is wonderful to look back though, and January is the perfect month to look both forward and back at the same time. All of the cloth in the picture are of Color Horoscope Weaving woven in 20/2 cotton (even my jacket). My looms at the time were a 45" 4 harness Herald and a 40" 8 harness Gilmore.

When I see this picture, I think of the word MASTERY. I had mastered normal body weight after months of dieting which I was able to maintain for exactly 24 hours.

When I was a Newbie

I have been slowly converting old slides into digital. This one amuses me quite a bit.

Here I am in 1971 at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena Montana. I am weaving on a Hammett 4 harness counter balance loom. Hanging on the wall is Lee's Surrender from "A Handweaver's Pattern Book" although I was in the midst of my weed wall hanging phase.

Photo Meme

I was just reading Tien's Blog and was charmed by the idea of looking at the 6th picture in my 6th folder. I liked the idea that she was not tagging anyone but invited anyone who was interested to do it. So I had to see what mine was. Here it is! The Blue Ridge Spinners and Weavers posing with their completed Horoscope Necklaces. It was a jolly fun workshop.

If anyone is interested in a "kit", let me know and I will create one (grin)

Waiting for my New Nikon Coolpix P5100

I knew I needed a new camera, but I loved my little Coolpix 3100 and couldn't seem to retire it. I gave the camera to my young friend Mayukh who was returning to Hyderabad. I asked him to take pictures of his life there, so I can see everything he thinks is interesting.

Meanwhile, I feel so strange without a camera that I haven't been able to post. Then I had the bright idea to go through some of the pictures I never put on the blog but had meant to. Here is one of the slides I had scanned. I don't even remember the name of this baby, but here is another little baby with his Color Horoscope Weaving.


Now here is my friend Mayukh wearing a Color Horoscope Weaving.

And here is my favorite cousin, Dave with his pet lizard. I can't remember the name of the lizard.

Oh yes, the condo went on the market on Saturday. Here is a final look at the closet. I don't know why I am so proud of the closet. The rest of the apartment looks really great. It is interesting living poised for strangers to come tromping through at a moment's notice. I am weaving a little everyday, and soon I will be able to show you what I am up to.

The future topics will focus on what to weave while I move out of a place I have lived in for 18 years. I intend to keep both looms going and weave off all weaving orders and projects in process.

The Ultimate Warping Reel

Before regaling you with more exciting pictures of my closets and piles of trash, I just had to post these pictures. I had been searching for these for several years (another benefit of moving)

About 10 years ago I taught a Color Horoscope Weaving Workshop at the Redwood Empire Weavers. I have never seen (before or since) a warping reel like Ruth Perrault's. I hope Ruth doesn't mind my publishing this picture. Anyone reading this from the Redwood Empire Guild, please let Ruth know how inspirational she has been for me (and now for folks all over the world)
Her husband made it for her. Not only was it beautiful and compact, but she could wind a warp faster than anyone else in the class. I can't recall the wood, but it was so esthetically pleasing I couldn't take my eyes off of it.


I wish I had taken more pictures because I can't tell if there is a brake and if so where it is located. Anyway, those with clever husbands might take note. (or those who are clever with wood themselves. I , myself, sometimes have trouble just sticking push pins into the wall.)

Slides to Digital

In addition to moving, I am also getting ready to fly up to the Handweavers, Spinners & Dyers of Alberta Conference , May 9-11. I am giving the keynote address at the banquet: Traveler By Loom. I have to take a little time off from sorting to arrange the images for my talk in addition to putting the supplies together for my workshop: Wrapped Silk Brooch. Although I will have this talk be a slide presentation (I keep saying this will be my last slide-show), I am slowing testing the waters having my slides converted to digital. Boy, they look great! Below is a very early wrapped brooch (late 80's). I can tell because I used to paint gold each individual matte board shape.

I just discovered something interesting. Since I no longer make brooches for sale, I removed the Jewelry Gallery from my website. When I went to the HSDA website to see what they had to say about me, I found this link .
I don't really understand why or how it is possible to see this, but it makes me wonder about anything and everything ever put on the internet---kind of like plastic bags---they never really disappear.


Kaz had some truly delightful purses on her blog. It made me think of these little bags I made back in the mid-90's. I called them my low tech purses (draw-string) as opposed to the high tech purse (zipper)

Now I am just procrastinating as you can tell. Back to sorting and packing!

Best Laid Plans

Yes, today is my First Blogiversary and I planned (only in my mind) to roll out my new improved blog. I do have several new ideas to implement, but they will come in dribs and drabs instead of a big splash. Weaving in general is about structure, and my goal is to add a little structure to Weaving Spirit.

Tomorrow I leave to teach a 3-day workshop on Whidbey Island on Turned Weft Ikat. As I was putting together my show and tell, I unearthed the hanging pictured above. My mother had it hanging in her home for about 20 years and then relegated it to the closet. I came upon it last year when I was helping her clean out said closet. I wove it in 1962 while I was a student at RISD. The assignment was, of course, ikat. My fascination with circles was evident. I easily spent 100 hours tying and untying half inch segments of warp. It was most painful, and I was never pleased with the results. I sure learned a lot though. One of the things I learned is that I didn't ever want to do this process again.

Of course, one should never say never. The memory of those 100 hours was burned into my consciousness, however, and when I returned to ikat in the mid 70's, I had figured out an easier way.

Thank You
I will take a moment here to thank all the people who have visited my blog this past year and the many people brave enough to make a comment. Blogging has brought me more satisfaction than I could have ever imagined. My special thanks to Sara Lamb for mentioning me in her blog in the winter of '06. It was this mention that sent me to her blog (my first blog experience) and the rest is history. I look forward to another year of blogging: the ever widening spiral of creativity .

The Twelve Days of Weaving

Found Picture and Nod of the Day

To all those contemplating weaving a horoscope baby blanket, this is for you.

Have you ever spent hours looking through folders searching for a picture and never finding it? Instead you find a picture you totally forgot you had lost. This picture is so adorable it makes up for the picture I couldn't find. It doesn't matter it has been over a year. I'll have to get a current picture: dark curly hair, teeth, vocabulary, and constant motion.

Nod of the Day: Take a look at the Seaview Weavers Guild website. It's a great website and a great little guild. The Seaview guild is a small but active guild operating just North of Seattle WA. I could say a lot, but the site says it all.

Looking Through My Photo Archive

Another title for this post could be: PROCRASTINATION

I can't seem to take a good picture of black on black weaving.
The warp is black shimmer chenille (remember shimmer chenille?) The weft is black chenille thrums saved from all of the black chenille scarves I wove in the 20Th century. I took me 4 years to accumulate enough thrums to make a shawl and almost that long to tie them all together.

Weaving black on black is something you want to do on a bright day. Using a white towel to wrap around the cloth beam was a great help as well.

If anyone happens to have any black shimmer chenille they are willing to trade, I am always interested.


Portrait of the Cabbage Goddess. I promised myself I wouldn't post pictures of food, but I couldn't resist.

Remember my Japanese Tree Peony? From time to time I gather up my favorite sticks and dead heads, throw on a natural tussah silk warp and weave up some holiday gifts.