Remembering Fall Wall Hanging - Hand-dyed wool yarn

When I was in grad school I had the wonderful experience of taking a spinning and dyeing class. What a world of information I learned, and was completely turned on to dyeing yarns. The class focused on wool, and I was amazed at the amount of colors we came up with. This is nothing new. People have been dyeing wool and other fibers for centuries, but what fun it was for me.

Here are some examples of what I learned. I created these cards as a recipe box to keep, and glad I did that I seeing I want to do this again soon!

Hand-dyeing yarn is a slow process, but a very rewarding one. You don't have to do a project like this one where I used many, many colors together. You can simply dye one skein of yarn and weave, knit or crochet a scarf or any project you choose! With dying your own yarn you get the exact color you like and that is the benefit once you know the technique of which natural dye to use. No one else's art will look like yours because you benefit from the knowledge you gained in dyeing wool. 

"Remembering Fall" is simply an elegant addition to your home. Creatively hand-woven in an eight-harness twill pattern. Each color has been dyed individually by me to achieve the color palette I desired. I designed the weaving as I wove it grabbing the color I thought I wanted to go next to the other and so forth. I finished the wall hanging by twisting the tassels.

The color palette is reminiscent of the soft dull hues of fall. Think of walking through a field, forest or along a pond for color inspirations for this art piece during an early fall day.

This should be hung in your stair well or on a wall away from direct sunlight or artificial light so that the colors do not fade. It could also be a wide table runner or placed over another piece of furniture like an upright piano as a runner. "Remembering Fall" was lovingly created to enhance your home and bring joy to your life every day.

The size of this wall hanging is 22" (approximately) x 72" (approximately - tassels included).

The Best Thing

The best thing happened to me on Saturday. A little guy (around 5 years of age) who I had taught cardboard weaving to came up to me at a rock concert for kids and told me how much he worked on his coin/treasure pouch project. His mom told me how much he really loved it! I was so happy to meet her and see the pride in her eyes. He finished it for his art show that he is having with his classmates in pre-K today. He even named his treasure pouch. How fun!

 

(In the picture I have removed the artist's name. You can still see what he has titled it and what his asking price is. This is a pre-K class and they are learning how to count money and give back change, etc. at their very own art exhibition. His parents will be "buying" this from him.)

 

I am enjoying teaching again. Just a little here and there. I don't have to get through to every child ~ not at all. This past Saturday I really did learn that a student I was teaching last Wednesday totally got into weaving.  This is what makes me happy and I am still smiling.

 

The fun thing about this coin/treasure pouch is that it involves several processes that are core to a child's everyday education. It teaches eye/hand coordination, planning ahead to the next step, the concept of opposites and then of course fine motor skill. It encourages concentration and focus. It is a project that shows the child instant results as they watch their weaving grow into what they are creating. They then begin to understand how something is made. Which then will lead to understanding and questioning how other things are created or made. Logic is never ever a bad thing. Right?


What I love most though is that this "technology" is as old as man practically. People have been weaving for a long, long time. It's a very simple process and yet it takes effort and persistence. Of course it came around because of necessity. People needed shelter over their heads, clothing on their bodies, and items to carry their goods or even babies in.

We take weaving for granted a lot today. Our jeans we wear are woven, not knitted. Most fabric for our furniture, sheets for our beds, curtains for our windows and even our tents are woven. So we still are using weaving in the same way, but today it is done for us. We do not have to create that which we need. We go buy it. Unless you are me and enjoy making what I want!

So, for me just planting some creative ideas into the minds of others in order to understand a process I am in love with ~ some would probably say obsessed with ~ gives me a lot of joy. Once you understand the process and master the technique then your creativity kicks in. New and beautiful things start to happen. Things you dreamed about creating now become reality and you can then share them with the world. This is what art is at it's core and what drives me.

Not too long ago I decided I would get back to what I love and I came up with some plans.  I am so glad I did. This little kid absolutely has made my year and stole my heart. I can't wait until I teach the next time to see what I learn from those I work with one on one. Then see what they create and take away from the project. Learning is life long and the best thing in my opinion.

An invitation to FestivALL's Children's Make and Take booths!

I am so very excited and honored. I was invited to teach in the "Make and Take" Children's booth for FestivALL.  The main word in that second sentence is "invited." There will be eight artists sharing with children their art.  What a GREAT way to get an art form out there to the public. I doubt that many children understand what weaving is or even what it takes to weave jeans that they wear all the time. So, educating the kids might lead to the love of weaving. You just never know and I am happy to be there to teach them.

I am now preparing 300 card board looms for the children ages 5 and above to weave their very own coin or treasure pouch! :) I am also creating paper greeting cards that children of any age will be weaving with paper. That way if they are not interested in the pouch or purse then they can still get some exposure to the art by the way of paper weaving.  It's nice to have a choice.

So, to make these looms I am cutting down old boxes and such that I have gathered.  Then scoring and folding in half, cutting notches every 1/4 inch to then put a warp on (that's the string that is on the cardboard loom above in the picture.)  This example in the picture is a little bigger than the ones I am making for FestivALL.

The weaving actually starts where the folded part is at the bottom of the loom. Then you go around the loom until you get to the top of the short folded section. You could weave a solid color, a stripe or any combo you can come up with. With a tapestry needle and your favorite yarn you can create any look you like.

This is one I am currently working on with some hand-spun, hand-dyed yarn I created a long while ago! It's very relaxing to go over and under the threads watching your weaving grow. And it's also a very quick project that a lot of kids find they enjoy.

When you can no longer go around the loom anymore, then you just go back and forth on the warp that is on the back of the loom until you get to the very top of the loom. This creates the flap that folds over the pouch.

What a fun way to learn to weave and even upcycle a bit with that cardboard you are getting ready to recycle anyway. This is a FREE event! The children are welcome to sit as long as they like with a parent assisting them at the booth creating this.  They will also get to take the loom home with them and all the yarn they need to finish up the project with instructions. If they like they can restring it at home and create another. The looms usually last for two or three projects.

Some may like to incorporate a button and loop for the pouch to have it close and stay closed. You can do this or leave it as is. You can use a blanket stitch around it and create a long loop for a handle to wear it around your neck also. Whatever you do with your design it is yours to play with.

Here is an example of one I made my daughter. She uses it each day to hold her special treasure she finds outside as she plays.

So I better get back to work on creating these for the children of FestivALL. I will be there on Saturday the 26th from 10am-6pm and Sunday the 27th from 11am-5pm. Come by the booth and visit with me and enjoy one of the projects I will be helping with! I would love to see you or even introduce you to something I love!

The never ending blanket!

Oh what a time I have had with this one. It's a gorgeous blanket and exactly what I wanted, but it took me almost 3 years to finish it!

I got the idea from my husband. He wanted a blanket that would cover him from head to toe and very soft. So, I found this great yarn that was fuzzy and wonderful on sale. I located my circular knitting needles and got started. I took it with me when I was waiting for my kid's therapy to be over, waiting for my kid to get out of school in the pick up line, and everywhere else when I had a break or time to knit for a bit.

So, why complain about it. Well, it really isn't the project that I disliked. It was the amount of time I was taking to do it. It's simply knitted and pearled. I reversed the stitches to create some pattern and switched out colors to create a random stripe to it. Really what it was is that I told my husband that I was making it for him and felt since I had told him that I should be doing the project fast.  I couldn't seem to stay on track with this project. So it drug out for a long while. He was patient and didn't complain, but I felt since I told him that I should be getting it done! ha! Well, I think my best procrastinating self took over.  Knitting a huge blanket is very warm...so knitting in warmer weather was out!

Long story short, it is done now. I still have some ends to sew in, but I can do that when the weather turns to crisp mornings again during football season! ha!

I do love the way it came out and now my husband can cover himself from his head to completely over his toes in comfort.

Doing what you love, making mistakes and learning!

Are you doing what you love? Do you take just a little time each day to think about what you love and how you are going to do it? I ask this because for a very long time I didn't even think about doing what I loved. I went about my day working, cleaning, taking care of everything, but me. I noticed I didn't really care about what I ate, what I did or didn't do and eventually it got to me.

So, in early 2008 I decided to start doing what I love again. It's made all the difference. My FibersStudio adventure is going full steam ahead in my spare time. Yes, my spare time. Ugh. See along with being a dreamer I am also a mom, a wife, a graphic designer & web design contractor and on and on.  All these responsibilities (!!!) have piled up over the years. Hmmm....so how do you make time to do what you love?

I began to say NO! to those things that weren't what I wanted to do. Politely of course! I gave up TV which I don't even like most of the time. I gave up the rat race. I gave up wanting new things and instead find thrifty ways to obtain through trade, making, etc. I gave up going out to dinner a lot or eating out a lot. I gave up many, many things that people do everyday without thinking. And you know what? I gained everything I love about my life back again.

I started finding and gathering my yarn, my books, my sewing machine, my loom. I started thinking about how to start this new adventure. I began knitting because at the time my kids were 7, 2 & 1. I could easily begin a knit project, go outside with the kids and run them to and from school with knitting needles with yarn in tow. It was a great start!

Then with the kids sleeping regularly after 16 months straight of NOT sleeping through the night I began to plan larger projects for the loom. I didn't get to this until a year later, but once I did I knew I could sit and weave for a time with the kids busy with projects like homemade playdough, coloring, etc. I took the time to create in the evenings when I wasn't working as a contractor. I dreamed of a logo and name for my adventure along with starting a Etsy shop!

And in the next year I made lots of scarves, lots of baby blankets and lots of mistakes! Oh, but I learned. Some things I made mistakes on I even knew better. Like the deep purple shawl I planned with this lovely cotton, rayon and flax yarn I had found in Asheville, NC almost two years ago. It's got a slub (a bump ever so often where a little extra yarn is left) in it. I used it in the warp even though I knew better! Oh, well it broke several times. I will not tell a lie. So, I cut the project short and now it is a really lovely table runner. I made mistakes with how I took pictures and learned over time no flash and afternoon daylight on a white background works wonders for your products!

Even though I did make those mistakes I never lost sight of my goals. I just kept plugging along when I could at what I love to do. In the process I feel like I am being more true to myself and I have started to pay better attention to what I need. Not what I want necessarily, but what I really need. I do need to go to bed at a decent time and sleep through the night. Something I was not doing before and really it got me way down energy wise. I started thinking about what I was eating and how my body was doing. I started riding my bike and walking again. I loved riding as a kid. What freedom! I still feel that same feeling each time I hop on. I began to do things in small increments and not all at once. And with each little gain I gained a little bit of me back.

Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of our wants, needs and goals, but with a little bit of effort and a whole lot of desire we can get back to the things that make us most happy in life and find reward in what we do.

FibersStudio Debuts as an Exhibitor at Art Expo 2010

Wow, what a fun and fantastic time I had. I will say this...I am worn completely out! It took me six days to even start writing this post. I am calling it post expo exhaustion!

Setup for the Art Expo 2010 was a breeze the night before. I had a good helper: My Mom. She's a pro at getting things done. Thank goodness for such people in this world and I am so fortunate to be related to her. We've always worked well in this fashion. When I was in high school and college I sold merchandise and tickets at Mountain Stage (Mom's an associate producer there). It was like old times except the roles were reversed. She did a fabulous job and wouldn't even let me pay her. Hmmm, she just might be due for some new woven table linens don't you think? She's more than earned them.


On Expo Day, we got there early in order to set up the last little bits of this and that, tag some items for sale, and make sure we had everything the way we wanted. It really worked out beautifully. While I helped teach children and adults to weave on a small cardboard loom, Mom took over sales. Many friends and family came to visit and see the expo. It was so good to see so many!

Honestly, I couldn't have done any better in my mind. I was in the Charleston Daily Mail the Friday before. Talk about publicity! Nice article and it focused on my education, current adventure with FibersStudio and the activity I had planned for children or whomever wanted to learn to weave. I was completely floored and honored. I heard from many friends who had read it and this made the event even more special.

I am of the mind that experience is also a key educational tool. So I went into this expo thinking if I sell one item I'd be happy. Well, I sold more than one. I sold enough to pay for my booth cost & the cost of the trip to and from. I made a very nice profit.

I loved that people whom I did not know that had read the article in the paper about me and came to see me. Some made a the very direct point that they were there because they wanted to meet the weaver in the paper. Some were weavers & knitters themselves. I enjoyed talking to them and hearing their thoughts on what I had done, but especially seeing their eyes light up when they began talking about their own projects. When you really love what you do it shows in how you talk about it. I notice that people usually square their shoulders a bit, lift their head, look into your eyes and talk with such grace about what they do in full smile. Some wanted to know about the project I had prepared for the kids. I gave away many cardboard loom kits to those who were interested. I figure why not? What better marketing tool is there out there than giving something to someone. Maybe they'll find something they love in trying something new.

The kids were amazing. This was my favorite part because I love teaching even though I do not do it now for a living. I would simply hand the children a loom, their favorite color of yarn on the table and a plastic tapestry needle. Then I would show them the very basic technique of weaving over and under each warp thread. With in seconds they got it -really got it! They took to the project very quickly. They were excited about it and talked about it, and asked for help! In the end most had to go before they finished, but they just took their little kits with them yarn, needle and all. I was happy they liked it enough to take it home with them!

I preach "Do what you LOVE!" constantly to anyone who will listen. I am extremely passionate about what I do whether it is graphic design, web design, being a mom, speaking about autism or even my FibersStudio adventures. I am a complete dreamer who fully fits those lyrics, "Dream on, dream on, dream until your dreams come true" that's sung by Aerosmith. Cheesy, but true!

I believe to the depths of my soul that if you really do what you love good things will come to you. That's why I started FibersStudio. I needed to get back to doing what I really loved and I felt I had no choice but to start when I did. There was no question in my mind that I could not wait any longer.  I am only now working in my spare time with my FibersStudio adventure, but it's all mine and I love it.

A fortune I recently got in a cookie said this: "Through greater effort and hard work a precious dream comes true." I can honestly say this dream is coming true and I am a happy girl.

Do something you love today. Never ever be afraid to dream and go for it! For me going to the Art Expo and getting my name out there was just that. I cannot tell you how happy I was to hug my friend from high school that introduced me to the expo! Or how much it meant to just be out there. It made all the difference!

Gearing up as an exhibitor!

Yes, gearing up for my first art show as an exhibitor with FibersStudio. I am excited also because I am getting to help with special exhibits for children. I will be teaching weaving—a simple coin/treasure pouch on a cardboard loom. I have been making the looms for days! Should have 100 packets that include the loom, instructions and yarn for the project ready by Sunday.

The Art Expo 2010 has painting, pottery, photography, digital photography, jewelry & clothes designing, etc. A lot for people to do with many age ranges in mind.

I am not nervous at all. Basically I am looking to this experience as just that...experience. It's hard to gage how much to take or even what will sell. I am fully aware that I may sell nothing, but just getting my name out there is going to help me in the long run. That is part of the reason why I am doing this. So my business will grow a bit.

So, I have my knitted scarves ready to go, and woven shawl with hand-painted glass beads, a hand-dyed & hand-woven wall hanging, and finally a wide woven table runner. Plus 6 woven baby blankets. I'll probably go ahead and take the few bits of paper products too. So there is some variety.

What I am trying to decide on is if I want to take orders on items-most likely shawls and scarves. So tonight and tomorrow I will be figuring out if I should attempt this. If I do, I will most likely have a picture of the end product and then samples of the yarn next to it to choose from.

I think though I'm most excited to see people I haven't for a while. This is taking place in Charleston, WV and I grew up there from 8th grade on and went to Marshall University. So I am hoping to see some friends.

I'll let you know how things went and take pictures too!