Funny isn't it -- the things a person think they want vs what actually suits. Still, a little lap sitting does feel important even with the awkward bits!
Thank you for lots of Beryl in this post - the photograph is gorgeous, and I'm particularly enjoying her thoughts.
And the sound your weaving makes, the crisp rub as you push the warp down, the faint twang as you separate the warp threads to slot through, is deeply satisfying.
So handy to have an alter-ego/sidekick. Especially one who expresses herself in a way that makes sense to me (or so I think), and is so fun to draw. Truly though, it is amazing how she makes her thoughts clear. I guess she and I both benefit from all those millennia of co- evolution. And thanks.
YOU are a delight dear Sarah! From every photo of your dear dog Beryl and every drawing of your day, and all the tapestry goodness...thank you for sharing your life with us! And what an ingenious way to hang lights in a room!!! A ladder strapped across the ceiling with clamp lights hanging down! Brilliant! Very theatrical! :)
That ladder clamp light apparatus was Dan's idea -- and it has proved its worth over two decades now. Inexpensive, versatile and SO much fun. When we were in the middle of building the studio the electrical asked where I wanted the lights and of course I had no idea at that time as I didn't know how I'd be using the space. "I wish there was some kind of flexible arrangement," I wished aloud. Then Dan and I tossed around ideas until suddenly he went outside and got a rickety extension ladder someone had given us, took it apart and proposed one piece to hang over my work bench and the other in the middle of the room, so all the electrical had to do was put switched outlets in the ceiling. "I hate climbing on this ladder," he said. So we found a new life for it without having to throw it away. Worked perfectly! So glad you noticed and enjoyed.
The perfect solution! And so very flexible as I imagine you can now have lighting in any direction in your studio! Wonderful story and re-use of an unwanted item! 🙏💞
Such a lovely birthday gift, you and Beryl dropping by today! ... But lilac logging, who knew lilacs grew forests! Mine does have some shoots that pop up. If given freedom to spread, is that what happens? Do you keep winter warm with lilac logs? ... I am so looking forward to seeing you and Rebecca Thursday morning! More fun and inspiration.
PS: I really enjoyed seeing you and Rebecca this morning, and I'm glad to realize I'll be able to pick up where I left off in the course 5 years ago when life intervened! .... Here's another question: You mentioned making cordage with iris leaves. How? When I've tried, both with green and dried leaves, the veins don't seem to strip evenly, but break off in little short pieces.
Happy Belated Birthday BarbaraJean! And yes to the lilac spreading. Those shoots just grow and grow and though we have cut them back, they are so healthy they grow some more. Some of the trunks are eight inches thick!
CORDAGE: with the iris leaves I do always dry them and then re-dampen (rolling in a damp towel for a little bit works), before tearing into strips. The dampness helps somewhat with keeping the strips from breaking though of course they (the strips) are always somewhat tapered because the leaves are tapered. I did a blog post about it once that might help: https://www.afieldguidetoneedlework.com/blog-2014-2021/making-cordage-a-tutorial-of-sorts
I’m so disappointed I have to miss the live YouTube stream—I have to work. I love your drawings, weavings, meanderings, and the way you share it with us. I’ve promised myself the fringeless class this winter.
Thank you so much Deb, and I'm so sorry the timing didn't work for you. Scheduling! Crazy. Happily, there is a recording on Youtube ( goofy moments and all), that also includes a coupon code for a Fringeless discount in case you're interested --usable now and you can start the class whenever...
Thank you for sharing your day. There is something in hard physical work that releases the mind once the tension of the body is dealt with. Love your paintings and Beryl. I purchased the fringeless class some time ago after being inspired by Rebecca and you. A woodworker friend make the loom insert for my mirrix. Just need a little courage to try it all out. Maybe soon .....
You are so right about the beneficial effects of hard physical labor. Satisfying enough to somehow make mental space for so much else. Unless, of course, a person is given to overdoing...(ahem Sarah)... and then has to rest and recover! Fringeless is there whenever you're ready for a little wild and brave warping fun...
I would love to come to your live but it is at 3am my time and I’m afraid I don’t have the moral courage to be awake at that hour. I subscribed to a number of publications at the one time and yours is the only one I read. I feel delighted every time it arrives in my inbox. Thank you for your words, your craft, your fine dog, your cartoons and your willingness to share bits of your life with us. Much appreciated.
Yes, 3 AM is a crazy time indeed. SO sorry about that (and glad there is a recording...) So happy though, and flattered, because of what you said about reading The Gusset. Lifts my heart and inspires me on. THANK YOU.
Well, Sarah, those two shots of you smiling at me, and the romp with Beryl through the Palouse made my morning so much brighter. It was also lovely to watch you doing the fringeless weaving, but I’m glad you explained the mirror! I wondered how you did it from the back! Thanks for the good words.
You make my heart sing! I love reading about all your adventures, weaving and otherwise. And sweet Beryl! I'm so glad you and she are together. Now that book binding thing... something on my list to learn. And kudos for the cold press. Watercolors really love good paper. Now I am super curious about the lilac logging... the why of it. These chores that come with keeping the house and grounds neat... I have a love/hate relationship with them. The work itself is always so grounding, the doing of it feels good once I get going and the satisfaction of a job done is nice. It's the thought of having to do these things that set my teeth on edge sometimes because I'd rather be playing with yarn. Or with watercolors on good paper. :-) Really looking forward to your YouTube thing with Rebecca!
Oh Ellen, you put it absolutely perfectly. That love/hate relationship with chores. The dread and avoidance and teeth gritting when thinking about having to do it. Then the actual grounding nature of the work. And the huge satisfaction of having it done. Or even, really, to be in the middle. As a wise woman once said "it's way easier to be hiking in the rain than it is to be in the tent with the patter on the roof trying to get yourself to get out there."
Sarah, I'm not one to make frequent comments on-line but I have to tell you, your posts make my heart sing! No matter what you are writing about, I feel your energy and happy vibes and they seem to transfer over the net to me. No small feat considering that I am 80...well maybe 81...and occasionally need a little boost to go about my creative projects. Thank you. I will try to comment more often.
OH golly Lynda, thank you so very much. I'm thrilled to bits -- and have to say that your words inspire me in turn, so it seems to me we have a reciprocal thing going here. Thanks for the reminder.
Sarah, I love your bookbinding! I worked in a book bindery for 3 years in high school. I mainly picked type out of those slanted very skinny drawers to make hot lead slugs (molds) of the book titles. Then I would use them in a hot stamping machine to stamp the title on the spine and/or front of the covers to make enough for lots of textbooks or whatever books they were to go on. I would sometimes use the Linotype instead if that guy was out for the day. I just love seeing your signatures hand-stitched so beautifully! Makes me want to try harder to make my own journals. Geez, how long has that been on my list?! And all related is your astounding Rough Copy series. Book pages, type, or font as we now call it, torn paper, paper with spills, handwriting...thank you for sharing with us your talent!
Lead type -- oh my-- so incredibly romantic to think about that as a way to build words and sentences, to print titles and help to make books beautiful. Just imagining a "Hot Stamping Machine". sounds cool. Well, hot. But cool. And Linotype. Are they still used? One nice thing about curved needles stitching signatures though -- never out of style and so easy to store the tools for whenever a person is ready.
I really don’t know if Linotypes are still used. I used it way back about ‘79-82. We did attend...you’ll love this...a Fiberfest inside our local Newspaper building a few years ago. Vendors were set up in the halls between museum booths. I suddenly began oogling one exhibit, and my 5 kids thought I was crazy! The museum exhibit was a Linotype machine! Don’t worry, I took pictures! But way back, I used the Ludlow machine to make the lead slugs...550 degrees hot! I like it because picking type is very hands on, and more artistic. You pick punctuation, spaces, pretty little separation symbols, etc. With Linotype, you just type. I will soon try sewing the binding like you did...I have my curved needles! If I catch on, I hope to make my own paper, too. It starts with a dream, right?!
Exactly. It all does indeed start with a dream---and sometimes the perfect tool to help that dream to manifest --be it a needle or a piece of type in a carefully organized drawer...
Now I can't remember -- did we address this? I think I remember Rebecca talking about asking at your local hardware store to see if they can order the parts. And of course there is online. Sometimes places have black pipe versions (vs galvanized). There are a couple of hardware stores in my town and only one of them has the 1/8" pipe that my little loom is made of. They also have 1/4" which is just as good (and even a little sturdier". Good luck
You don't look grim in that video, it's concentration! So cool with the mirror. And how do you keep the camera so steady while walking behind Beryl...?
Gosh -- a steady camera! I have no idea. I'm just holding it in my hand. I'll have to pay attention next time. Maybe I unconsciously go all loose limbed to absorb the unevenness? Thanks for a fun thing to think about. (of course now that I am thinking about it, perhaps the videos will go all jerky?????)
Particularly like the drawing of the lovely Beryl in your lap. You’re both thinking the same thing but do it anyway
Funny isn't it -- the things a person think they want vs what actually suits. Still, a little lap sitting does feel important even with the awkward bits!
Thank you for lots of Beryl in this post - the photograph is gorgeous, and I'm particularly enjoying her thoughts.
And the sound your weaving makes, the crisp rub as you push the warp down, the faint twang as you separate the warp threads to slot through, is deeply satisfying.
So handy to have an alter-ego/sidekick. Especially one who expresses herself in a way that makes sense to me (or so I think), and is so fun to draw. Truly though, it is amazing how she makes her thoughts clear. I guess she and I both benefit from all those millennia of co- evolution. And thanks.
YOU are a delight dear Sarah! From every photo of your dear dog Beryl and every drawing of your day, and all the tapestry goodness...thank you for sharing your life with us! And what an ingenious way to hang lights in a room!!! A ladder strapped across the ceiling with clamp lights hanging down! Brilliant! Very theatrical! :)
That ladder clamp light apparatus was Dan's idea -- and it has proved its worth over two decades now. Inexpensive, versatile and SO much fun. When we were in the middle of building the studio the electrical asked where I wanted the lights and of course I had no idea at that time as I didn't know how I'd be using the space. "I wish there was some kind of flexible arrangement," I wished aloud. Then Dan and I tossed around ideas until suddenly he went outside and got a rickety extension ladder someone had given us, took it apart and proposed one piece to hang over my work bench and the other in the middle of the room, so all the electrical had to do was put switched outlets in the ceiling. "I hate climbing on this ladder," he said. So we found a new life for it without having to throw it away. Worked perfectly! So glad you noticed and enjoyed.
The perfect solution! And so very flexible as I imagine you can now have lighting in any direction in your studio! Wonderful story and re-use of an unwanted item! 🙏💞
This made me happy as usual to find the trail of your mind, wander around a bit and giggle and adore the paintings and Beryl and your sweet world.
Such a lovely birthday gift, you and Beryl dropping by today! ... But lilac logging, who knew lilacs grew forests! Mine does have some shoots that pop up. If given freedom to spread, is that what happens? Do you keep winter warm with lilac logs? ... I am so looking forward to seeing you and Rebecca Thursday morning! More fun and inspiration.
PS: I really enjoyed seeing you and Rebecca this morning, and I'm glad to realize I'll be able to pick up where I left off in the course 5 years ago when life intervened! .... Here's another question: You mentioned making cordage with iris leaves. How? When I've tried, both with green and dried leaves, the veins don't seem to strip evenly, but break off in little short pieces.
Happy Belated Birthday BarbaraJean! And yes to the lilac spreading. Those shoots just grow and grow and though we have cut them back, they are so healthy they grow some more. Some of the trunks are eight inches thick!
CORDAGE: with the iris leaves I do always dry them and then re-dampen (rolling in a damp towel for a little bit works), before tearing into strips. The dampness helps somewhat with keeping the strips from breaking though of course they (the strips) are always somewhat tapered because the leaves are tapered. I did a blog post about it once that might help: https://www.afieldguidetoneedlework.com/blog-2014-2021/making-cordage-a-tutorial-of-sorts
Thanks! That helps a lot.
Watching, reading, laughing with you... the perfect end to my busy day
I’m so disappointed I have to miss the live YouTube stream—I have to work. I love your drawings, weavings, meanderings, and the way you share it with us. I’ve promised myself the fringeless class this winter.
Thank you so much Deb, and I'm so sorry the timing didn't work for you. Scheduling! Crazy. Happily, there is a recording on Youtube ( goofy moments and all), that also includes a coupon code for a Fringeless discount in case you're interested --usable now and you can start the class whenever...
Thank you for sharing your day. There is something in hard physical work that releases the mind once the tension of the body is dealt with. Love your paintings and Beryl. I purchased the fringeless class some time ago after being inspired by Rebecca and you. A woodworker friend make the loom insert for my mirrix. Just need a little courage to try it all out. Maybe soon .....
You are so right about the beneficial effects of hard physical labor. Satisfying enough to somehow make mental space for so much else. Unless, of course, a person is given to overdoing...(ahem Sarah)... and then has to rest and recover! Fringeless is there whenever you're ready for a little wild and brave warping fun...
I would love to come to your live but it is at 3am my time and I’m afraid I don’t have the moral courage to be awake at that hour. I subscribed to a number of publications at the one time and yours is the only one I read. I feel delighted every time it arrives in my inbox. Thank you for your words, your craft, your fine dog, your cartoons and your willingness to share bits of your life with us. Much appreciated.
Yes, 3 AM is a crazy time indeed. SO sorry about that (and glad there is a recording...) So happy though, and flattered, because of what you said about reading The Gusset. Lifts my heart and inspires me on. THANK YOU.
Well, Sarah, those two shots of you smiling at me, and the romp with Beryl through the Palouse made my morning so much brighter. It was also lovely to watch you doing the fringeless weaving, but I’m glad you explained the mirror! I wondered how you did it from the back! Thanks for the good words.
That mirror thing surprised me too, even in the moment. I mean I KNEW it was a mirror, but still... Thanks as ever for being here.
Neat! You and and Rebecca were my first weaving teachers. It’s been a condition ever since. I look forward to see you together again.
Wahoo! What fun to get to be part of your weaving life. What a blast to keep going on together.
You make my heart sing! I love reading about all your adventures, weaving and otherwise. And sweet Beryl! I'm so glad you and she are together. Now that book binding thing... something on my list to learn. And kudos for the cold press. Watercolors really love good paper. Now I am super curious about the lilac logging... the why of it. These chores that come with keeping the house and grounds neat... I have a love/hate relationship with them. The work itself is always so grounding, the doing of it feels good once I get going and the satisfaction of a job done is nice. It's the thought of having to do these things that set my teeth on edge sometimes because I'd rather be playing with yarn. Or with watercolors on good paper. :-) Really looking forward to your YouTube thing with Rebecca!
Oh Ellen, you put it absolutely perfectly. That love/hate relationship with chores. The dread and avoidance and teeth gritting when thinking about having to do it. Then the actual grounding nature of the work. And the huge satisfaction of having it done. Or even, really, to be in the middle. As a wise woman once said "it's way easier to be hiking in the rain than it is to be in the tent with the patter on the roof trying to get yourself to get out there."
Sarah, I'm not one to make frequent comments on-line but I have to tell you, your posts make my heart sing! No matter what you are writing about, I feel your energy and happy vibes and they seem to transfer over the net to me. No small feat considering that I am 80...well maybe 81...and occasionally need a little boost to go about my creative projects. Thank you. I will try to comment more often.
OH golly Lynda, thank you so very much. I'm thrilled to bits -- and have to say that your words inspire me in turn, so it seems to me we have a reciprocal thing going here. Thanks for the reminder.
Sarah, I love your bookbinding! I worked in a book bindery for 3 years in high school. I mainly picked type out of those slanted very skinny drawers to make hot lead slugs (molds) of the book titles. Then I would use them in a hot stamping machine to stamp the title on the spine and/or front of the covers to make enough for lots of textbooks or whatever books they were to go on. I would sometimes use the Linotype instead if that guy was out for the day. I just love seeing your signatures hand-stitched so beautifully! Makes me want to try harder to make my own journals. Geez, how long has that been on my list?! And all related is your astounding Rough Copy series. Book pages, type, or font as we now call it, torn paper, paper with spills, handwriting...thank you for sharing with us your talent!
Lead type -- oh my-- so incredibly romantic to think about that as a way to build words and sentences, to print titles and help to make books beautiful. Just imagining a "Hot Stamping Machine". sounds cool. Well, hot. But cool. And Linotype. Are they still used? One nice thing about curved needles stitching signatures though -- never out of style and so easy to store the tools for whenever a person is ready.
I really don’t know if Linotypes are still used. I used it way back about ‘79-82. We did attend...you’ll love this...a Fiberfest inside our local Newspaper building a few years ago. Vendors were set up in the halls between museum booths. I suddenly began oogling one exhibit, and my 5 kids thought I was crazy! The museum exhibit was a Linotype machine! Don’t worry, I took pictures! But way back, I used the Ludlow machine to make the lead slugs...550 degrees hot! I like it because picking type is very hands on, and more artistic. You pick punctuation, spaces, pretty little separation symbols, etc. With Linotype, you just type. I will soon try sewing the binding like you did...I have my curved needles! If I catch on, I hope to make my own paper, too. It starts with a dream, right?!
Exactly. It all does indeed start with a dream---and sometimes the perfect tool to help that dream to manifest --be it a needle or a piece of type in a carefully organized drawer...
Okay, if it's not too late for tomorrow's YouTube, here's a question: Wherever do you find that small galvanized pipe and fittings?
Now I can't remember -- did we address this? I think I remember Rebecca talking about asking at your local hardware store to see if they can order the parts. And of course there is online. Sometimes places have black pipe versions (vs galvanized). There are a couple of hardware stores in my town and only one of them has the 1/8" pipe that my little loom is made of. They also have 1/4" which is just as good (and even a little sturdier". Good luck
You don't look grim in that video, it's concentration! So cool with the mirror. And how do you keep the camera so steady while walking behind Beryl...?
Gosh -- a steady camera! I have no idea. I'm just holding it in my hand. I'll have to pay attention next time. Maybe I unconsciously go all loose limbed to absorb the unevenness? Thanks for a fun thing to think about. (of course now that I am thinking about it, perhaps the videos will go all jerky?????)