Week in Review

This week I didn't get alot of weaving done. Thursday I escaped! A friend and I went to see the quilt show in Pigeon Forge. I like to go each year but don't always get there. This year we made it work! Besides the quilt show, there's the classes that tons of

people attend and the vendors. First, let me show you the quilts I thought were very interesting. This first one is an original design with chickens on it. I personally thought that this wall hanging was the best that was there. She used alot of different flower fabrics and they all blended well, but the best part was the chickens. These were almost lifelike in their presentation. It won my personal choice award!

Another wall hanging might not be technically as intricate but I liked the concept. It's a variation of the skydye that Mickey Lawler developed so well. I want to do some of these and somehow incorporate them into the weaving that I do. I have the fabric and paints, just waiting for the time to get it all out and do some fabric painting! It's actually a fairly quick way of painting on fabric with no wasted paint. You don't have to rinse and rinse and rinse the fabric! Just have to block off an afternoon or two to do it!

The bird wallhanging was just a neat idea. How many of us used to cross stitch? I know I still have unfinished projects that need to be done. Here someone had finished the piece and had incorporated it into a wallhanging. The applique around it was something else, too! I like the idea of merging different crafts to make unique pieces.

The vendors had every quilt book, pattern, notion, fabric and kit available, I think. We just absorbed it all and found a few things that had to come home with us. I have my favorite booths and usually am able to find something new in them that I can add to my stash. I enjoy making baby quilts to give to friends and I need to rebuild my supply so some of the things will go into the baby quilts.


So, why didn't I get much done this week? Well, not allowing DD to drive because of her knee, I chauffeured her to therapy and the gym as requested. Then her MRI was Thursday. Yup, she tore her ACL and abused a few other ligaments in there. We find out tomorrow what the plan is for surgery. Don't think I'll get much done tomorrow either......

Thursday midnight was the deadline for the birthmom to appeal her decision to have her baby adopted by our friends. She did not appeal it so the baby is Donna and her husband's. I think I mentioned that Donna used to weave with us each Tuesday. She'll be too busy now! I have begun to sew a baby quilt for that darling little one! As you can see on the picture, I made a template cutting out a 6 1/2 inch square inside the cardboard and I fussy cut all those squares that will be the center of 12 squares for the blanket. I hope to have it done by next weekend.

Last night we went over there to help them celebrate and I got to rock her to sleep. She is now, at over 2 weeks old, about 6 lb 9 oz. That's still smaller than my daughter was when she was born! So tiny yet so full of promise and potential!

I do want to remind you of LouAnn's post from yesterday with her contest to see who can figure out what we look like. We've enjoyed posting each week and having you read them. We never thought about labeling the pictures to help you see who is who but perhaps that might happen after this contest if someone guess us right!

I'm off now to finally read my Handwoven that came yesterday. I think our mail is the slowest around! So many ideas, projects and information! I began with double weave shortly after I began to weave but it was more to have the two layers and put a slit in the middle of the top layer. I wove vests in one piece without having to seam them. Worked great with wool and mohair but not as well in cotton. You wove with one shuttle for the body part, then three for the space where the arm holes were and then back to two shuttles for the shoulder seam plus one for the neck opening. Haven't done that in year but have some wool packed away that may come out one of these days in which case I"ll try that again!

Carol

Let's Have a Contest!

But first...I have some blogging to do!

Pat and I wove at KMA on Thursday. Just like before, I was amazed at how much woven cloth was on the beam since I was there last. The piece that was getting ready to go on the cloth beam was something else: a New Mexico sunset! All the colors that I had seen from my courtyard in Los Lunas on those warm summer evenings were in that piece. There's nothing quite like watching the sun set in New Mexico. To the person that wove that sequence, thank you! I was inspired by that piece and the one that followed, which used bobbins of mixed colors. I went for shades of purple for my sequence.

I wanted to get a new rug started on John so that I could cut off the laptop tote, and there was a roll of fabric in my stash that kept winking at me. "Find me a place," it kept saying! It's a HUGE roll about 6" wide. You can see it has stripes of white, pale pink and turquoise. It is working out nicely in that warp. Amazing! I think this will be a LONG rug!

The Tuesday Weavers were awarded a Kreativ Blogger Award by Sue at Life Looms Large. Thank you, Sue! We were inspired by the blogs we read (including YOU!) and we started one of our own. Unlike so many weavers out in the world, we are together once a week to share our weaving adventure, and support the Appalachian Arts Craft Center here in Norris, Tennessee. It's an exciting place to be.
From the comments we received, we found out that there is some curiosity out there in blogland about matching us up to our pictures. Since all the Tuesday Weavers are pictured in the bar on the right, and only six of us blog...........well, you get the picture! So, see if you can match us up!
A.

B.

C.

D.

E

F.

G.

Now, match up the names with the pictures: Lou Ann, Carol, Linda, Wally, Maggie, Bonnie and Tina.
Just put your guess in the comment section for this post, and we'll pull a winner out of a basket of correct guesses on Tuesday. The winner will be announced in Tuesday's blog. Oh, yes, the prize: how about a pair of Mug Rugs in the Tennessee Squares pattern woven by lil' ole ME! (It goes without saying that Tuesday Weavers should NOT enter the contest....comments are always welcome, though!)
It's a cloudy day....it's supposed to rain off and on....a little on the chilly side....sounds like a good day to weave (or work on taxes.)
Happy Weaving, y'all!!!
LouAnn

And they are off!

Sometimes in the life of a rug warp you have to take some of the rugs off, for whatever reason. Maybe the cloth beam is getting too full and bumping up against your legs, or maybe, as is the case today, you need to get a long promised rug off and to it's rightful owner.

Before I cut the warp I weave a couple of inches after the last rug. Insert a stick, weave a few more inches, insert second stick and again a few more inches of plain weave.

When I cut the rugs off I am left with this very sturdy edge to lash onto the front apron.

I fold the two sticks together and lash them on.

Here we are ready to weave again!

Now for the rugs. There are a couple of colorful fabric rugs. My favorite being this teal and orange.

Here is a close up of a blue and white print fabric rug, and the loopers with squares rug, which turned out way shorter than I thought it was going to be!

And finally the rugs

I had to get off the loom, the blue jean rugs.

These will all have to be cut apart and hemmed to be ready to go. I am always amazed at what a change in weft materials does to a warp. Hard to believe these all came off the same warp.

Dear Wally is sporting the cone of shame. He was neutered yesterday and has proved that he can not be trusted to leave that itsy bitsy incision alone. Poor thing!

That is all from my house, the bread cloths are on the loom, just need to work out some kinks, (as always, what is it about math I don't understand) and they will be ready to go. I haven't touched the vari blue/ black chenille warp yet, maybe I can get to it this afternoon.

My only full day of working upstairs in the studio without interruption is Friday. I also can count on Wednesday afternoon and again on Saturday morning. All the other days have other things going on. Once in awhile I can sneak up and get some stuff done, but not usually.

I love Fridays.

Happy Weaving, Tina

A Plan

Here we are. I cut the warp off my loom. I am ready for the next project. I have change my mind 3 or more times. Ok. I am ready. I know what I am going to try and attempt. Hey, guys. I need to name my loom. I don't have a name. I had Andy in mind, then thought that I would check and see what everybody else thought---any suggestions---please. It is a Nilus Leclerc. Back to my project. I want something fun. But, you know me. Nothing too simple. Here are my books I am using to plan. I have been reading about this for over a week. Now I am ready. I hope. I did a little on a project for Christmas. I am ready to tackle a bigger project using Double Weave. Maybe you can see what I am doing on the blurred books.

Here is the yarn I am using. The multi color is going to be the warp and the weft is the other 4 colors. If you enlarge the picture below, you might get a picture of what I am making. You are suppose to use different colors on the warp for the top layer and the bottom layer. I wanted to make it a bit more simple so I am using only one color. I don't see why it would not work. If any body has suggestions???? Feel free.

Maybe by next week, I will have it on the loom. I don't think that will happen. I am going to NC tomorrow to visit my daughter and my grandkids. Not much will be done. Getting excited about it now. Love it when a plan comes together.

Happy weaving. Bonnie

Lying like a...

Rug! I have 4 new rugs in my house! On the left is the rug I made to finish the red and black warp on Jennifer's first project. Notice the color change, which my Tuesday Weaver friends convinced me is just a clever design element. It's under my feet right now, keeping them toasty.

On the right, we have the original project, made from strips of fabric I bought at a quilt shop I worked in, in northwestern Montana ten years ago. It was put to the test last night at a candle lit dinner for two. Unfortunately, the pets thought it was for them, and we had furry foot warmers during dinner. I love that it is the perfect exact size for my table!

And here, the piece d'resistance! The shag rug of my dreams! It just fits into my teeny, tiny bathroom, but what a joy it is to sink one's toes into! I learned a lot from this project, and hope to make many, many more shag rugs, in many different ways! The lavender rug is missing from the photos, but I couldn't get a good photo of it in its new home, at the side of my bed. It perfectly matches the accent wall in my bedroom, and my feet were happy to find it there this morning!

So, now it's time to warp for the first turned overshot project! 582 ends, 2 yards long. That's a lot of ends, but I love winding warps.

I have to tell you that I was interrupted writing by the cries of a small fluffy kitten. Weft finally figured out how to get on top of the kitchen cupboards, something Leo has never been able to do. Apparently, he was quite surprised, judging by the crying. And then, I had to make him wait until I found the camera! I hope your days are looking up!

Happy weaving!

Maggie

Tuesday update.

Once again it is Tuesday! A bunch of us are here at the center working on various projects.

Last week I cleaned, lubricated and tightened up my empty loom, so that this week it would be ready to roll.

Carol had found a warp she had wound who knows how long ago, we found it as we were organizing a bit. She thrust it at me and said "Here, this is your next project." It is for hand towels, with a really sweet rosepath design on one end.

Here it is in the raddle, getting ready to start winding on. Normally I go thru the reed, then heddles and then wind on, but with no room to maneuver in back, I chose to wind on and then thread from the front.

Wally, of course was his usual helpful self. Once I got it wound on I realized that I would need to rearrange the heddles a little on the harnesses, and since there wasn't time to complete that today, I will leave that for next week.

I am always delighted to see what the different wefts do to this rug warp! Here Alan has taken a weft heavy in rust and used it in this blue and brown warp. Beautiful!

Bonnie is making great progress on her lace hand towels.

Here is part of our last carpet warp order. There are 2 more boxes under these! We use it a lot around here. Not only for rugs, but also for place mats and mug rugs too.

I didn't want you to think that Wally sleeps the whole time we are here. Here he is trying to get to me. I had gone away from my loom to help someone else. Imagine that! How dare I! What you can't really see is that he is "sitting" in a box, a broken box now!

We miss those that couldn't make it today, but we keep plugging away trying to empty our looms as fast as our 4 hours here a week will let us, dreaming all the time of the next project we will undertake on that loom or maybe the looms we have at home. We all do have at least 1 loom at home, usually more than that. It is a sickness you know.

Happy Weaving, Tina

Nothing!

My family and I are still plugging away at the new studio. It is pretty slow going but rewarding. This is a picture of the driveway. You say there is nothing to see? That is what makes this picture so terrific! I wish I had a before picture to show you. It you would have shown you wall to wall chicken coops, cages and lots of junk. Barely enough room to park one vehicle!

The picture on the left is of the back yard. It still has a ways to go but doesn't look great? When the last owner left it was a sea of chicken cages, dog kennels and blue tarps! We have plans for vegetables and flowers there. I can't wait!

Linda