Pogle Cat inspects the finished tapestry while Pollyanna Cat keeps a lookout for textile thieves. Such joy to have finished a wall piece ready for the Alton Exhibition. I have gradually been building up on my weaving time - I’m up to 3 x 45 minute sessions on a good day 😊. Pacing has never been my strong point, but after a severe ‘crash’ last week I am being very strict with myself.
‘Shrine’ is also ready for exhibition when the time comes; I have entered it for a juried show, so am in the waiting game.
In one of my sessions yesterday, I solved a tension problem with my loom, which delighted me. It’s been a bother throughout these last two works, and it transpires that I was looking in the wrong place for the problem. Two days ago I worked out where it really lay, and yesterday I fixed it - with nylon webbing and a staple gun. Now the warp is wound on and ready for the next tapestry, a 3D piece which can be wall or plinth mounted. I love the promise of a new warp, with all the possibilities still open….
The cartoon for the new piece (working title ‘Weep’):-
It only shows the image and the structural lines - the texture and patterning I shall weave intuitively, with ‘Shrine’ next to me as a reminder.
Where I started yesterday, and where I finished. It’s been a long old road! I couldn’t weave at all until about three weeks ago. I have developed a (as yet not fully diagnosed) brain condition which seriously impacts my balance, vision, and energy levels. Feeling well enough to weave for even short periods is such a sign of hope that I could sometimes weep with joy - which is so much better than the weeping with despair that has haunted me for months, even if I have not given in to it much. One of the best things that I did last year was to join a Textile Art Exhibiting Group. It keeps me from being totally isolated, and has spurred me on to getting this piece finished for an exhibition in April / May. I am delighted that, with a couple of serious ‘crash’ days, I have been able to do so - I am within 7cm of the top. Unusually for me, it is a flat piece, and will be framed; I have surrendered to the tyranny of the rectangle for once :-). I shall also be exhibiting ‘Pillar’, as they go together. The story of ‘Pillar and the Nine Stones’ will be in the next blog post.
