6:45. Alarm. Fuzz. I am so slow to wake up.
Then I remember. Whoot! Another day in tapestry-land.
Walk. Breakfast.
The grueling commute down the hall to the office takes all of two seconds.
Arriving at work, the team meets to review the plans for the day.
Today is a video day. Do I need wardrobe? Heck yes I need wardrobe. I always do, but alas, that position hasn't been filled yet so whatever is in my closet that doesn't have pizza stains on the front is what I will wear. I might even iron. But not today. Today the video includes only my hands (quick check for dirt or gross hairs, pimples, moles, or anything that needs to be covered with a bandaid... looking good).
Today I'm finishing a shaped pick and pick video for the Color Gradation Techniques online course. Then I'm weaving two transparency examples for another section of the same course. Think I can finish three small tapestries in one day? We shall see!
But before the video shooting commences, there is teaching to be done.
Heading to the classroom...
I answer questions for the ongoing online classes. Sometimes they are all-consuming and it takes me much of a day to do a good job addressing them. Other days, and today is one of these, it takes just a few minutes to catch up. Thursdays and Fridays are the slowest days in my virtual classroom.
Today it is just some feedback on a regular hatching sample (well done) and some tips about weft tension (warps drawing together for a few inches in one spot of the weaving which is beginning to cause other problems). I take a close zoom in on the student samples I'm examining looking for problems that they don't know might be coming down the road. If I can head off some frustration, I have a better chance of helping them feel successful.
Quick troll through the email inbox for anything that has to be answered right away. Another 2017 conference scheduled, a webinar outline reviewed, a few random answers to questions about upcoming online classes sent off and I'm done with the computer for a few hours.
Then I'm off to the video room in the basement for my day of weaving pick and pick and transparencies.
Some days include long long stretches of computer work. Mostly video editing and writing. My boss sometimes lets me do a little spinning or knitting when waiting for a video to upload or if I get too cranky.
8 pm update:
I had an unexpected trip to the grocery store (out of eggs, milk, cereal, vegetables, fruit, yogurt... pretty much all food). So the weaving workload was not completed. I made a good dent in it though.
I finished the pick and pick sample. See evidence below, and it was woven from the front(!!) Next sample I'll actually use a cartoon.
And I did 2/3rds of the first transparency sample. This is clearly the back.
All things considered, I got quite a lot done today.
I'm off to do some spinning and read a fascinating book by Deborah Chandler: Traditional Weavers of Guatemala. I highly recommend it!
Tomorrow is another day.
Then I remember. Whoot! Another day in tapestry-land.
Walk. Breakfast.
The grueling commute down the hall to the office takes all of two seconds.
Arriving at work, the team meets to review the plans for the day.
Today I'm finishing a shaped pick and pick video for the Color Gradation Techniques online course. Then I'm weaving two transparency examples for another section of the same course. Think I can finish three small tapestries in one day? We shall see!
But before the video shooting commences, there is teaching to be done.
Heading to the classroom...
Today it is just some feedback on a regular hatching sample (well done) and some tips about weft tension (warps drawing together for a few inches in one spot of the weaving which is beginning to cause other problems). I take a close zoom in on the student samples I'm examining looking for problems that they don't know might be coming down the road. If I can head off some frustration, I have a better chance of helping them feel successful.
Quick troll through the email inbox for anything that has to be answered right away. Another 2017 conference scheduled, a webinar outline reviewed, a few random answers to questions about upcoming online classes sent off and I'm done with the computer for a few hours.
Then I'm off to the video room in the basement for my day of weaving pick and pick and transparencies.
I had an unexpected trip to the grocery store (out of eggs, milk, cereal, vegetables, fruit, yogurt... pretty much all food). So the weaving workload was not completed. I made a good dent in it though.
I finished the pick and pick sample. See evidence below, and it was woven from the front(!!) Next sample I'll actually use a cartoon.
I'm off to do some spinning and read a fascinating book by Deborah Chandler: Traditional Weavers of Guatemala. I highly recommend it!
Tomorrow is another day.