Back To The Studio

  As quickly as Marie and Tina got the items checked off the list this morning, we carried them back upstairs to the shop.  Needless to say, there were fewer items to return to the sales floor!  We had really good sales at Homecoming!
  Marie got the checks written for the weavers that participated, and we started thinking about the Foothills show on the 3rd weekend of November.

  With that in mind, Jocelyn and Carol got back to work on their looms this morning.








  Harriet is winding off yarn for other warp....we've got to get busy!




  Sharon is back to work on the Ellen's Pattern placemats....they are a wonderful neutral pattern this is always a big seller.









  Carl went right back to work on another blue jean rug.  They are always popular.
  The Knoxville News Sentinel had a feature article on "Crafting New Skills" in the Sunday paper.  They had a video of Carl on the website:  Carl's Video
 

  Pat is making some placemats for her sister.....she likes her Fiesta dishes, too!!!  I think we did a great job of matching the colors she needs.  I hope she brings them for us to see before she sends them off!

   Yes, it's a busy place!  New ideas and future projects are bouncing around....so much to do to get ready for the next show!

  And, The Ladies just keep weaving!

Yes....it's nice to be back in the Studio!!!



Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Oops!

I'm in a bit of a panic because this week I head to Asheville for a show. So I've been working all day on finishing pieces. I just now remembered that today is Monday! So here goes....

I have woven several shorter warps lately. These are the pieces I'm doing the handwork on.

This warp was the funkiest. The outside is black, fading to yellow with a real bright orange in the middle. DH thought these pieces looked like Halloween. Too bad the picture doesn't portray that.

The color looks the same but this warp goes from black to natural to shrimp. These look a lot more like what I usually weave.

I forgot to take a picture before cutting the fabric off the loom. So here the pieces are hanging to dry. The black goes to white and then turquoise.

The rest of today I'll spend crocheting edges on the sewn jackets, tops and vests.

Spending as much time as I did in Canada this summer meant less production time but I've made the most of the time I had. Hopefully I'll get them finished by the time the show opens. I'm watching old House Hunters International episodes and working away....

Until next week, keep weaving!!

Carol  

Homecoming Day 2

Well, I should say that it is the first day of the Homecoming since yesterday was Heritage day when we were inundated with 27 school buses and 2 road coaches of kids!  It was just as Lou Ann described it yesterday!  Today was a very different day!

For starters, there were not nearly as many school buses today, I may have counted 5, but I forgot to keep track after that.  Also there were a lot more adult tourists there today, it was wonderful!  We met people from all over, and struck up many, many good conversations.  We swapped stories and tips from fellow demonstrators, some of which had long since retired but couldn't help but come to the events as spectators.  However,  one of the most significant changes was that we figured out how to keep the bell from ringing!!!!!!

Thursday morning booth

Karin on Thursday morning

Bonnie on my porch Thursday am

Friday booth crew

Friday Crowds!

Lou Ann and I took a couple more measures to insure that we had a more peaceful day.  We made sure we brought enough with us to drink so that we did not have to go somewhere to get some with all these crowds, and in that same vein, we each packed a lunch.  I must tell you that it worked so well, we plan to do the same thing tomorrow!

Well, the predicted rain storm hit as we were making our way home, and it was a good sized one with plenty of lightning and thunder, so it took us twice as long to make it home as it usually does!

We got to Lou Ann's house which is right over the ridge from mine, and we wondered if it was raining as hard  on my side of the ridge.  I told her I would let her know, but I thought it might interest you.   When I got home, you could tell that it had rained really hard, but it had slowed down so much, I didn't even need an umbrella to go out to the barn.

I can still hear the thunder rumbling in the distance, but I am sure that all of the Friday crew, Karin, Sharen and Linda,  Lou Ann and I, the demonstrators,  are home with our feet up and sipping some type of beverage.  Soon it will be time to make sure we have everything for tomorrow close at hand, cause I am meeting Lou Ann at her house, at 7:30 sharp for another fun day at the Museum of Appalachia.
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Tina

The Fun Begins

   Karin, Bonnie and Roz were bright eyed and bushy-tailed early this morning at the Museum of Appalachia Homecoming.  They were more than ready to answer questions and deal with the large crowd of students that would soon be arriving.
  And arrive they did.....wave after wave of students came through the Peter's Cabin and the Loom House.  We stayed super busy until the buses left around 2 o'clock.  Tina must have spun miles of lovely yarn today...and answered tons of questions!!!

  All of us came to dislike this bell immensely!  Regardless of how many times we put the pull rope up on the nail on the porch, some indulging adult would get it down for a child.  I don't think they realize that it gets REAL old REAL quick!!!!











  But, the weather was beautiful and there was a lovely breeze blowing this afternoon.  The "old timers" that come every year started staking out their spots to plant their chairs.  Getting a spot under the cedar tree was the choice placement this afternoon.  Tomorrow, starting at nine o'clock, the musical groups will start playing on the main stage, and the other stages around the property.  And, these folks will have their spots until Sunday afternoon!

 The Weavers took some time to reflect about our day.  I even took some notes for next year!  It was a perfect day to sit on the porch!

  Here's a quick shot of some of our placemats from the Challenge. 

YES....we need more!
(I can hear some of your groaning!)


Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Just A Glimpse

  They got it covered for the night, but I got some quick shots of the set-up.

  This was probably the quickest we have ever set-up a display!!!  But, we started loading the stuff up at 3 p.m. and we were finished before 6! 


They wanted me to tell you that:
We need more placemats!!!!

 Let the fun begin.........
Homecoming here we come!!!!
LouAnn 

Getting Ready!

This is the week!
  We bring in our own woven items, and pull items from the Shop upstairs.  All of those have to be put on a master inventory list....yes, that means Marie!
  Tina read off the item name and the inventory number while Marie added them to the data base.  Don't ask them how many times they were interrupted!
  Yes....it's time for Homecoming at the Museum of Appalachia!!!!

 
Sharon's been busy weaving towels, and all of them needed to be added to her own inventory list.  Also, they have to be priced and tagged! 











  Harriet had a box of her items:  she's been weaving dish cloths and scarves! 
   Get that inventory list done!!!!!

  There's still weaving to get done: right, Betsy?














 
  And, look who got to join us today!  We were all so happy to see Ms. Ila!

  Our Ladies keep those looms humming!  This view really caught the color of the warps.  Meanwhile, Sharon was busy winding a new warp.  Wonder what this one will be?
  Last week, our friend Bonnie asked about the plastic sheets covering the book shelves:  the books in the covered shelves are NOT part of the book sale going on at the Center.  Over the years, the Center had acquired many books on many arts and crafts.  Each group got together and pulled the books they wanted to keep, and the rest are for sale.  The Tuesday Weavers have an amazing weaving library which Sharon and Karin oversee.  We didn't want those books walking away....thus, the lovely covers!

  If you look carefully, you'll see the roll of placemats on Lanny's cloth beam.  He comes in each week and just weaves away!

  Jocelyn will soon be weaving on her warp, too.  She got a lot of threading done today.

I'm sure we'll be posting lots of pictures from Homecoming....stay tuned!

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Last Painted Warp

What a weekend out here!! We had a lot of rain but not nearly like South Carolina. Our mountains help protect us from a lot of the weather that comes through. This time the system had to go over the mountains to get here but if it's from the west, somehow the system often goes around us here. We needed the rain and it was a good excuse to stay in and work.

I've just finished my last painted warp. Each vest is different. The first one had weft very similar to the warp. There's a green in this one, in the warp, that's pretty bright. The buttons I found for it are just as bright, a yellow green! 

The second vest has much more blue. The way I painted it, half the warp had that bright green. The other half is mostly blues. So when cutting it for a vest, the front part has the green with the back much more subtle  color wise.

The last vest is more somber, greens and blues that tone it all down.

I'm not sure which vest I like the best. They're sitting on my work table waiting for me to sew the buttons on. Maybe by the time I'm done with that I'll know. Right now I really like all of them.

I have just one week left before I pack up for my next show. It'll be interesting to see which vest sells first!

I've got warp wound on the warping board. It's the next one on the loom, today, and probably the last one I'll have time for before the show. So much to do, so little time....

Until next week, keep weaving!

Carol