Weaverly

Towel Parade

The nine little towels are finished and I arranged them on the ironing board for some high quality photography (just kidding). 

Here's a group shot:

Now here's a tricky one that my iPhone calls "portrait mode" with a theatrical spotlight. Oops, the lighting director didn't aim straight.

Well, enough of that. I'd really like to show you an entire towel so you can see the patterning. 

Amalgamation, 16 shafts. Click to embiggen.

Goodbye, Old Friend

Today I said goodbye to my lovely TC-1. It's downsizing time.

The loom arrived here from Norway on a grim, rainy day in January, 2000. The trucker had to leave it outside in the rain as the crate wouldn't fit through the door. Nina and I worked quickly to uncrate and reassemble the loom inside. Nina was able to stay to help only one day. Two of my close family members were seriously ill in hospital. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

The loom was in constant use for the past 18 years. At first I wove some pretty awful things. But I was learning. I got better. I worked with Photoshop®. I did some writing. Bhakti and I got together to work on The Woven Pixel: Designing for Jacquard and Dobby Looms Using Photoshop®  (see sidebar). It was a joyful collaboration, one of the best experiences of my life.

Here I am a few days ago for a final snapshot with the TC-1. Thanks for the photo, Patti & Linda.

This morning I got up early and wove a final few picks. Lampas.

Then the new owner arrived for a quick run-through. She is experienced in jacquard work and I know the loom will have a good home.

Here's the loom partially dismantled. Connections were marked with tape. Parts were wrapped. Pictures were taken of all the critical joins.

The shippers arrived and took everything away to their shop for the building of the crate. Then the crated loom will be on its way to Montana.

Here are two of my favorite jacquard pieces from over the years.

There are still a few days left of the exhibition at GCCA if you want to see some other pieces and are within driving distance. The exhibition was a nice way to end a great relationship!

Goodbye, old friend.

A Gallery Talk and a Tapestry Decision

This past Tuesday I gave a short gallery talk about some of my work at GCCA. I started out with my usual 30-second definition of weaving and went on from there. Here's a picture Bruce took while I was talking about the Lampas diaries. Why was I dragging my purse around? Only the queen and I know for sure.

A little tapestry study I did last summer in a class taught by the wonderful Tommye Scanlin at Arrowmont has been languishing on my worktable. Yesterday I decided to finally mount and hang it. After I got it stitched to the background, I had to decide which way to orient it when putting the hanging hook on the back. I wove it in orientation #1, but as I turned it around and around, it was apparent that it might be better in another mode. Here are all four, in order from 1 to 4. I'm now thinking I like #4 the best. What do you think?