still working on warps

Last weekend I finished winding the scarf warp, and now I'm working on a shawl warp using 11 different yarns from my stash. I love texture and variety, and this will have lots of both. Texture and variety, like Life.

just for fun...

Just for fun, here is my fuzzy mug rug.

Needed to finish off a group of mug rugs so that I could warp this loom with scarves. The other mug rugs from this group are pretty normal. It was fun to try a weft I had never considered before...

new warps in the works...

I'm working out some new warps for shawls and scarves. No photos yet. Has it really been that long since my last post? Where did August go?

pin weaving

Last Saturday, I finally tried something that I've been curious about: pin weaving!

Been weaving...

Been weaving, but no photos yet. Coming soon.

collage fun

A small collage I did today in Andrea Fuhrman's Mixed Media Workshop, sponsored by the Visual Arts Alliance of McPherson. It was so much fun!

Here's another bigger one:

"Weekly Routine"

winding a skein into balls

Saturday, while I worked my turn at the VAAM gallery, I wound this skein into balls. I don't remember where I got this skein or who dyed it, but the colors are so beautiful, I wanted to have lots of photos to remember it by. I probably will like it more as a skein than whatever I will weave out out of it (?!??). Warning: more photos of this skein are coming! I really must learn to dye my own.

It's all wound into these two neat balls.

The short wrap (fringed shrug?) shown with Susan Shepard's beautiful necklace.

Finally wove off the scarf (or is it a small wrap?) and cut it off the loom tonight. Now, for the knotting.... On Saturday, I'll be helping with a watercolor painting workshop taught by Carolyn Loutzenhiser, sponsored by the Visual Arts Alliance of McPherson. Something completely new for me!

I'm back to my loom with the leftover shawl warp. Don't know how much is still there, but probably not enough for another shawl...maybe a 30" square? A table shawl? We'll see.

I've been curious to try this little "Loomette" given to me almost 15 years ago by Cher Olson. After carrying it around so many times and saying I'm going to make time for this—yesterday, I finally did it.

After using floor looms, weaving on this tiny little loom was so interesting. I'm not even sure I did this correctly, but I finished the little square, removed it from the loom, and it didn't fall apart! Now, for yarn variations and uses for the little squares!

David Brock made this nice rack for displaying scarves.

A simple cream scarf

back at the loom

I'm back to weaving wool scarves before it gets too warm to wear them. This yarn is from Brown Sheep Wool.

New materials to play with

Had a birthday recently and received delicious new papers and ribbons to experiment with...

Giving thanks...

I've been playing with card-making. I love texture, fiber, and paper, and wanted to send thank you notes that were more personal than mass-produced cards. These designs are made with a stamp by Hero Arts. I used the same stamp on cards I sent at Thanksgiving. Giving thanks...year around!

more woven bookmarks

Here are the bookmarks. It was interesting to experiment with combinations of yarns in the weft—almost like mixing paint colors. The warp is cotton/linen and the wefts are cottons, rayons, and a fun novelty "eyelash."

I wove them, one by one, on my Schacht "Baby Wolf" loom.

small and simple...

I have another group of woven bookmarks ready to take to the VAAM gallery tomorrow. It's so interesting to experiment with different yarns, colors, weights, textures. I've also been making simple cards. I think I will stay with all things small and simple for awhile now. Photos coming tomorrow.

at the VAAM Gallery

The VAAM Gallery Holiday Gift Show is open. Here are a few images of the weavings I have there...

My scarves are displayed with lovely jewelry by Susan Shepard and a beatifully crafted teddy bear by Glorice Schafer.



Nestled between pottery by Wayne Conyers and Leanne Kilmer is my set of linen, silk, cotton, rayon "luxury" mugrugs to cushion a drink.

Below, another display with Wayne Conyers' mugs and bowl and my fiber landscape, "Country Road" and mugrugs...

Detail shots of mugrugs

Linen, cotton, rayon

Wool and cotton

All cotton

My second cotton and linen shawl displayed with a gorgeous pearl, shell, and silver necklace by Susan Shepard. My big thrill last weekend—someone purchased the first shawl.

Desk-top Mobiles: "Finding Balance" series

above, "inner strength"

below, "mystic moment"

coming up for air

I'm finally coming up for air (a little) after the busy month of October, when everything took place in one month. One of the highlights of the month was Susan Shepard's Fiber Workshop on October 25. We experimented with cord-making (fast and easy!), working with "solvy," hot-fix angelina, layering, burning/distressing, and needle-felting. I'm not ready to show what I made yet—needs more work. My horizons were definitely broadened! Now I know what to do with all the tiny snips, short pieces, samples, and thrums I've saved for the past 20+ years! ...not to mention beads and other stuff (proper term is "embellishments") I've accumulated. I'm also eager to try transitioning parts of my weavings into other forms.

busy, busy

My posts are always very intermittent--I've just been busy with warps for wool scarves and bookmarks and the VAAM Gallery blog. Last weekend was the "Artful Taste of Autumn" at John and Chris Hershberger's Italian villa! Beautiful! The art and the foods and the wines were superb! Last night, we had a great reception at the VAAM Gallery for the current show "Fiber Art - Form & Function" and "Art Inspired by the Blues." Met, connected, and reconnected with lots of interesting folks!
Now, to get ready for the Birger Sandzen Gallery gift show and the "Festive Holiday Market" at the McPherson Opera House! More photos are coming soon.

another shawl is finished...

This shawl is actually off the loom and all the fringes are knotted. Tonight I'll wash it. I know it looks a lot like the first one, but the weft is the cotton boucle alone. No intricate weave structure or pattern—just the texture of the eight different yarns in the warp and the boucle weft. I love texture!

I also have another wool scarf coming off the downstairs loom—tonight?

my weavings in the VAAM gallery

My weavings are displayed with the floor cloth by Michaela Groeblacher, McPherson, and glass by Rick Garnett, Buhler, and wall hanging (above) by Susan Shepard, McPherson. This display was designed by fiber artist Shin-hee Chin. This is all part of "Fiber Art: Form and Function - Invitiational" at the VAAM Gallery, McPherson. Be sure to see the wonderful array of fiber art on display. The entire show was hung by Betty Jo Houchen, Elizabeth Liljegren, David Brock, and Shin-hee Chin.

Finally! I finished weaving, knotted, and washed the shawl that I warped last June! The new Fiber Invitational Show has just been hung in the VAAM gallery today, but I don't have photos of the show taken or posted yet. My shawl (or is it a wrap?) has found a home there, along with the Blues #2 scarf. Photos will follow soon. Stay tuned. Hopefully tomorrow!

Blues #2 scarf from the blues warp

The scarf is off the loom, this time with a different weft combination. I was trying to keep on task to get the fringe twisted—tedious. Here, one side is twisted and the other is about to be twisted.

Finally, all the fringe is twisted. The scarf is washed

and lays out to dry along the edge of my diningroom table.

It's longer than the table, so the fringe hangs off the side.