time to face the task at hand

wednesday

view through the curtain

multi-fiber warp

I finally got the warp on! It took several days of painstaking work to get it together. This is an assignment for the Risd class. It has 7 kinds of fiber, all white or off white and one orange, and one is copper. They are Rayon, Bamboo, Mercerized Cotton, Merino, Superlamb (a non shrinking wool), Linen, Wool-Silk blend. We are doing a sampler with a threading which is kind of netting pattern, which could be a nice weave for curtains. Now that I'm weaving on this warp, I'm out of the woods. There were several hurdles and hoops to navigate. I believe that these difficulties will become less tedious and painful the more I just do it. It's so satisfying to watch the cloth grow. I'll add a picture tomorrow. Tonight, J and I and supper downstairs with M. It was so relaxing and joyful. How great to have a French Bistro underneath my loom!

real red & turquoise

inspiration

inspiration is not a requirement for going to work. all you need is to get out the door and put one foot in front of the other. the earlier the better.

Monday

I went to work today in the studio. I am almost done moving all my stuff, so today I worked on dressing the Macomber for my class at RISD. It was late in the afternoon. The light in there is great. I am very happy to be able to work in this beautiful and lively space. Light and life prevails here! I am grateful to be doing this work.

Tomorrow I go back to spinning class. I will ask for help with Lena's black fleece...

samples

Yesterday I finished weaving on a pale pastel striped warp. It turned out to be a long sampler. I had hoped to discover a color scheme that I could stick with, but I was continually tempted to try different combinations. The threading was Joseph France Huckaback. I used two different treadlings, and often used a finer yarn for the tabby shots.
The parts I like the best would make good pillow coverings. I need to get my sewing machine going.
Photos of this sampler: it's funny how a photo lets you see the piece differently, more simply...

roof rack

With the help of Ralph and Nancy, the loom parts were strapped to the roof rack and I drove them home. It was getting dark when a good friend came to help me bring them to the studio. Thanks, Maurie!! I'm psyched that they didn't fly off the car on Rte. 146

now comes another challenge: putting it all together...

loom parts arrive safely

varpapuu

is the name of the Finnish loom I will put together as soon as the two main frame parts can be picked up from its old home on Stone Road. They are too big to put in the back of my car, so I am getting help from my husband to tie them to the roof rack. Then will begin the work of assembling it.....
Meanwhile, I am weaving off a warp at home on the Macomber 4 harness loom. It is a lovely pale striped warp which has given me a chance to experiment with a lot of color combinations.
I recently took a class in Shelburne Falls at Vavstuga, a Swedish weaving school/studio. I stayed with a good old friend. I told her I'd like to learn more about color principles. She showed me a book by Joseph Albers- Interaction of Color, which I recognized as one of my old text books from my college days! I never learned a lot about color then, but my experiments are teaching me a lot now. The main thing is to explore and follow one's own thread. Allow room and time for experimentation and play.

Blue is patient.

loom parts and windows

moving in