Like Peas and Carrots!

 Several years ago there was a movie called "Forest Gump".  In this movie Forest told Jenny that they went together like Peas and Carrots.  That is the phrase that I was thinking about today as I surveyed the students manning the table looms that were covering the work tables at the Center this morning.  

Each new student is loaned an Ashford table loom that they can easily bring back and forth from their home to the Center while they are learning the basics of weaving.  Here at the Center we have at least 6 small Ashford table looms that we loan out to students, if a student has one already we welcome the opportunity to help the student learn weaving on their very own loom.  

Today I have pictures of 5 of the students, I know I missed  a couple today, as they were not there or not on their looms as I was working on the blog pictures and content this morning.

Jenny

  First up we have Jenny who found out about the    Appalachian Arts Craft Center at the fiber festival   that is held in Towns TN at the foot of the Smokey Mountains.  Jenny brings her very own Louet 8 shaft table loom to the Center.  

Paul

The next loom is one of our Ashford looms with Paul weaving his piece.  Paul too found out about us at the Heritage Fiber Festival in Townsend, TN.  He has had an interest in weaving ever since his wife had to weave fabric as part of her College curriculum.  He recently found out that his sister had a floor loom stored in a closet that she hadn't used in years, the loom ended up coming home with him.  Paul wove a scarf or two on his own and then decided that he wanted to take some lessons, and well here he is!

Joanna

Joanna came to us already knowing how to spin yarn of her very own!  She drove by one day and noticed the craft Center and came in to find that we gave all sorts of classes, one being the ongoing weaving class.  Joanna is using one of our Ashford table looms.

Judith

Judith also drove by the Center one day and found out that we gave weaving lessons.  I guess the signs outside do a good job!

Phyllis

Next I have Phyllis, and I am embarrassed to say that I have plum forgot how Phyllis came to us!  We sure talked about it, but I didn't write anything down but her name!  Oh Dear, we must have been having a good time!

I know that Vicky was there putting a warp on her very own rigid heddle loom, but I was in heddle fixer mode and forgot that I was the blogger and should have taken her picture as well.  I guess there is always next week.

Sharon

Finally,  we said our final goodbye to our dear friend Sharon last Friday.  There were  20 weavers in attendance at Sharon's funeral.  There were several speakers at the funeral, one from each group of people of which Sharon played a part.  All of her groups were represented, Church, Knitting, Weaving, Book clubs, and her political party as well.  I learned several things about Sharon that I did not know!  One of which was that she never wore matching socks or matching earrings!  How in the world did I miss that!

Sharons favorite quotes

     Sharon, we love and miss you!

           Tina, for all

It is Like Loom Tetris!

 I did my best to get to the Center this morning early so that I could take pictures of the room before the small looms get moved out of their hiding places.

This is what we walk into every Tuesday morning.  I can't even begin to tell you how many looms are in this picture!  Before we leave in the afternoon, the looms have to be back in place behind the white pole.

                                                                                                           The reason being,  the other half of the room has several tables with chairs that the Appalachian Arts Crafts Center uses for all of the many classes that are held during the week.

Aaaah!  That is more like it!  We do have to bob and weave a bit between the looms, but at least you can get an idea of how we manage with so little space.

You can see the tables much better in this picture, and you can also see the table looms that the new students are using while they learn the basics.  These looms are portable, so that the students can take them home to weave between Tuesdays.

I am going to start at the door and work our way around the room.  

Shirley is at the loom and she is working the kinks out of this bright sunny warp.  Marilyn and Linda are deep in conversation.

Marilyn is getting ready to wind this warp onto her loom.

Lou Ann is weaving towels with a black warp and purple weft!

Betsy is weaving beach towels, which is something I want to do,

 so you can be sure I will be taking notes!

Linda is working on table runners,  an all white or all black warp leave lots of room to use different colors in the weft and different patterns as well.

Shannon has a multi thread warp on her loom.   She is making bags with this fabric.

Isn't it wonderful!

Laura is working on Placemats using our favorite "Ellen's Pattern"  named after the Weaving Departments founder Ellen Cane.

Patty is preparing weft for the Hollywood warp pattern that is on her loom.

Jayne too is using Ellen's Pattern for her placemats.

Phyllis is working on her sampler project in baby blue!

Mark has started his challenge project with some of the sock yarn that was donated to the weavers from our dear Sharon's estate.

Ruth will be making towels using the Rosebud trellis pattern she found in the green book.

Susan too is working on towels.  I love how the twill pattern shows up so nicely on this striped warp.

Last, but not least Pat on the old barn loom.  Pat is weaving rugs, the bread and butter of the weaving center.  This time she is using thick grey fabric and a thick and thin weft technique.

I took us in a spiral pattern around the room, starting at the door you can just see behind Pat's head and ending with the old barn loom that sits in the middle of the room.  Did you get dizzy?

All the while, our fearless leader Carol has been making the rounds of the new students and tagging the hand dyed popcorn yarn that they completed on the last dye day, and other items that are ready to go upstairs.

I  know that there were a couple of new weavers I wasn't able to capture on film or if I did the photo just didn't turn out at all!  I'll to better next week for sure!  I promise!

Here is a huge shout out to our dear friend LouAnn, we are thinking about you and love you to pieces!!!

Tina, for all

 

 

Results of Dye Day

 

Look carefully at the front of room and you'll see Patty holding up several skeins of finished dyed warps.  (Click to make the picture larger.)  These were done over the weekend by several of our TWs who like to dye.  Patty had been thinking about other patterns she could use.

Her use of color is very inspiring.  I think she had a little fun, too!

  Lou Ann and Pearl took over the spinning of the wet skeins.  The spinners sure make quick work of that heavy wet yarn!

  Should I tell you that Liz fished her finishing weft out of the trash?  She got to the end of placemat and needed a few more inches.  It just so happened that she had pitched some left over weft when she started the last placemat.

  Shari and Joycelyn were busy with their warps.

  This is a picture you WILL want to see bigger!  Marilyn had a picture of her newest Inkle project.  This is her first time using cards to weave her design.

So, how is Betsy going to follow up those beautiful blankets???  Why, BEACH TOWEL, of course!!!!

  Carol put Frieda to work tagging all the items we've produced this month.  It's good to see her today!

I can't say "welcome to our new weaver."  Samatha learned to weave here at the Center until her daughter was born.  That baby is now 25 years old.  Back to weaving we go!!!

  Oh,..remember Liz's placemat???

She had just enough to finish it.  That's 7 placemats!.

I saw you Karin!!!  And, Alyce was there too!  Those are Susan's towels on the loom.

Great day in the studio!

Happy Weaving!

LouAnn

Happy Birthday, Pat!

 

  Betsy made Pat an angel food cake (from scratch) for her birthday!  That's Pat on the left, her sister Bonnie in the middle, and Betsy on the right.  Bonnie is visiting Pat from Colorado for this special occasion.

The Weavers brought lots of goodies to fill in the choices!!!

  Linda used up some beautiful colors to make her six bowl cozies.  Carol now has twenty-four cozies for upstairs!

Phyllis and Dale are putting the yarn winder/counter back together.  Out comes the manual!!!

 

It's always fun to see Christie back with us.  She says this warp will probably be book marks!!!

  Bonnie & I think that the weft for this towel is lemon & lime.  What do you think?  Everyone has their own opinion.  (I think there's more green than yellow!)

  Joycelyn has begun her new scarf.  I think she was tired of the green!

Our new weavers were busy at their looms.  Vicky is still waiting for one!

  

   

Betsy cut off her blanket warp and taking it home to wet finish.  She ended up with 4 beautiful blankets.  The weft warp was a light gray.  WOW!

Have a good week.

LouAnn

Catching Up

 

  Things have been really busy around here the last few weeks.

  As you know, our Sharon suffered an aneuirish at the beginning of the month.  Sadly, she has not been able to bounce back.  She's going into Comfort Care as of today.

  She will be truly missed.

This message is for Joanie.  I spoke with Betsy and she told me she got this structure from a friend.  It is a 12-harness.  That's the tie up on the right side.  

  The treadling is kinda her own design.

Things in the studio are really busy.  Lina, Liz, Betsy and Peggy worked with some of the other weavers to make their pattern for the bowl cozy.

  Carol made the rounds today to check in with the weavers.

Our newest weavers are making progress with their first warps!

Marilyn is helping Phyllis with a snafu.  It just takes time!

Karin is trying to fix a boo-boo on this warp!

  It was so good to see Liz again!

Shannon is working on a pattern while Candace is working on her warp.

  Patty is making a label for another wound warp.

  Pearl and Marilyn are in a deep discussion!

  Shirley's towels are so colorful!

  Carol is always ready to help out!

She and Shari were very concentrated!

Think kindness...................

LouAnn