MATERIAL MATRIX REVISITED

Here are photos from Contemporary Handweavers of Houston Material Matrix exhibit. Some of the pieces were difficult to photography so they could not be presented here. Enjoy more of these fine masterpieces!

Blaine Davis' version of "Riff on a Fake Kandinsky"
"Ocean Garden" by Elisa Lewis
Therese Coucher "Untitled II"
Close-up view of "Turned Monksbelt Scarf" by Connie Elliott. Sorry that the full view was blurry.
"White and Gold Iris" by Joanne Purkis. The pieces encased were difficult to photography.
"Present Sorrow" by Lynn Williams

"Celery Delight Kitchen Towel" by Barbara Nelson

Close-up view

Some lovely baskets "Elm Bark" by Connie Huelbig

"Postivo Negativo #2" by Giovanna Imperia

"Fantasy Flowers" by Charlotte Jean Hatch

"Little Summer Scarf"

by Barbara Nelson

"Ethereal Earth" by Diane Ferguson
Antje Goldflam "Friends"
"Lady of the Lake Scarf" by Lynn Smetko

Antje Goldflam presents "Cherry Trees in Spring"

"Long Distance Link" woven by Tracy Kaestner

"Ripe Plums Are Falling" Janet Bodin
Linda Sura's basket "Bamboo Grove"
"The Solace of Ambiguity" by Laura Viada. The spotlight blurs the pattern

"Navel Entry" Colette Durbin

MATERIAL MATRIX

Contemporary Handweavers of Houston (CHH) is celebrating its 60th Anniversary with “Material Matrix,” an exhibit of contemporary fiber art, at Gallery M-Squared, 339 W. 19th St., in Houston’s historic Heights. The show will run through November 14. Material Matrix was juried by Ann Matlock of Johnson City, Texas and Patricia Spark of Albany, Oregon, both internationally recognized fiber artists. Ms. Matlock is known for her elegant, tapestries featuring handspun and hand-dyed yarns. She also heads the fiber arts program at Lamar University. Ms. Spark is known for her “watercolor felt.” She is also a sought-after teacher and author on the subject. The Gallery is an interesting space. Located in an converted theater, the area is large and very diverse for exhibits. Although the lighting is good for textiles, it makes it very difficult to photograph a decent picture. Let's take a stroll through the art pieces. This first one is an exquisite pillow made by Elisa James and is felted using handerchief for the center section of the design.
"Thinking Straight" by Laura Viada shows the workings of double weave--straight lines or is it an optical affect?
"Crimson Butterflies" by Charlene Kolb is very wearable or used strictly for an art piece.
Close-up view of weave structure
Dee Dee Woodbury creates "Citrus Silks"
A 'new' weaver, Marian Carlson, shows off her not so kitchen towels--too lovely to use!
Nice weave structure.

Lynn Smetko leads warp painting to this elegant scarf "Quercy Fall Ivy Scarf"

Her weaving never fails to delight the eye and hand.

"Play" by Dee Dee Woodbury uses silk paper and silk threads to make a grid

Close-up:

"The Sands of Time Continue to Fall" woven by Tracy Kaestner.

Lovely weaving!

And this wonderful cape from the loom of Tracy--"Sylvan Cloak"

Sorry, this photo is blurry, but the weaving technqiue wins the prize.

"It's My Party" dress by Diane Rinkoff--felted top with tulle skirt also sporting felted flowers.

Scharine Kirchoff presents "Dianto's Tuffet"
Fanciful felt with stitching
And Jewelry is the accessory: from the hands of Linda Sura, Giovanna Imperia, Kathie Hayes
A tree full of felted hats by Barbara Kile.
"A Hymnal: Songs of Praise" presented by Caryn Vukelich is a clever way to show weaving samples
Simply titled "A Summer Curtain" by Connie Elliott is not necessarily just a curtain!
Close-up view
Giovanna Imperia's piece consists of stainless steel warp and silk weft--pliable and movable--fluid.
"Follow the Tracks" by Charlene Kolb is another show piece
Barbara Esterholm shows off her color variations and warp dyeing technique with "Garden Pathways"
Best of Show Award went to this transparency woven by Laura Viada--a real feast for the eyes.
A seven foot monster (not really) "Fiona" rests lazily on the floor of the gallery--all felted by three talented hands: Barbara Kile, Sherry Doty, Betsy Finger
Therese Coucher shows off this untitled piece of warp face weave.
These are just a sampling of the wonderful pieces on display! Stop in and take in the sights of "Material Matrix".

That Special Place

Do you have a location to place those mementos that are special to you? Those things received over years of volunteering, working, traveling, corresponding, loving...........these things are too precious to throw away and must be kept and reviewed periodically. These walls of the sewing room sport memories of past years. It is a walk down memory lane every day.
Your eyes wonder over the small tokens of appreciation.................
Some serious, some funny, some antiques, but all very important to only one...............
Badges of conferences...............
Ribbons of accomplishments........................
Happiness and sadness of foreign life.............................
Drawings from grandchildren and handwork from friends.......................
Small notes of love...................................
Buttons, newspaper clippings, postcards, silly reminders of friendships.
That special place lives in ones heart and mind but these small things on the wall gives a hint to those reminders.

Bits N Pieces

It's Monday--a day to gather up some loose ends and consolidate after several days of 'stuff' just lying around the house. Just can't seem to get the old 'act' together though; just feel kind of like those loose ends. Off we go..............we did begin work on September's row from Fat Cat and October's row is in the mix--somewhere on this table.
And, we are behind the schedule of these little critters--still have three more to stitch before it can be combined into a hanging. Now, where are those print outs?
Finally! this piece was completed; well, we can finally stitched but not completed. It came from one of the First Friday projects from 2009!
More 'stuff' arrived via post. Of course, it's good 'stuff'. Nice sock yarn from Little Knits. It was on sale; just a grab bag so choice was up to shippers, but this is nice sock yarn, Rio de la Plata.
And other 'stuff' arrived! A selection of batiks (on sale, of course) from Hancock Fabrics. Always good to have on hand but there is a small thought looming in the back of the mind where these fabrics will be applied.
From Knit Picks, a bundle of sock yarns to make this pair of socks from the book, "Thinking Outside of the Box". Now, for something completely different.....the next section of the year long project from Ravelry on the Lace Sampler. We are down to the wire with this one and keeping up to date, believe it or not. Okay, it's time to go 'gather' and apply energy to finishing at least one UFO today!