Weavers' Delight--WOW!

Our WOW (Way Out West) Weavers meeting for January was a discussion on our year long project--Traditional Swedish Weaving.  Members brought books, photos, ideas to the meeting. What shall we weave--can it be non-traditional colors or should we stick to the traditional colors?  What about yarns?  What about..................  We SO do not want to be confined to one set of rules--these are non-traditional weavers!

Then our leader, Marian, pulls out her samples with linen

She has decided on the weave structure but now deciding on what weft to use

 

Then on this sample she had hemstitching to finish off

Karen brought her window pane Swedish lace

Gerry had other lace pieces to show

These pieces were woven for a previous state conference

An interesting traditional Swedish weaving with traditional colors

Then there is Monk Belts weave structure

This shows another technique to add interest to the woven cloth

 

How about Swedish rug weaving?

And then there was the opportunity to present other weaving that were not Swedish

Karen used beads in the weft

Here is M & O's weaving cloth

Then Boundweave on Rosepath threading

More samples of absolutely wonderful weaving!

Here is a composite of Karen's Boundweave along with some textiles she bought in Philippines

Another composite with colorful weaves on the bottom and Turkish rug at the top (a gift from Barbara's daughter's travel to Turkey)  So glad we have trained our kids right to look for interesting textiles on their worldly travels!!

 

Weavers' Awakening!

Our first Westside weavers meeting of 2014--we are wakening from a long holiday and ready to plunge back into our textiles. At our January meeting, we usually do not have much to show from our looms; but we share whatever we can.

Connie was gifted a class in a fused glass studio

Very creative and lovely

 

Rosemary was our January hostess and she pulled out her Christmas card selection for 2013.  She has been making cards for 30+ years and decided that she would use the bits and pieces from the ends of the warps

She didn't really like the red, pink, green striped cards but this works very well with her weavings

Another card from a member's stash

close-up view of the weaving pattern

This cute fellow came from a distance--even though he isn't woven, he was a hit with the recipient.

I think that's a handspun ribbon about his neck!  Our meetings are always encouraging and enlightening. 

Fishes, Owls, Dogs--OH MY!

It's that time again--first of month and what rolls around but Fat Cat Patterns. 

Our November fish is swimming onward and upward....

How about December fish? 

The January Fish looks really 'uppity'!

Three Little Owls sitting on the branch--Whooooo!

I'm really getting into these owls! 

 

Here is December Owl sitting pretty.................

 

This is the owl of the new year--Viola!  Welcome to the flock-do owls join flocks or are they loners??

FINALLY!!  I found the star fabric for the doggies!  Have you ever looked for something so many times and wonder what you could have done with it? And then you find it right under your nose??!!  There it was--right on the cutting table, in the upper corner, sitting under a box of pencils--honestly, how could I have missed it for so long?  oh, well, it's been found and the dogs can find a resting place instead of being in pieces...................

We will soon round out our dogs and finish up a quilt

I'm learning so many different ways to use I-phone photos--if you are taking a photo and want snow, just rub the photo button several times and you get snow!!  You've got to love technology! 

 

"Woof Woof!"  It has been fun creating all these doggies; just two more to go and I've run out of star fabric as background--I think there will be some young tike who will love cuddling up with this quilt!

ROC DAY!! OR DISTAFF DAY!!

Distaff Day, also called Roc Day, is 7 January, the day after the feast of the Epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff's Day, one of the many unofficial holidays in Catholic nations.
Many St. Distaff's Day gatherings were held, large and small, throughout local fiber community. The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women's work.
In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the twelve days of Christmas. Women of all classes would spend their evenings spinning on the wheel. During the day, they would carry a drop spindle with them. Spinning was the only means of turning raw wool, cotton or flax into thread, which could then be woven into cloth.
Men have their own way of celebrating this occasion; this is done through Plough Monday. It is the first Monday after Epiphany where men are supposed to get back to work.
Every few years, Distaff Day and Plough Monday falls on the same day. Often the men and women would play pranks on each other during this celebration, as was written by Robert Herrick in his poem "Saint Distaffs day, or the Morrow After Twelfth Day" which appears in his Hesperides.
Some modern craft groups have taken up the celebration of Distaff day as part of their new year celebrations.

And since January 7, 2014 falls on midweek day, our Roc Day celebration took place the weekend before--January 4.  We gather our spindles, our wheels, fibers and food (food is always encouraged!) and meet at a central location.  This year we met at Skyloom Weavers studio.

luscious fibers to spin.............

a chance to try a new fiber or spinning technique

an opportunity to see how one spinner uses her wheel

questions answered and topics discussed

Oh, yes, a chance to spin on a flax wheel

and see what exactly a distaff is and how it works

works in progress on the Cricket loom that Skyloom Weavers sell and use

and then there is the large floor loom to see in operation

Always a spindle or two in sight--this one spinning silk hankies

Ah, yes a chance for the spinners and weavers to get back to their wheels and looms after a long holiday sleep--treadle on!

LET'S BUILD A SNOWMAN!



Yes, Let's build that Snowman or Snowmen and Snow-women!!  What fun this pattern has been to comply--I'm sorry I didn't get around to working with it sooner.  I began this January, 2013 and it's about time it was finished for January, 2014.  After Christmas this is always a 'down' feeling--all the Christmas decorations are put away and the house looks so bare--that's where Snowmen and women come.............................why not decorate with them for most of January?!!  So the collection began




This is definitely an 'aged' pattern!  Out of the closet and onto the sewing table.......

Yes, we are building a snowman--without snow!

Every snowman begins as just a scrap of fabric

And here we go..................

 One strip at a time.................

 

come on guys!  We are assembling another snowman!

Oh what fun to see them gather on fabric

Blanket stitch puts the finishing touch

Yes, we built a snowman and some snow women too!  Off to the quilters and we are adding to our January collection!

Happy snowman gathering to you!