What Is Intentional Design Anyway

Begin with a group of friends with a message, a meaning, and/or a desire . Add your favorite colors. Mix, wrap, blend, stir and voila! Intentional Design


Above is my first venture into group art. This piece was created during the Central Coast Weavers Intentional Design Workshop. Each segment is 1"x 5" and spells out the word "peace" mirror imaged and repeated. The piece is entitled The Many Shades of Peace"

Intentional Design is about giving and sharing (showcasing the work of the students in the workshop) "Virtual Quilt #3"


Intentional Design is a method of engaging the recipient of a weaving in the design process. The wearer becomes the designer.

Here is the beginning of a Blessing Blanket for Merin. Her relatives provided 10 blessing words. She and her parents gave me general color selections. There will be more posts about this blanket, so I won't go into the actual words at this juncture.


I will talk briefly about color selection. While still in the wrapping process, it is easy to shift around the colors to get the proper effect. Merin decided the wrappings above looked a bit too orange, so I re-wrapped some of the blessing changing the purple for the orange. Now she says it's not pink enough, so I will play around some more.


The wrappings begin to take on a life of their own irrespective of the weaving to follow. I now think of the wrappings as "Talking Threads"

Stash Reduction/Stash Expansion: ZYG in 2012

How to achieve ZYG--Zero Yarn Growth:

I don't have a huge yarn stash, but I certainly do have one. Over the years, one acquires yarn to precious to use up or trade away. Because I have moved 3 times in as many years, I have de-stashed quite a bit, but still... The natural dyed silk (much of it 50/2) was custom dyed for me by Cheryl Kolander in the mid-80's. I have been carrying it around knowing that I would weave something with it some year. This will be the year!

There are at least 2 basic ways of approaching "what to make next".
1. I want to make a set of towels to match my kitchen. I decide what fiber, colors and amounts I need and then I shop for that yarn.
2. What can I make with the yarn that I have on hand.

Of course, there are variations, but basically that's it.

One of the techniques I use in managing "the yarn I have on hand" is to lay it out on the floor and start moving it around like a puzzle. I like to say that the yarn discusses what it wants to weave.


Sometimes these discussions can last for weeks. Both below and above show the beginning of a discussion.


Every time I weave something that reduces my stash, I will then weave something with new yarn. That way I will continue to support my yarn suppliers.

Onward to a Peaceful and Abundant new year!

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.

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.

Why Blog

It seems like ages since I last wrote. This year has felt so different. Time has moved so rapidly. I am now visiting my 91 year old mother on the East Coast, so I am away from my computer, looms and images. I did bring 15 cashmere sweaters with me (actually I shipped them ahead), so I would have a lovely project to work on with mom.

On the plane (besides sleeping) I thought a lot about Weaving Spirit, where it has taken me and in what direction I want to go. Stepping away from my studio allows me time to reflect. Why did I begin blogging 3 incredibly short years ago? The answer was simple. A woman emailed me and said, "I read about you on Sara Lamb's blog, and I would like to buy a horoscope weaving." Well, I was instantly hooked. 1. Blogging is a selling tool.

For years I had been urging myself to write. 2. Blogging is a good way to flex and strengthen the writing "muscle".

What I discovered, much to my delight is 3. Blogging creates "the spiral of creativity". Rather than taking time away from my loom, blogging seemed to urge me on. I take a picture of what is on the loom, put it up on the blog, and then I would have to race back to the loom to complete the project so that I could take a picture of it and put it on the blog (or at least that is how it was for the first couple years).

Another exciting discovery is that I have been able to not only connect with weavers from around the world, but 4. to act as a source of inspiration to weavers who do not have the luxury of a weaving guild and other weavers close by.

This is as far as I have gotten in my reflecting on "Why Blog?" If I have missed anything, please don't hesitate to remind me.

Oh, I almost forgot! 5. My readers have been a source of inspiration to me, for which I am deeply grateful. (toothy grin)

Show No Fear

There really are no knots. If the threads sense fear, then all is lost. But if I approach a seemingly impossible tangle with courage and optimism....

It's really not as bad as it looks, but it looks pretty bad. What caused the mess on this side is the series of adjustments I made in the raddle. The tangle occurred after I had wound back about 4 yds of a 6 yd warp. I usually put on a short 4 yd warp which always goes smoothly warping back to front. But the upside is I will have 2 scarves---one for Paula and one to sell.


I timed it. Winding back took me an hour, not too bad. The satisfaction of creating order from chaos is one of the best parts of this step. I always feel powerful when I have completed the winding back---like I can do anything. (Of course having the Olympics playing in the background helped )


The rest of the process is a breeze. I'm through the heddles in no time. I had this done yesterday, but I couldn't get my computer to deal with my images and had to give it a rest.


Onward!

The Fudge Factor

I have always believed there are an infinite number of mistakes to be made in weaving. I also believe there is no mistake you cannot fix (if you will take the time). Plus, there is something I like to call "The Fudge Factor". Simply defined, some "mistakes" you can fudge and some you just can't. The trick is knowing which you can fudge and which have to be laboriously repaired.

After 50 years of weaving, I just made a mistake I have NEVER made before! I was so stunned I laughed. This is what I did. I don't know why I decided to begin sleying the reed in the first dent, but I did. Once I was through the reed and had adjusted the tension, I went to add the floating selvedge only to discover I forgotten to leave a couple of extra dents. (duh)


Do I completely un-thread and move the whole 36" warp to the left 2 dents? I don't think so! Employing the Fudge Factor, I pulled out 4 warp ends causing the borders widths to not quite match.

Below is a mistake I make far too often. I forget to center the metal rod I tie the warp onto. Then as I weave, it sticks out too far on one side to advance as I weave. I was lucky this time. I had just enough clearance, so I didn't have to re-tie the warp.

This always happens to me. I pull in a little bit in those first couple of inches before I even out. I used to go crazy about this, but I finally discovered, it really doesn't make enough of a difference for me to try to make it any better. It is true that when you take the finished baby blanket and line up both edges---there is a one inch difference.


I usually don't talk about the fudge factor and how much I use it in every step of my weaving. (and in every weaving)

I have weavers complement me all the time on how perfect my weaving is. If you only knew, oops, now you do (grin)

Mistakes I always fix:
Threading errors in heddles and reed.
Knots in warp
A missed pick

Warps I will cut off the loom: (I haven't had to do that for many years now, but I can tell you that I have done it more than twice.)
Warp threads that break every inch of weaving. (I can take about a foot of that!)
Warp threads that stick so I can't make a shed.
Mixed warp threads that have different tensions.

It's the Journey Not the Destination

Somewhere in the middle of sewing labels onto silk squares, drudge transforms into art and I discover the joy in doing the best I can---not thinking about "this is going to take me forever!"

By the way, the black "thing" in the picture below is the black sewing thread I trimmed off from sewing in the labels.


I want to say a word about my labels. They are custom woven labels. I decided many years ago that I should have custom woven labels. I researched to find a company that would weave up a small run (not many would). So back in the 80's, I got 1000 labels. They lasted me 10 years. I ordered another 1000 labels, and they lasted me another 10 years. When I went to order a third round, I discovered the company was no longer in business. But I found a company on line, so now I am weaving through my third thousand. My weaving output is much less now than it used to be, so I expect it will take me longer to use these.

I will be selling the sachets for $24 each. I want to know in my heart that I have put as much time, artistry, effort and love into each piece and hopefully a customer will recognize that.

So I spent 2 hours cutting the cloth into strips. (not an emotionally easy task) Each strip will make 4 sachets. No two will be alike.



But now it's time to do laundry and pack (grin)

SLOW CLOTHES at the Golden Gate Fiber Institute

I sat down at the loom and as I began weaving my new lavender sachet warp, my mind drifted back to the profound and amazing experience I had in California. It has taken me almost two weeks to digest my time at The Golden Gate Fiber Institute and certainly longer than that to "get" the theme of conference---SLOW CLOTHES. I realize now it was probably just as well that my camera was lost as it has gotten me to re-create images in my mind that I never would have been able to capture in a picture.

The slow movement says, essentially: slow down and live better.

(I believe my approach to weaving is in line with SLOW. I don't even own a bobbin winder and never have)

But I digress---Although the setting for GGFI was rustic, angels brought me warm bedding, a foam pad for between me and the scout camp plastic covered mattress, and a handwoven rug for beside my bed (just to name a few urban amenities). I slept very well! There was indoor plumbing and lots of hot water AND fantastic food. What else could a gal want?! Point Bonita is not far from the big city, but seems very remote. I delighted in the cool misty weather as it felt just like Seattle in the spring. Meanwhile Seattle was having recordbreaking heat! In addition, the cool weather gave me an opportunity to wear a different woven shawl every day.

Because the conference was small, there was a level of intimacy I had never experienced at a Fiber event before. I sat with different folks at every meal enjoying a wide range of engaging topics (more on that at a later date).

The teachers were a lively bunch, and every evening teachers and students gathered for delicious show and tell AND some of the best and copious door prizes I have ever seen. (every night for six nights!)

One of the best parts of the week for me was that I got to actually TAKE A CLASS with
Jeane deCoster

knitter, weaver, spinner, designer, owner of Elemental Affects

Jeane deCoster is a life-long fiber junky who chose her undergraduate degree because sewing was the only thing she could stand doing for 8 hours at a time. Making clothes to fit was (and is) an endlessly fascinating puzzle.

Who knew I would spend several mornings running around with my top off in class?! (Here is where the imagination is better than the camera) . Students brought garments to alter and/or to make patterns from.

The garment I had with me (I didn't realize I was actually going to take a class, so I didn't plan what clothes to bring for the class), is the Huipil I wove and made in 1994 when I was president of the Seattle Weavers Guild. The panel to the left is Bette Midler's horoscope, Lily Tomlin on the right, and Mae West in the middle. I always like to wear this when I teach. It gives me lots of good energy.

The thing that was fascinating about this garment is that EVERYONE tried it on, and EVERYONE looked great in it, much to the amazement of all. Jeane had pointed out after we all took our measurements that most of us regardless of our size and shape have roughly a similar shoulder width, and the huipil has a strong shoulder emphasis.

I made a drawing of the pattern and gave it to everyone (and is here for you as well)

I consider myself semi-sewing challenged, and I actually sewed the huipil. In addition, I was 60 lbs. heavier when I first made and wore it.
If you are looking for an unique fiber experience, I highly recommend you give the Golden Gate Fiber Institute a try.

Tomorrow I will tell you about the things I learned (always a good sign when one goes off to teach).

Cuttin' Up

I used to believe the best part of weaving was having woven. I couldn't wait for the moment my scissors would release the warp from the loom.


Don't get me wrong, I adore the thrill of seeing time stretched out in a colorful path and wallow in delight of accomplishment. But every step of the journey holds a particular joy for me.

This piece is Mary Meigs Atwater's horoscope in Bambu 7. I wove it to cut up for swatches included in my Color Horoscope Weaving Kits.

Now back to working on my Etsy Store. I am up to writing my bio.

Gary has Visitors

Today Syne Mitchell and her son Kai came by to weave a bit of Mary Meigs Atwater's Horoscope Weaving. What a treat and an honor! Gary invited Kai to be the first boy to weave on him. Since I will be using this warp to cut up for swatches in my kits, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for a weaving experience.


I really love these pictures. Syne's sweater is one of the many cashmere sweaters I collected to recycle. It used to be white, so I decided to send it to Connie Rose to overdye. I thought it would be great fun to ravel a variegated --that was until I saw the sweater. It came out so beautiful I just couldn't take it apart. Sadly it didn't look good on me but, it was perfect on Syne, so she gets to "borrow" it until...


I noticed a teaching "style" I didn't realize I possess----spending 3 minutes talking to the person at the loom and then walking away. Hmmm

I've been thinking about "the woven mile" and wonder how long it took.

WEAVECAST FUNDRAISER SUCCESS

The Happy Birthday Mary Meigs Atwater Kit fundraiser to benefit WeaveCast is officially over. During the month of March I received 12 kit orders and am able to send $300 to Syne Mitchell creator of WeaveCast and WeaveZine.

A big thanks to all those who purchased kits!

The Power of Weaving

When I ask weavers what they don't like about weaving, most tell me the thing they like the least is making a mistake. (actually many say they don't like dressing the loom, but that is another story) When I accidentally cut one of my warp ends while weaving today, I realized something so very important. In weaving (unlike most other things in life) there is practically no mistake that can't fixed if you take the time.


Actually this is the scarf BEFORE I cut the warp end. For some reason the pictures came up in reverse order.

Although I fixed the warp end, I didn't photograph my method. If enough people request it, I will show you how I fix a broken warp thread. It involves a film can and a T pin.

I will share my dialogue: "Oh, I just cut a warp thread! Thank heavens I only cut one!! I really can't believe I did that. This is obviously a message from the Weaving Goddess telling me to pay attention. Message received."

St. Marks Altar Cloth Completed

On September 21, the altar cloth was put into use. (Actually click here for a summary of the project which was started by The Rev. Ralph Carskadden and Ev Tuller back in the summer.) There was a wonderful service where the altar was dressed. I didn't bring a camera. These pictures were given to me by Gabrielle Fine. At this point I have to say that I am not an Episcopalian. In fact, I am not even a Christian, so I may not have my terms right.


The panels were woven so this can be the front at certain times of year and the green at other times.


These are the two sides (above and below)


I recently saw this blog post by Meg. She posed the question For Whom Do I Weave? I posted an answer that weaving for me is an external expression of an internal process, and she asked for clarification. I think this is such an interesting question and that the St. Marks Altar Cloth is a perfect example of an external expression of an internal process. I believe this is why I was drawn to be a part of the project.

I used to think the very best part of weaving was “having woven”. The planning, preparation and process were merely annoyances I had to put up with on the way to cloth. Finally there came a day when the planning part took on a life of its own and became an exciting mental exercise (whether or not I ever wove the piece).

Later, I started to love winding warps and dressing the loom. Touching and counting each thread became a tactile dance, and creating order from chaos an end in itself. But every time I would sit down to begin a new weaving, I would say to myself “This is going to take forever---the rest of my life.” With great reluctance, I would throw the first shuttle. Since most of my weaving is warp dominated, weaving in the weft was simply a way to hold the warp together. Every now and then, I’d weave a plaid, but the weft continued to be a chore until I began to realize it is journey rather than the destination.The process itself is a form of meditation, and throwing the shuttle a spiritual act..

Weaving on commission (or co-creating as I like to call it) is a challenge to bring forth cloth that will resonate with a specific person. I weave each shot with focused intention, thinking about the desires and highest good of the recipient.. Who knows if this makes a difference in the look of the weaving, but it has changed the way I feel about weaving. The weft has become more important, the music that goes with the dance.

Perhaps the real question is: Why Do I Weave?

Success

"What is success?" asked Ralph Waldo Emerson, "To laugh often and much. To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children. To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty. To find the best in others. To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeem- ed social condition. To know even one life breathed easier be- cause you have lived; this is to have succeeded."

I found this quote in my inbox upon my return. It is even better than my definition of success:
"Success is the ability to not become discouraged between failures."

May we all have a successful day!

Grace's Spiritual Experience

Seeking a touch of order.....

When I began to contemplate my new smaller living space, I thought it might be easier to have just one loom while I was getting settled. An opportunity to lend out one of my looms appeared and Grace jumped at the chance. (She has traveled quite a bit during 36 years of service. Less than 10 of those years has been with me.)


In all of my many years of weaving, here is a first for me!
Weaving in an Episcopal Cathedral....
Accompanied by this amazing instrument....

WEAVING SPIRIT---- who knew?

Story to follow....

Who Wove This?

An important aspect of my textile design education at RISD (which I am only now starting to appreciate) is the weaving had to have a purpose beyond being fun & satisfying. Before the industrial revolution, Handweaving was vital to civilization. Weavers & dyers were revered for their mastery. Now people are more likely to say “Do folks still do that?”

I know I come back to this question time and again. At RISD, we wove to design for the textile industry---not as an end in itself, wove to develop a design sense as a means to earn a living as a part of the huge textile industry. Now fabric production is removed from our sight and pretty much invisible and mysterious to the average person—like milk coming from cartons.

I’ll never forget the day back in the mid 60’s when my cousin Judy came by while I was weaving. She looked at the weaving, looked up at me, then back to the weaving and back at me—and in an incredulous voice, stammered, “This is…CLOTH!” I don’t think she ever realized until that very moment how cloth was created. And I don’t think she was unusual in this.

Even though I strayed from the beaten path---away from New York and industry---to become a studio weaver, my training at RISD haunted me for years. The weaving had to stand for something—had to mean something---exist beyond the finished product---had to support me---bring me fame and fortune (and I don’t know where this came from)---had to be useful, to boot. This is a mighty tall order for a scarf.

Over the years, I have come to realize weaving also has the power to heal a broken spirit and a broken heart. And in healing my spirit, I know the power of weaving to heal-- on many levels.

What you get out of weaving equals what you put into it.
So---What thoughts are you weaving into your cloth?
Do you weave with intention?
Why is it some days nothing seems to go right?
And other days it’s like someone else’s hands are throwing the shuttle.
When you cut a weaving off the loom, do you sometimes look at your weaving in amazement and think, “Who wove this?”

Saturday Night Weaver

My silence has not been due to the fact that I haven't been working. I don't know if you remember this beautiful bamboo warp? Please click here to read A Cautionary Tale. I can't stand retelling the story although it was necessary for me to re-weave the shawl. I put it off as long as I could....

I knew I had to weave this piece before I could move forward into a new year. I did change the colors a bit and the spontaneous ikat stripes are a bit different.

The problem I faced with my first try is I couldn't make myself pack the weft tight enough because I didn't want to cover the warp with the chenille, and ended up weaving too loosely. I didn't make the same mistake this time.


Miraculously when I washed the shawl, the warp colors came through-- muted but certainly there. The tennis balls in the dryer worked really great! I will be delivering the shawl on Monday. I will attempt to get a picture of the owner wearing her shawl.

This was certainly a character building exercise, and I heartily resolve to never make the same mistake again!

Now I am moving forward again with just 11 days until my first Blogiversary. I am planning something special, so stay tuned....

Looking Forward

Sometimes I feel wrong sitting in my comfy warm studio weaving away with beautiful yarns on my wonderful looms while much of the world is in chaos (or worse). How can I justify weaving ?

To explore my feelings, I wrote a list of my wishes for the world and my wishes for myself. Each item on my list I imagined as a color. Then I decided to turn these color lists into collages. (4" x 5") The collage above represents my wishes for myself, and the one below is my wishes for the world.

Then I made color copies of the collages. I cut the wishes for the world copy into vertical strips and the wishes for myself copy into horizontal strips and wove the wishes for self into the wishes for the world.

I taped the tops of the vertical strips to a piece of graph paper, so I could maneuver the strips easily.

This symbolic gesture has helped me to feel that in some small way by working towards my personal goals I am also working towards those things I wish for the world.

Happy New Year!

Metaphysical Weaving

I don't know if this is really what to call it, but sometimes in life one weaves together people and events. You can't see a loom or threads, but you just know weaving is happening.

I have to believe this because I haven't been able to enter my weaving studio since I got back home. The practice of weaving everyday seems like it belonged to somebody else.

I used to become quite nervous and anxious when I would fall out of weaving, but in time I came to realize I would fall back in: WHEN YOU'RE HOT YOU'RE HOT AND WHEN YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE NOT.

I am chipping away at the 550 emails in my inbox though. If you are one of those people waiting to hear back from me, I'm getting there. Here is a wonderful link I excavated from the file sent to me by my dear friend Roberta. Do you know about the 13 Grandmothers? Talk about weaving in another dimension...