Pride Goeth Before The Fall

  I'm coming to you today from a known underground location.  (It can also be used as a storm shelter,   and, sometimes it is!!)
  Lurking in the corners and on nearly every available surface are many UFOs.  (That would be unfinshed objects/projects for the uninitiated.) 
  This day has been a long time coming.....but, it must be done!

  I was feeling very proud of my finished project, you see.  Not only did I complete my napkin for the Challenge, I also completed a set of four for the Fall sale.
  In my head I could envision more sets of napkins for my use and sets for the shelves.  Oh, lovely napkins!!!!

  Then......the ugly truth smacked me in the face.  A dozen placemats  had NOT been hemmed.
Uh-oh!

Then, there's that top for my daughter....she loved the fabric, by the way!  Since I wasn't sure of her pattern size, I made a mock up for her to try on (and she liked that one, too!)  School will be starting for her pretty soon, so I need to get this project knocked out.

  So, with my pride intact, I'm taking myself to my special place, and sitting down with the sewing machine and lots of pins.  I WILL get that top finished and I WILL hem those placemats.  And they WILL be finished before the FALL!!!
  "Get thee to thy special place."   Or, something to that affect..........

Happy Weaving!  (and sewing!)
LouAnn

The Great Napkin Reveal (And Potluck, Too!)

We started laying the napkins out as we arrived at the Center this morning.  Each one is different...yet they will all be used when we eat lunch later!

  We even had different kinds of thread used:  8/4 cotton, 8/2 cotton, 10/2 cotton and bamboo.
  From elegant to just "everyday" napkins, they would look good on any table.
















    Before we knew it, it was time to fix our sandwiches and dig in!  As usual, our potluck was fantastic!







  On the dessert table, we had fruit cobbler, chocolate zucchini cake, butter-finger surprise and shortbread cookies.










But....not just ANY shortbread cookies......LANNY'S shortbread cookies!!!!!  He does make the best, hands down!

NOW, we need those napkins!!!!












YES, they work perfectly!!!!

And, just so you know, we did some weaving today!!!!  (Well, some folks did.) 

This was the perfect way to spend a stormy day.
Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Phew!! Again!

We just got back late last night from Nashville. Each year we host the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society convention at the Sheratom Music City hotel. We've been at this hotel for our convention for over 20 years so it's almost like coming home to family when we set up each year.

Thank goodness they have cash food sales in the lobby directly across from our registration desk. Otherwise I wouldn't get any food. There isn't time to go out for anything! 

This year I thought I'd show you some of the things happening in the lobby. We have tables set up for the guys who want to sell their CDs, etc. A few years ago one of the guys who had 3 tables to sell old albums, etc, retired, so we took over the space. Some of the people that help me bring quilts, etc to sell so we use that space. This time I brought a rack of vests and jackets as well...

One group we really enjoy partnering with is the group from Muhlenberg County in Kentucky. They have a festival in September for the weekend, two days of guitar music. We go. The best part is that I get to tease Penny and Lana at their registration desk.... I have no responsibilities there!!!

Here's part of my crew. I can't do it without them. They are priceless!!!

Everyone that comes does so to relax and enjoy the music. Even guide dogs. Sally has come for about 20 years. She came first using a cane. Then she got Gable, a wonderful guide dog , but one that learnt that he could relax here as well. I mean, she was good at her job but he did take Sally to the bathroom one time when she meant to go to the restaurant....the stories we have....like when he saw Paulette across the lobby, tore away from Sally and about bowled Paulette over in his excitement to see her. Then she lost Gable and we all mourned with her. A few years later she got Provada. I think Gable is channeling through Provada.  When Sally was standing around talking, there were a few times we caught her  like this, especially if there were someone willing to give her some love...

Morning came to show me the jacket she liked.

So we got home late last night after another successful convention with new memories of connections made and music listened to. We continue to provide good finger style guitar music and encourage young people to practice and perform. 

We'll do it again next year.

But, for now, it's back to figuring out what I have to finish in my production...

Until next week, keep weaving.

Carol

Like a NInja!

The day started out innocently enough yesterday.  I had a couple of the older grandkids in tow, and we had decided that the toys that I have had at my house for the grands to use while they are there are getting too wore out and frankly they have been the same toys for years.  Our plan of action was to make a round of the local thrift stores to see if we could round up some new playthings.

We headed out after breakfast and at our first stop we collected about a dozen of those matchbox cars for the soon to be 4 year olds, and a bunch of car like things for the soon to be 8 month old.  There were also a couple of board games, a whole bag of playdough tools and a couple of kids type musical instruments.

I had set the limit of thrift stops at 4, so as not to wear us out, but we were surprised to find that at the second stop, we found a couple of things that filled out our purchases to the point that we felt like we had done enough shopping for one day and it was time to move on to lunch, and an afternoon of playing with new stuff at Mimi's! 

One of the toys was a small basketball hoop that we could attach to the porch, so that the previously mentioned soon to be 4 year olds could shoot some hoops.  The second thing I found was a set of watercolor pencils, that I know will be a hit with this crowd, and last but not least, we found a Friendship Bracelet Party box that had never even been opened!  I happen to have some very craft oriented grand kids, so we snapped it up and we could barely wait to get it home. 

On our way home we also stopped by one of the big box stores to get  supply of those little rubber bands that kids use to make bracelets too!  I discovered when we got home that the package held 8000 bands in there, in all the colors of the rainbow!  My eldest grand child is really into making stuff with them, so I think we are in good shape on that front.

(I neglected to take a picture of the full box, so you will have to use your imagination on this one.)  Inside the box there was beads and string of all colors, some elastic, and a bead threader. 



There were also these foam loom like things, two square looms for flat bracelets and two round looms for, well round bracelets.  There is a different pattern represented on each side of the loom, so 4 patterns for flat bands and 4 patterns for round bands.

I wasn't too interested in to looms for the flat bracelets, cause I do that all the time on the inkle loom.  What I really wanted to do was understand how the round looms worked!

I carefully read the very clear directions on how long to cut the yarn and how use the color coding on the loom to get the design you want.  It was really fun to do it!  I loaded a loom for one of the kids, and then one for me.

I sat there, getting ready to start when it dawned on me!  Like a ninja warrior,  Kumihimo, a Japanese braiding technique, which I have managed to avoid for years, had sneaked up on me and tricked me into liking it!

Today I found that my Library doesn't have any books on the subject, and last night, I may have purchased some more pretty shiny yarn.  I also happen to know that there is a grown up Kumihimo loom in the annex at the Appalachian Arts Craft Center,  I bet it's been plotting this for months!

Until next time, Happy Spinning, Knitting and Weaving, Tina

Let The Wild Rumpus Begin!!!

  Maggie and I share a love of good hamburgers, onion rings and fiber.  We also share July as our birth month.  So, for the last few years, we have started celebrating our birthdays for the whole month of July....any chance that we can grab!
  Yesterday was the first of these celebrations!!!  Our first stop was The Other One.  
  Maggie heard about this little diner that is located in Oak Ridge (I didn't know about it!)  They had onion rings AND onion petals....both were delightful!  Maggie had a swiss mushroom burger and I had two sliders so I could sample different burgers.  I'm adding this place to my list!

Next up?  Atomic Fibers!
  It is a small fiber store here in Oak Ridge that I thought Maggie would enjoy.  And, as it happened, yesterday was Hawaiian Shirt Day.  I grabbed one out of my closet for Maggie so she could get 15% off of her finds.  (I had a 15% birthday coupon.)
  As true fiber junkies, we found some lovely things, of course.  And, Maggie got her picture taken for their Facebook page!

 I bought 3 pieces of fabric:  the piece on the left is the Periodic Table.  My daughter teaches Chemistry, and I thought I would surprise her with a top for school.  The other two pieces are Dr. Who.  (I really want my very own TARDIS.)

  Also pictured is my birthday reed:  a 36" four dent reed.  That means I need to finish up the warp on the Mighty Wolf or the Standard.  It's time for one of those to try something new!

  This should keep me busy for a little bit!

Our afternoon of celebration ended too soon....Maggie is teaching a cooking class at the local community college, and she needed to go get ready.
  As I passed the middle bedroom, I saw what I thought was a stuffed toy on the bed with the rabbits.  But, wait!!!!  It was just Biscuit enjoying an afternoon nap!  I'd better get the lint roller and get the fur off the quilt!!!
  Today is her yearly checkup with the vet.  Guess I'd better get ready and try to give her a quick brush!  She really hates that cat carrier.
  Talk about a wild rumpus!!!!!!

Happy Weaving!  (and celebrating!)
LouAnn

While You Were Gone.......

While Carol is busy pickin' and grinnin' in Nashville, she thinks THIS is what we are doing in the Studio!


No, no, no......Linda just thought you needed some more blue bottles.  We had to tell her that was last year's wedding!!!!  











   See.....we were really busy today!!!  Scarves and shawls were being woven!

Darlene switched places with Lanny...she's going to try overshot on Big Bertha.  Lanny wants to just do placemats.

  Roz got the placemat warp all threaded on the Pup.

  Lanny did get a chance to catch up with Margie before he found some cones to use for weft on that black placemat warp.  They are going to look sharp!













  Meanwhile, Carol got out the little warping mill and got busy winding her new warp.

  Pat is a lady of many talents....she finished off the tapestry warp that came from Dorothy's estate.  She wove in the ends this afternoon after lunch.

  Sharon and Karin worked on the new books for the library.  There were books from Dorothy plus the ones that Carol picked up at Mid-West that needed to be added to the inventory.

  Pat worked on finding a place to put the books on basket weaving that were added today.

Jocelyn and Carl just worked steady during the day!  You might notice that lovely wool fabric that Carl is using....Christy cut those strips last week!!!

  Betsy is using up lots of ends and pieces from the stash in the Annex.  She is building this rug one color at a time!!!







Christy took the skeins of wool and wound them into balls for Betsy.

  A BIG thank you to Sharon for our treat today:
homemade Ginger Snaps!!!!! 
I don't think any made it to lunch time.....just sayin'!


Next week is the big napkin reveal and Sandwich Potluck.
  See you then, Carol!!!

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Just like Carol

I have a gazillion yards of 12/3 cotton warp, that I purchased at one of the historic infusions of weaving items that periodically come to the weavers at the center.  I have some of it on one of the looms in my studio, threaded as swedish lace for napkins.

It is really cool that when I use the white as weft, the napkins seem quite elegant and when I use a colored weft there is almost a country feel to the napkin, even when I use the same treadling.

I talked last Friday about this warp, and about the fact that I have a dozen or so cones of variegated slub yarn (that came with my first loom way back in 2001!) that can only be used for weft.  I thought that this warp might be really good backdrop for the crazy variegated stuff.

I chose this cone because I knew that the white warp would really tone these dark colors down.  I decided to weave off the warp in plain weave and I don't plan to do any hem stitching or anything fancy at all.  Just Plain Weave all the way!!!  Just like Carol our fearless leader!

This is how it is turning out, I think it is cool!  It gives me hope that I really can do something fun with miles of white warp and dozens of cones of variegated slubby stuff!  With the end goal being to find some more shelf and floor space in the studio!

These napkins are not technically for the napkin challenge, since I have the ones in the top picture, but if I happen to get them done, especially now since the potluck had been moved back another week, I might just bring them!

Until next week, Happy Spinning, Knitting and Weaving, Tina