Back To Real Life....Sort Of

  Years ago, I had a friend whose father raised peacocks.  She always said they were "brainless."  I'm not so sure I agree with that statement.
  Last Thursday when 26 school bus loads of students invaded the Museum of Appalachia, there was not one peacock to be found until the buses pulled back out of the grounds.  Yesterday, while a school group of kindergarteners and first graders were there, some of the peacocks were on the roof of the blacksmith's shop.

  Later, I got this shot:

  See those red shirts in the distance?  That is some of the school group.  What caught my attention was the peacock on the path staying real low as he hoofed it down the path in front of the loom house.  Maybe they are smarter than we give them credit.

  I walked down to the sheep pen between school groups yesterday....that's where Clover has been staying.  She's a Highland calf that came to live at the Museum this Spring.  She's been hand fed, so she's very calm about visitors.  I think she's a big love bug!

  On my way back, I caught this photo of the Loom House from this approach.  It just nestles in next to the Peter's cabin....my little home away from home.

  You can see that the trees are finally starting to turn.  One couple I met yesterday has been driving down the east coast catching the peak colors as they go.  I think they got to East Tennessee just in time.  Plus, the Great Smoky Mountains are now back open for business!!!

  I received this picture in an email today.  Back in September, I had a lovely couple come through the Loom House.  Wayne and Tina live in Australia, and they visit the States fairly often.  She's the lady that learned to weave in Taos, New Mexico. 

  Maybe I'll get to see them the next time they come through this area!

  Now, it's back to real life getting ready for my son's wedding and the Foothills Fall Show. 
........Big Deep Breath........
  Never a dull moment!
Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

What Happens When the Weavers Leave?

All of us Tuesday Weavers have fantasized at one time or another about having the whole room to ourselves.  It's wonderful being part of such an amazing group, so good to connect with fiber-minded people who "get it."
  But we all think secretly about being in the Center after hours, weaving to our hearts' content without all the chaos and hubbub and distractions.  Two of us stayed behind to do just that yesterday.  Ann worked out the rest of the bugs of her naughty, knotty warp, and then found a box, As If From Heaven!, on the floor next to her loom.  It was full of curtain fabric that would look fantastic on her current rug warp, a break from the burlap rugs she's been weaving.  Which, by the way, are gorgeous, if not soft and plush.
  She was sewing these pieces into a cut-able tube to have some lovely weft when I left.
  Why did I leave when it was peaceful and quiet and conducive to getting lots of work done?  Well, because Bertha had worn me out, but not before I finished all 18 repeats and began the blooming leaf to finish coverlet number 3.

Have I mentioned how much I love this warp?  So, so beautiful!
 

Speaking of beautiful, some of you know that my mother's 80th birthday is zooming up on us, and I've been going through old pictures of her.  Check this one out.  It is my absolute favorite photo of my mother. Here she is, out in the middle of the desert, on a picnic that she cooked and packed by herself, yet she looks cool and stylish and elegant.  Her daughter looks like she's been whining, but Mom looks amazing!
  I hope your week is amazing, too.  Happy weaving!
  Maggie

Welcome To The Weavers Of The Cumberland

With the Fall Homecoming in the books, we are back to the weaving at hand.  Today we were honored to have the Weavers of the Cumberland visiting our studio.  They are just over in Middle Tennessee, and they meet once a month at their local library.
  They spent the morning talking to the weavers about the projects on the looms.  Sallie, Joy, Alice, Wynnell, Susan, Vickie and Wilma had a look at all the projects on the looms around the studio.

You always learn so much from other weavers.

  They also brought (or wore) some items to show us their weaving.  Here is Sallie showing us her beautiful double weave jacket.

  And, just look at this beautiful wrap!!!!

And, then there is always the time needed to catch up with each other!










All of this conversation was fed by a scrumptious potluck luncheon!  This is just two of the desserts........


Take a look at this video taken just as lunch was winding down:

  I think that a good time was had by all! 
Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

What a Weekend!!

 

The Tuesday Weavers had a booth at the Museum of Appalachia's Homecoming this past weekend. LaDonna and Ila were in charge of setting up the booth with help from Christy and Eiko. I think they did a wonderful job!!

We were assigned the inside of a cabin. The cabins here at the museum were homes that have been moved onto the site and decorated as they had been years ago. Our cabin actually had two rooms. The other room had a spinner demonstrating in it. Her room was the kitchen with a table and chairs, dishes, etc in it. Our room was the bedroom.  I didn't take a picture of the fireplace but it was nice and big! This year we didn't need to have a fire in the morning. It was warm enough. I know that last year we did have a fire to break the chill of the morning.

So we set up using the furniture in the room as part of the props.

 We had scarves, towels, placemats...

 LaDonna used old antique quilts to help cover our tables.

 The bed was typical of that style with a trundle bed underneath and you can see the ropes on the side of the trundle bed that works as support for the mattress.A good place to drape rugs as well.

 There was a lady that came by the cabin whose great grandmother had lived in it and whose picture was on the wall. She remembered as a child of 5 or 6 coming to the house but not allowed inside. They had to play outside because they were too rowdy for the grandmother so she had no memory of what it looked like inside.  It's always interesting to be in there because it's not just our products that people see, but also the cabin and what it represented.
The show was 4 days long and each day we had 3 or 4 of our Tuesday Weavers there taking care of the booth. It was well worth the work and everyone met alot of nice people. Also, LouAnn demonstrates weaving in the loom house which is right next door to the cabin we were in. I'm surprised she could talk by the end of yesterday. She always had alot of people wondering how that machine worked. She's good at telling them all about it!

So, what else happened this weekend? We went to a wedding. It was on Friday over in Sparta, about 2 hours from Knoxville. We got there early. It was at a relative's property up on a bluff overlooking the valley. What a view, right?! A very peaceful, beautiful place to start a couple's life together.

 Grandpa walked the bride across the grass to the service.

 So, the ringbearers.....nephews of the bride. They'd been given detailed instructions....each was to carry a box holding the ring and one was given to the maid of honor and the other to the best man. They were really clear on that. What wasn't clear, was what to do after they gave the boxes to the correct person. So, I was standing in the back watching them head down the aisle. Seconds later.....they came tearing back up the aisle, running like they were being chased by a bear!! They weren't idiots. They didn't want to be there with those adults!! So they spent the time of the ceremony on the swing and here, sitting on the box.
Weddings are made of memories like this, the fun, crazy stuff that unexpectedly happens during all the planned things that turn out just right!!

 Here's to Biskie and Josh as they are married.

After a busy weekend like this, it's nice to get back to working on my production. I've got all my weaving done. Now I have to just finish all the handwork on my pieces and get ready to set up my booth on Wednesday over in Asheville for that show. It's going to be another busy week without much time to relax but today I'll have time to sit and do handwork for awhile, multitasking....relaxing and working at the same time!!
So, until next week, keep weaving....Tuesday Weavers, we need more handtowels for the show in November.....and on it goes.
Carol

Making Something to Write About

It's my turn to post for the blog!  The pressure!  What do I write about?  I haven't woven in weeks, not even thrown a shuttle!  Weftie's thrown the shuttle more than I, since he attacked the shuttle on the huck lace warp and broke the thread.  I've walked by that fallen shuttle many times, not even bothering to pick it up.
  So, I'm going to share what I have been doing.  It's fall, and I love fall here in east Tennessee.  So, even though I've been getting up at 2:15 every morning to be at work by 4:00, Bella and I have been trekking around Knoxville.  I wish I'd taken a picture of her at Ijams, her first real outdoor hike without sidewalks, but I forgot my phone in the car.  Today, we discovered the greenway between Tyson Park and UT gardens.  UT gardens was our Thursday hike, a beautiful sunny day to see what was new in the gardens, and how different they looked from early in the summer.  Today's was not a particularly nice greenway, until it gets to the gardens, but we've explored it.  We can check it off our bucket list.  Do we have a bucket list, Bella?






  And I've been working.  I was asked twice last week, once by each employer, if I could make an apple stack cake.  I've been asked to make this particular thing many, many times since moving to east Tennessee, and have always been told that my efforts, "ain't like my granny makes."  Well, I ain't nobody's granny, and when my boss at the bakery gave me a recipe to follow, I did my best.  She'd made a ton of apple butter the week before that was really delicious, so instead of using rehydrated dried apples, as tradition dictates, I used her apple butter.  I thought it was okay, but I think it could be much better.  It's too dry, for starters.  It needs a lot more apple butter, and I think it would soak in better if the cakes were hot out of the oven.  I'll try it again next week and report back.
  Meanwhile, I'll be enjoying my first day off in two weeks, while weaving with my friends on Tuesday.  Until then, Happy Weaving!
Maggie
  

Fall Homecoming: Day Three

  Yes, we're still on our feet and sharing the love of weaving with anyone who will listen!!!!
  Karin and Linda joined Marie in the Peter's Cabin today.  Now isn't that just something.....you just start Weaving Lessons, and we throw you right into the BIG fall sale!  Thanks for being a good sport Karin!  (BTW, Julia is also one of new weavers!)

Shirley was able to join us this afternoon.  I think all the ladies stayed very busy!   The rigid heddle loom continues to be a big hit with the kids!

And, the Straw Loom kits continue fly out of the bucket!  I think I may have a couple of skeins of yarn to make a few extra for tomorrow.
  And, I cut two rugs off of the loom in the Loom House....I guess I had better cut new strips for another rug, also.  I know I enjoyed talking to all the folks that dropped by.

  I overheard them saying that it was a record crowd today....I think they are right!!!  You couldn't have ordered a better day to be in Appalachia.
Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Fall Homecoming: Day Two

Sorry this is late..........
I was getting ready to turn in when I realized that I hadn't posted these pictures from today at the Museum of Appalachia.

  Marie and Cindy started out the day at the Museum.  Roz came a little bit later and stayed most of the day.

Allan supplied supervision (when necessary) between the two cabins.  He also left for a wee bit to attend a building committee meeting at the Center.  This is one busy guy!

  I did have him look at the Rocker loom....it is missing two little pieces, and I think he can fix that for me!  Or, that should be that he can fix that wonderful old loom.




He also spent some time up with the mules in the pasture behind the cabin.  I'm not sure they appreciate him as much as we do.

I had a pretty steady stream of visitors in the Loom House all day.  We had some school groups this morning, but the afternoon was full of folks that were interested in Appalachian culture.

  Just how does a loom work?????

Let me show you!!!!









  I wasn't the only one showing folks just how weaving works!  The ladies in the cabin had folks weaving on the rigid heddle loom, as well as trying their hand at the straw looms.  This little guy had lots of questions for me in the loom house, and just look  at his concentration on the RH loom.

OK....so who is have the best time?  (I'm thinking that Cindy really was the winner here!!!)







And, Marie finally got a free moment to enjoy her apple.  We were just that busy!

  And, from our vantage point on the porch, the musicians played all day on the big stage across from us.  We do have the best seats in the house!!!!
  We'll hit it early again tomorrow......stay tuned!

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn