As Good As It Gets

This is it….today’s tablescape, a paper napkin with plastic utensils carelessly thrown on the table.

You’ve been there, an airport cafe where presentation is not the priority, but when you are hungry, you settle. At least here there were tables and a wait person who smiled and took my order.  So far, not so bad, however, when my turkey club sandwich came it matched the table setting.

Cold.  The only difference between it and one out of the cold case? Some crispy lukewarm fries.  Oh well, I was hungry, it did fill the emptiness in my tummy and next time I’ll know to return to Legal Seafood for the usual cup of chowder.

There were a couple of saving graces to the time spent between planes.

Flowers in the ladies room.  When was the last time you saw that, real ones?  If you say never, that was my answer, too, but that is no longer true.

And on the long walk from one terminal to another were  lovely reproductions of an ancient antique scroll entitled Women Preparing Newly Woven Silk. Naturally, anything having to do with weaving caught my eye.

Despite the lackluster dining experience and a long day of travel, the day was not lost.  I arrived safely and on time.  That in itself is something to be grateful for.

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Challenge Met!

When a client asked me to weave a prayer shawl for his friend’s birthday, I said, without thinking much about it, yes.   After all, I have woven a number of shawls so how could this one be too different?  At least, that was my first thought.  Before starting the project I decided to go online and investigate prayer shawls worn by men practicing the Jewish faith.  Thus, began the challenge and my learning experience.

The shawl is called a tallit and consists of two main parts, the shawl itself and tzitzit which are fringes on the four corners.  I began to worry that there might be specific requirements for the size, type of material, color arrangement, etc. and wondered whether or not this was a job for me.  Before becoming totally despaired, I remembered having met a rabbi who also had some experience weaving, so I gave him a call.  He graciously spent the better part of an afternoon educating me about the tallit and assuring that I could do the job or at least the weaving part of it.  If the tzitzit presented a problem he would be there to help me.  What a wonderful person!

The only clue I had about the person for whom the shawl was being made was that he liked blue.  How wide or how long would have to be my best guess.  The weave structure was also a challenge.  I wanted it to be something other than a plain weave without being too fussy.  And, my client asked if I could incorporate the Star of David into it.   OK, by now I’m a wreck, worried the finished product would be less than perfect.

I won’t bore you with all the details involved in the design and weaving process; I’ll just show you the finished product.  If any of you are weavers and want the draft, I’ll be only too happy to share with you. Looking closely, you can see that the points of the Star of David are not real well defined due to the size of the threads and how closely they are packed together.   However, the client thought it satisfactory.  I am going to work on this just in case I am ever asked to do the same again.

The weave structure for the body of the shawl turned out fine, just enough to give the cloth a textural interest.

I had enough warp left on the loom to weave cloth for a pouch in which to put the tallit.  This was that little something extra.

Together they make a very special gift.

I loved doing this job not only because of the challenge but because I learned something new and made a new friend.  In return for his help, the rabbi wants to work with me to improve his weaving and design skills.  To that, I say GLADLY!

Linked to Blue Monday

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Thinking Ahead

Today is a cold and gray Sunday, a good day to stay inside and get started weaving for a September show.  Yep, September is 9 months away, but it’s not too soon to start creating, especially since considerable time must be invested to create an inventory of handwoven pieces.

Hmmm, what colors inspire me on a gloomy day?

I think I will keep it simple and work with just 2 colors.

Now, it’s to the computer to design.    This is the most creative part of the process because there are so many options to explore.   The only part I don’t like is that the program I use for designing only operates off a PC, and I am very attached to my Apple.  Since I am working with just 2 colors, I think I will play around with shadow weave structures.

The computer can’t totally show how a finished fabric will look, but it gives a pretty darned good idea.

With the design work being done, the next step is threading the loom, not my favorite part of weaving, but you have to be warped to weave!

All is ready, so let the weaving begin.  It doesn’t take long to see the results of the design effort, and with each throw of the shuttle, I’m thinking ahead to what the next piece will look like, a little change here and there with color and treadling order, and I can create a whole different look with this warp.

Creating, not a bad way to spend a Sunday.  How are you spending your day?

Loom: 16 harness, 60″ AVL

Computer Program: Weave Planner

Weave Structure: 6 harness shadow weave

Fibers from Silk City Fibers

This entry is linked to Seasonal Sunday and Blue Monday.

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The Weft of Life

“Shall we liken Christmas to the web in a loom? There are many weavers, who work into the pattern the experience of their lives. When one generation goes, another comes to take up the weft where it has been dropped. The pattern changes as the mind changes, yet never begins quite anew. At first, we are not sure that we discern the pattern, but at last we see that, unknown to the weavers themselves, something has taken shape before our eyes, and that they have made something very beautiful, something which compels our understanding.”

- Earl W. Count, 4,000 Years of Christmas

As a weaver, I particularly like weaving being used as a metaphor for Christmas and am appreciative that a blog friend introduced me to this quote.

To all of you, I wish you love and laughter as you go about the business of weaving your own tapestry.

Happy holidays!

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Afterthoughts

In my last post you learned that the daughters and I were participating in a 3 day Artisans Tour.  It’s over.  I’m tired. My throat is sore and parched from talking so much.  I am happy with the results.

Though I have done many shows over the years it never gets easier.  There are always the preliminary fears of being rejected, worry about whether or not you’ve spent time creating the right kind of thing or wondering if anybody will come.  I guess that is just part of the process.  No question, when you do shows requiring face to face contact, you are at your most vulnerable and no matter what the response you have to keep on smiling and be ready for the next person who walks through the door.

These 3 days wonderful and interesting people came through the door, some from away as they say in Maine, others from around the area.  They couldn’t have been more appreciative or more responsive in a positive way.  Part of the enthusiasm was generated by the work, part by the artistic display that made everything seem so important.  Again, I have to give credit to my friend Leslie who made the display area a work of art.

After such a successful show, the question becomes do we do it again next year?  Will the same kind of work be as interesting the second time around, especially to the locals?  Or are there enough people from away who are drawn to this tour that it doesn’t matter?  Is a first time success just a stroke of good fortune or does the work itself create the success?  Questions yet to be answered, but for this day I’m ready to shut it down and think about it tomorrow.

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Making Do

A tablescape?  No, at least not in the traditional sense. This weekend the dining room table and chairs and other flat surfaces in nearby spaces are transformed into display units for the weekend’s  Artisans Tour in which my daughters and I are participating.

The table started out like this, but when my very talented friend Leslie came in she said, “No, no, it’s too busy!” and immediately began disassembling, pulling pitchers, gourds, decorative pieces off shelves and out of cabinets.  All I could do was stand in awe at what she gathered and dust the places from which they came.

With all the stuff out, we began arranging and voila, the entry and dining room became a work of art, and the furniture took on whole new definition.

The bench from the mudroom became a wonderful display for handwoven scarves.

So did these funky hands.

A wooden crate given to me by a daughter for my birthday was just perfect for “binkies” and soft toys.

And the back side was the right backdrop for lovely cards from LLH Designs.

Chairs have new purpose

and look at the pieces that became the complement for fiber necklaces.

The bright colors of the felt flashcard sleeves from Tembo Studio popped on the wood surface, and the flashcards and softie cupcakes…well, you need to take a look.  They are terrific.

Even this carved wood cello became part of the picture.

Who would have guessed that making do would result in such a creative and stimulating presentation.  Now that I think about it, the same is true for real tablescapes.

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The Way Life Should Be

Quick trips to Houston during the summer are a necessity, but they do wear me out.   Seeing the kids, tending to Mother’s needs, catching up with friends and spending time in my studio doing what I can’t do in the Maine house…..so much to do and so little time.   In addition to those things, there’s always something unexpected that has to be dealt with like a toilet not working or a roof leaking.   By the time I leave, I feel like a day of rest is needed to recuperate.

Returning to Maine is like a breath of fresh air, not only because it is cooler but because almost immediately you can feel a change of pace.  That doesn’t mean folks don’t have the same worries, concerns or responsibilities as anywhere else, they just don’t seem to let them become life’s focus.  There’s more time out to walk, work in the yard, enjoy the natural beauty, spend time with friends. Or, maybe there’s not more time; people just seem to take more time to be in the present moment.  Maybe there’s a reason why the sign welcoming visitors to the state reads:

Maine, the way life should be

In any case, the first sign one sees coming off the airplane in Portland says WELCOME HOME

and I think the change starts there.  Maine is a  place where one can be at home and understand what that means.   Home is not just a place to live; it’s a place where your heart is, and I know that when I cross the bridge overlooking Rockport Harbor that much of my heart is here.

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