New Seats, Managing Inventory and Finished Hand Dyed Fabric!

It is hard to find the right stool for dressing and weaving on a table loom. We have several of the tractor seat stools and when Marie looked into ordering a couple more for the studio they had quadrupled in price! Rhonda showed us the stool she had ordered from Amazon and last week we decided to get a couple to try for ourselves. They cost a little bit less than the tractor seats and they looked a lot more comfortable! The stools had arrived by Friday and Marie brought them today and spent some time putting them together, several of us had a hand in it as well, unpacking and putting the rollers in place. Everyone who sat on these new seats was impressed with them and many have made plans to order them for their own studios! I can't believe I missed getting a picture of the seat in situe, but if you look closely at the box you can see the SKU number to order one from Amazon.

While we are around the table I can point out the stack of items that are ready to be entered into the inventory and ready to get the upc codes for our sales tags. Usually, the upc stickers are ready by the following Tuesday and we can then take the items upstairs and put them with their fellow placemats or towels or bowl cozies or rugs..... you get the idea. While we are adding to the inventory list a couple of us have been getting the current inventory into a computer on a spreadsheet. There are 3 of us who have been in turn taking the Inventory binder home and entering all of the items that are still in the shop, or they should be anyway, that will be the next step.

While all of this was going on, Pat came by with Dolly to visit. As she left she took the cardboard boxes to be recycled in true Pat form! She is home from her trip home and we hope she will be able to join us again soon!

I heard someone calling me across the room quietly and I knew something was up! A couple of weavers (who will remain nameless) were gesturing for me to come to the back corner because Liz S. and Susan J. were under a loom doing a tie up! While we are in the back corner I can show you the warp on that loom. Liz S. is doing rep weave placemats in blue and white. She is having a little difficulty with shafts being slow to clear because of the very tight sett. We discussed it and we think that since this is an 8 shaft loom she could probably use shafts 5 and 6 as if they were shafts 1 and 2 to spread things out. I also have put in a set of lease sticks below the back beam to keep any thread tangles clear of the shafts. It may be she ends up rethreading before she goes much farther, having to clear the shed before you can pass the shuttle is so slow and even a little unpleasant!

Still in the back left corner, to the left of Liz's loom. Linda is making really good progress on her towel warp. She has used many different colors on a white warp.

Jenny has finished her hand dyed warp that is fabric for a garment! Jenny's loom is in front of Linda's loom.

On the Barn Frame Loom that is on permanant loan from the Museum of Appalachia that is across the street, Betsy is oh so close to being finished with her warp of wool that she is weaving for Laura to make a cape or poncho.

Hey friends, it is time for Show and Tell! Patty has been doing a lot of plainweave towels and she has brought in her latest finished project to show us.

Mark made good on his promise to make a hot mat from one of his end of warp weavings!