After Six Days Away from the Loom....

...went into the studio today.  Finished all the English text and a lot of the fingerprint background, and am only about five inches from the top.  This bodes well.

Weaver's Log, Stardate 221211

7 pm Yesterday

5.30 pm Today

I am about 2/3 of the way through this first panel, which is great, as it means that it is possible to make five panels in the time available.  No more weaving on this until 28th; I have my Boy home and we are visiting family for Christmas.

Status Report

Yesterday, 6 pm

Today, 5 pm

This is where I had got to at 4.30pm today.  I am going in to the studio over the weekend to help with workshops, but hope to get some more weaving done too.

On the Way...

 Tracing a section of my fingerprint (with 'help' from Henry the standard Poodle and his muddy feet - he will keep digging holes in the garden, and then being sent inside in disgrace)

 A little trip to Staples first thing yielded an A1 of 'nefesh' and A4 of the Hebrew characters.

 Overlaying the stylized fingerprint; it is there, honest.

 Stitched to the selvedge of waste weft that I put in yesterday, having warped up all by myself - would have been easier with a helper, but good to know that I can do it.  150 trips (half way) up the ladder, some 450 metres of warp.  The hideous flowery thing is the back of the South Downs quilt which hangs behind the scaffold.  It was the stitched petition made by different groups wanting the area to be designated National Park.  The front is much nicer!

Loaded bobbins resting on my lovely vintage Welsh double cloth blanket.

I was then able to start weaving.  It will grow quite quickly, but I need to keep up the pace with four more to make after this one!

Catching Up....

Friday: 'Forget what did' (With apologies to L.M. Alcott) during the day.  Hosted birthday supper with Eleanor at WD.  We made about a million (well 20) custom pizzas for our friends.  It was lovely to see everyone and catch up on the news / gossip.

Saturday: I went to the Weaving Day at Jane's studio in Angmering.  A lovely bunch of ladies, and a delightful day.  I started a new piece on the Glimakra frame.  In homage to Richter it will be a dark grey figure, 'dry-brushed' into the grey background, but in order to avoid any hint of misery and woe, there will be occasional threads of copper sparkle (I think) woven in.  There is an Italian Jewish proverb "No matter how dark the tapestry that the Almighty weaves for us, there will always be a thread of grace".  So the title of the piece (if it works!) will be 'Thread of Grace'.  I have kept the cartoon very simple so that it can have the spontaneity of brush strokes.  I have the luxury of weaving every day, but it is particularly nice to weave alongside others again; I do miss WD for that.

Today: Popped into the studio for a couple of hours to prepare the scaffold loom for warping tomorrow (energy and light levels too low to tackle it today).  It will be my first time warping a big loom single handed, so I have commandeered the stepladder, and will wear my running shoes to facilitate scampering.  I brought the easel home so that I can weave 'Thread of Grace' in the evenings if I need / want to, and to allay any suspicion that I am trying to take over all the space.

This afternoon was the Candlelight Carol service at church, and I was in the choir.  Very enjoyable, and so were the mulled wine and mince pies afterwards :-)  Next Sunday it is 'Beer and Carols' in the village pub; sounds like fun.

Tomorrow?  Warping up, cartoon work for 'Identity' and some smaller pieces. and beginning editorial work for Tapestry Weaver, the journal of BTG.  Feb's will be my first edition as Ed, so I need to make a start and a good job of it before time runs away.  I have had a good few articles submitted, so a nice lot of reading to do.....

'Not One, But Three', the robin hanging above my bed.  It has a story attached, one of hope in the midst of despair, light in the midst of darkness.  Another thread of grace.

From My Sketchbook

The much described sett samples.

The chosen one!

Photoshop 'sketch'.

Had a lovely morning at Mill (no "trouble at t'mill", so no Spanish Inquisition :-)) with Margaret, talking life, weaving and everything.  The exhibition space is lovely, and no problems with a place for a 3D hanging piece.  Hoorah!  No more excuses; warping tomorrow.  She also told me about the monthly Saturday weaving day, and invited me to join them this Saturday.  An opportunity to try out my new miniature tapestry frame, of which more later.

I Want a Dog Like This

He is the skool dog from St Custard's, alma mater of Molesworth et al, my heroes.

Today's News

A good day in the studio.  I did another sample using the chosen wefts and a thicker warp at a coarser sett, and it was just the look that I wanted. Hoorah!  Popped out to the printers to get a poster size print of my fingerprint.  I took the pic with my digital SLR (10 megapixels), cropped it in Photoshop and increased the resolution to 600, but it was still a nice surprise to be able to have it printed at A0! I will trace the patterns and stylize it somewhat for the five cartoons.  In the afternoon I played about with fonts and text placement for the five words overlaying the fingerprints in the panels: nefesh, neshamah, hayyah, ruah and yehidah.  I may also include the Hebrew characters on each panel, but don't have them all yet.  I am really excited about this piece!  Sent samples of yarn to Weavers' Bazaar for colour matching, and will pop up to Town on either Wednesday or Saturday to visit Handweavers' Studio for the soft greys of the background and more Richter; I may also fit in the Grayson Perry at the British Museum.  On Thursday, a visit to the renovated mill where 'Identity' is taking place, after which I can finalize the panel designs and get going.  Although I may warp up the loom tomorrow for the first two.  Happy times!

And I came home to find a tree planted in my front garden!

A Woman's Work is Never Done.....

...especially when her brain is positively fizzing with new ideas and rediscovering old ones, and she keeps stopping what she should be doing (clearing the borrowed second garage of stuff: Boy's drum kit, various spare drums, keyboard, chairs-which-we-don't-have-space-for-but-don't-want-to-get-rid-of, etcetera, etcetera) and instead, drawing or writing in my journal, making owl mascots....  The robin is my personal 'totem bird', but because in Greek myth, Athena invented weaving, and the owl is her bird, I am collecting owl pictures for my studio space.  One is a postcard of an Athenian coin from 4BC, and the latest a kitschy owl from Paperchase.  One day (!?) I hope to weave a tapestry owl.  I have made a couple of steam punk ones from bits and bobs at Time Machine.  Perhaps I should post photos?  Anyway, the garage is NOT cleared and the flat is NOT hoovered.  Where is Jeeves when you need him?

My little cat, 'helping' with a drawing, 2006.  She is on my lap as I type.