Summer Duldrums

  Last week, I had nothing to say here.  I'd made no progress on any weaving.  Okra dominates my work day.  It's been too hot to care what the yard looks like.
  Finally, the heat seemed to have relented a little in the past week, and it's actually a little cool when Bella and I go walking.  The hydrangeas are perking up a little, and the lawn guy finally came back to mow.  We snuck some peach preserves into the work schedule, just enough to make my quota, and just enough to NOT look at okra for a day or two.  We even made some peanut butter yesterday!
  This weekend, I started winding the warp for my double weave project, in the mornings before work.

I've been trying to keep the two colors separated by a finger, as it shows in Jennifer Moore's Doubleweave book, but it's not always easy!  You can see here that the colors kind of switch back and forth a little.

But here I have the first 96 threads ready and chained.  Since then, I've wound 152 more; I need 288 total.  My warping board is pretty, and it's mounted nicely to the door, but the pegs are a bit short!
  Not everyone is excited that I've been working in the mornings, instead of playing.

Bella and Weftie are kinda bummin', since they brought me their best toys and I've ignored them.  Leo and Etta gave up long ago, and are looking out windows elsewhere in the house.
  Besides okra, work has been extraordinarily busy.  My assistant, Abby, has given notice and is headed back to Iowa.  Next month, she'll be flying off to Europe for five weeks, and then on to pastry frontiers of her own.  I'll miss her, but the day she gave notice, another  woman started working on the farm who wants to make jam with me. I'm not going to tell her about the 3000 jars of pickled okra we have left to make for a little while.  I don't want her to run off to Europe, too!
  And work has cut my weekend short, as well.  Normally, I have Monday and Tuesday off, but this week, I'm sad to say, I won't be at Norris on Tuesday.  I'll be hanging out with famous chefs from France, by way of New York.  Here's a link to the website of one of the best chefs in the world:  http://www.danielnyc.com/  Daniel Boulud has a lot of restaurants, but his flagship restaurant is Daniel in New York City.  In 2005, we went there, and had a five hour, many course meal that was one of the best meals of my life.  Chef Boulud is at the farm this week, and after I gave his pastry chef, Dominique Ansel a tour of my kitchen, he asked me to come in Tuesday to help him finish his dessert for the Gala dinner.  How could I refuse?  It will probably be a 16 hour day, my first since moving to the peaceful, serene preservation kitchen, but it's the chance of a lifetime, and I'm immensely flattered that he wants my opinion of his dessert!
  Today is incredibly busy for a day off, but mostly fun stuff to do.  I'll miss my Tuesday weaving buddies this  week, but I'll have good stories to tell next week.
 Until then, Happy Weaving!
Maggie

Last Saturday of August

I wish you could join us on the porch this morning for your favorite early morning brew (that would be coffee for me!) and just enjoy this perfect moment.  There's a slight breeze, and the temperature is around 68.  The humidity is already high--87%, but the birds are singing, and it's a good time to reflect on the past week and what we have to get done in the next few days.

Bucky has been with us for almost a month (WOW...time flies!) and he's getting his stuff together to head back home in a few days.  Tromp will be lonely when he leaves....the cats ignore him mostly (must be his pup side showing!)  But, I assured him that we've got some events to attend this Fall, so he'll have plenty to keep him busy.

Bucky asked me to fix him some fried okra for supper last night....he had heard that we love our okra here in the South, and he was curious.  The guys helped me wash the stems, and I got ready to slice it into quarter inch pieces.  Bucky was freaked out with the ooey-gooey slime, but I reminded him that it would cook up nice and crisp.  When I was little, we used bacon grease to fry okra....but now days I use EVOO.  You have to change with times, right?  The slices were coated with cornmeal before they were put in the frying pan, and each piece was a crispy piece of heaven!!!!  Even Bucky agreed!!!  Fried okra is a big favorite with my family (especially my kids!)

I wish you could see the pattern of the huck lace wrap on the loom.  I'm a little over half way so far on the first one, and that's what I'm going to work on today.  The bamboo is a dream to weave with so far.  I'm looking forward to doing the wet finishing so that the pattern shows up better.  I am going to switch to my ski shuttle....it will hold a lot more thread, and I won't have to stop so often and reload.  It doesn't take too long to weave off a bobbin of thread, and when you've got 85" to weave, that is a lot of bobbins.

Our other project to work on this week has been the Straw Loom Kits.  I've gotten a few ready for the Center, and I'm working on the demo kits for the Fall Festival that we're attending in October.  I need to print up a couple more instruction sheets and thread the straws, and the kits will be ready to go upstairs at the Shop.

  So, enjoy this last Saturday of August.  Summer is starting to slip away, and Fall is peeking around the corner.  Labor Day Weekend is coming up, and like most people, I've got big plans!   I've promised the guys we'll take a dip in the pool this afternoon after we've been to the post office.  Let's get movin'!!!!

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Back at it!

I have started the threading for my Overshot Throws.  I have chosen a fairly simple design, but one that I have loved for ages.  Cat Paws and Snail Trails.  Since I am using a natural warp, I will be able to go anywhere with the weft.  I have lots of colors available to me.

The breadcloths I took off of Lillian are in the stack of "To be finished" items.

And Kate sits idle, waiting for me to put on the scarf warp I have already wound!

The Basil is ready to pick again, here is a shot of the last batch I took from the dehydrator.  I only plant basil every 3 years, I get so much when I do plant it last me that long!

It is good to be back home and back to work.  We had a great time at the beach with the family, everyone is happy and in good health.  What more can we ask for!

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

Logged 13.5 miles

P.S. This is really humming along.  If I had had more time today I would have finished, and woven a sample!

CRAZY CRAZY DAY

Finally. Last I turned around it was 10:00am. Now it is 4:00pm. Where did the day go. I am just going to stop trying to plan my day ahead of time. Never works. I did most of my running yesterday, so I thought. My plan was to get the Inkle loom ready, then weave on the project. I did start the warping of the Inkle. It just seemed to take for ever. With all the phone calls, letting the dogs out, letting the dogs in, the door bell and the laundry.  I had to run up to the local florist to order flowers for the alter for Sunday(I had forgotten). I got back and did a little bit of weaving on the Inkle so you could see the pattern. Then I couldn't get the camera to work. I think I have some pictures. I chose a pattern that would be small enough for a tiny belt. Not overpowering. Since it was so small I decided not to use the purple and just use the fuchsia on the border.

Now off to work for DH.  Maybe if I get my stuff done with him I can weave tomorrow???????

Happy Weaving.

Until next time.

Bonnie

Back weaving!

Being away for about a month is wonderful! I had such a good time with my family.

Coming home is just as good, but it sure takes awhile to get back into the swing of things.

I was so tired the first few days back!! I'm just now getting back into the rhythm of weaving and sewing!  My project right now is for a piece to be in the members exhibit at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville. Every few years the Southern Highland Craft Guild has an exhibit for the members. This year it's called New Traditions: Wearable Art. It runs from Sept 11 til January 15.

I've woven fabric to make a jacket and it's already washed and ready to cut, serge and assemble! I spent Monday putting a narrow 9 inch, 3 yard warp onto my wolf pup and weaving it. I didn't take a picture of it because I forgot! I will use that fabric to  make a small handbag to go with this jacket. Hopefully the finished product will do justice to the image in my mind!

The pieces have to be in Asheville by Sept 1!

Today school starts again for Maryville College where my DD goes. Life is back in full swing and it's good to be back into the rhythm of it all! Planning, however, is already in full swing for the trip to Canada next summer. Part of the fun of going is figuring out what to do and which projects to tackle once I'm up there!

Carol

WOW Factor!

Can you say, "WOW!!!" 

It's one thing to see Boundweave in a book...but it's truly amazing seeing it develop on the loom.

Pat has done her homework, and she's working her magic on the loom.  You can't see the four stick shuttles with the different colors OR her "cheat sheet" with the secret code...but she took the time to show us how this is working.

Pat explained about laying in each color with the treadle pattern.  We took turns watching her weave this beautiful pattern.  Ann's loom is nearby, so she got to see a lot of the weaving!

Another WOW today was getting to see Carol weave!  LOL!!!  She is usually working in the background, and not on a loom.  But, we are working on mug rugs for the Fiber Festival in the Spring, and Tina had already gotten this table loom ready.  That's the Cross of Tennessee overshot pattern.

 

Tina is threading Snail Trail on the other table loom.  The black warp really makes the colors show up on the mug rugs.

Ila was busy today with her lace mats (which are just lovely!)

Here's Bonnie chaining loopers together for her next rug.

The placemats on Carl's warp are a muted mix of colors....some of his lime green ones from his last warp have already sold upstairs!

LaDonna cut more of the ruffle into strips for weaving, and Linda worked on her scarves....lots of lively conversation!

I finally got the treadles tied up securely on my scarf warp (I used zip ties!!!)  And, I fixed the broken floating selvedge....so I got some weaving done today, also!!! 

So.....another wonderful day at the Center with the Tuesday Weavers!

Happy Weaving!
LouAnn

Life on the farm and studio update

The kids are doing great! They are wanting to run and play but their legs are still a bit wobbly. They are so funny to watch! Here is a picture of one with my shoe so maybe you can get an idea of how small they are. Their legs are long but their bodies are are narrower than my shoe.

The studio continues to come along. Tonight I painted woodwork getting it ready to go back in the bedrooms while DH put the stained woodwork back in the living room and hall. Moving in day won't be long now!


Linda