Basket Case!

Have you ever said "I'm a basket case"?  Then there is the laugh track, "taking a college course like basket weaving"!  Implying that you are not a serious student!  Well, excuse me!  Have you ever looked at your baskets?  Everyone of those baskets is handmade by a person!! or maybe many people had a hand in twists and turning the reeds!  A basket is a weaving!

I bring this up now as we are packing to move to another location and I come across my baskets--oh so decorative and useful for storage.  I have many--some I've collected over the years; others were gifts.  While living in Venezuela it was a treat to find that perfect basket made in the Orinoco Delta--in fact, I collected so many--large, small, smaller!

Loved these little baskets!

and these lovely trays or plates!

It was my passion to collect a basket from every state I visited--one from Louisiana made from Palmetto leaves, another from dried pine needles; in fact, you can make a basket from any fiber that is bendable.  There are baskets made from split oak, weeping willow, sweet grass ( smell so wonderful!)

Years ago, we had a basket weaving obsession!  We gathered our own vines, willows, anything that would make a weaveable warp and weft--we had such fun invading our friends backyard and nearby fields!  Then we sat by the swimming pool as the vines soaked, shared stories, laughed and wove our own special basket. 

Tapestry Weaving!

 Tapestry weaving techniques that were used in ancient days are still in vogue today!  Yelp, not much has changed in tapestry weaving.  There are some different approaches to this world of over and under.  There are modern weavers using Tapestry as their avenue of art.  Take Sharon Crary's work--she is manipulating the weft to ripple and wave!

Sometimes Tapestry weavers will use a cartoon for their placement.  

Yarns of many colors are used in this weaving.

The Navajo weavers will use this simple loom

and some will use only the natural sheep color wool~

If you fancy contemporary tapestries, much as Sharon does, check out 

American Tapestry Alliance--this organization promotes tapestry and those who weave

tapestry

And the love of tapestry goes on and on with artists original work--check out

Tapisserie Contemporaine

SAQA Benefit Auction

Beginning today Wonderful pieces of fabric art will be auctioned off on Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. (SAQA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt through education, exhibitions, professional development, documentation, and publications. SAQA defines an art quilt as "a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure."

Founded in 1989 by an initial group of 50 artists, SAQA now has over 3,000 members: artists, teachers, collectors, gallery owners, museum curators and corporate sponsors. A dedicated core of volunteers and staff keep the organization vibrant, dynamic, and progressive. 

This is your chance to own beautiful, unique art quilts by some of the world’s finest artists. Plus, your purchases help increase the recognition for art quilts and the artists who make them while supporting SAQA’s exhibitions, publications, and education outreach.

Back To The Basics

It is that time of the year when the weaving study groups begin again after a summer rest.  The other day, I was thinking of how I could get my mind back into the weaving mode again.  So, let's get back to Basics in the weaving world.   I went searching......................................................

and all my searching bought back memories---memories of how and why I began to weave!  and what did I find?  Lots of the way I learned!

Frame Loom weaving!  Yes, this is the way I learned back in 1970's.  So, guess what?

What was old is new again!  How exciting is that?!!

This is an inexpensive way to begin.   I went to the local lumber store (no Big Box stores then!) and got lumber to build a frame--got a ball of cable thread, warped the loom and went over and under with some awful yarn!  But, I was weaving!  Then I visited the local library and found all the weaving books--all two of them--came home and threw myself into learning!  But, the best part of weaving--You can find other weavers who have the same mind set as you!   Hence, you find a wonderful guild and study groups to encourage you on your path to weaving!

Now, you just open your computer and there the whole world is your oyster!

Here are some interesting sites I found to get back to basics.

Playfullearning

Pinterest (loom threadings too)

Loom and Spindle

Hey Natalie Jean

Learn to Weave

Winter's A Comin'--Have a Cardigan!

Well, I know it's time for the weather to take a turn to the cooler side.  Also, you can tell by the number of sweater and cardigan patterns featured on Ravelry!  I've never had much success with knitting any shaped piece!  But, that doesn't mean I can't learn--so when this popped up on Yarn Madness, I said to myself--"self, why don't you give this a try?"  The pattern states that it is worked from the top down and in one piece, using worsted or aran weight yarn –The fit is relaxed-- and the topper of the whole project-- the whole garment is worked in garter stitch, so not a purl stitch in sight!  Sounds good to me!  

Want to join in?! 

Gauge

4 sts and 7-8 rows per inch in garter stitch

Sizes

Actual bust circumference of garment:
30/32.5/35.5/39 (42/44/47/49) inches, or
75/81/88/98 (106/111/118/122) cm

Approximately: XS/S/M/M2 (L/XL/2X/3X)
Size guide: Choose the size closest to your actual bust circumference, or 1-2 inches larger. The cardigan is indented to be worn with a close or slightly loose fit..

 Worsted or light aran weight yarn; approximately

MC – main color
800/850/900/950 (1050/1150/1250/1350) yards, or 730/780/820/880 (960/1050/1150/1250) meters
CC – contrasting color
60/65/70/75 (80/90/100/110) yards, or 55/60/65/70 (75/80/90/100) meters
You can use a single contrasting color, split the yardage equally between 4/4/4/5 (5/5/5/5) different ones, or alternate between 2-3 contrasting colors.

Two 5.5 mm (US 9) circular needles, or size to match gauge

QOV 2015- a Block Drive!!!

QOV 2015- a Block Drive!!!  Quilts of Valor needs you!

Every year, Alycia, sponsors a quilt block drive!  This year is no exception so here are the 2015 blocks!  What fun these will be to create!  and you can stash dive, just as long as red, white and blue fabrics are used.  

What is QOV?  It is a small way we as fiberists can honor our military service personnel--so join in

make one block or many and contribute to this worthy cause.

Thanks Alycia for giving us a chance to assist in this outstanding way!

Want to Rub a Fish?

Soooo,  you are a fisherman and you either throw the fish back or you save it for the table--now, if you are one of those that say--"it was thisssssssss big" and nobody believes you!  Here is a way to prove the size...fish rubbing! It's called Gyotaku--GYO means fish, TAKU means print, rubbing, or impression. It's pronounced ghe-yo-tah-koo.  Early Japanese used this method of recording the size and type of their catch. It wasn't long before they realized that the images were beautiful art.

Isn't this just too cool?  How about a day of play and make some fish rubbings?  Don't have regular fish to use and don't want to go to the fish market?  There are rubber fish!!  Yes, rubber fish you can rub--how eeky is that?   Anyway, Here is another website that offers more information if you want to do some Gyotaku!