A flick carder and the two-hundred mile walk

A flick carder and the two-hundred mile walk

Do you ever reach a point where you just feel brittle? I can't think of a better word to describe my current state. I'm a little tired after the summer's teaching trips, but that passes eventually. No, the feeling is more of edginess. Like I'm living a little too close to the top of things--skimming along instead of feeling grounded.

Teaching is something I love dearly. Those of you in my online classes can attest to this. Most of the time I relish the opportunity to explain something a different way or to make a new video to review or provide more information about a concept. I will not give up the teaching. There is something immensely gratifying about interacting with students and I love the online format where I get to do this every day.

Textiles in the hardware store

Textiles in the hardware store

I headed to the big orange box hardware store on Saturday to purchase the materials for another copper pipe loom. The first one I made using the push-on copper elbows. That meant I made the loom in about 10 minutes, but it also meant that the loom "racked" or twisted all the time. This being immensely frustrating, I wanted to make another and I wanted to solder it.

As I was standing in the check-out of that big orange box store, a gentleman came running up to me and said, "THIS isn't a textile store!" and ran off. I was wearing the pictured T-shirt. However, he is clearly wrong. Archie Brennan says all the time that you can buy looms at the hardware store. They just aren't labeled as such. 

Fiber Celebration

Fiber Celebration

I had the privilege of jurying a fiber show in Fort Collins this month. The show was Fiber Celebration, a long-standing show run by the Northern Colorado Weavers Guild. This was the show's 42nd year. 

There was a gallery talk on Wednesday along with the awards presentation. This is not a large show and the award list was long. But though it was difficult to choose the awards, it speaks to the dedication of community members and businesses that they continue to donate award money, coupons, and support.

One thing I touched on in my gallery talk was that cloth comes closely on the heels of food in the heirarchy of human needs. Fiber is such a big part of our lives that I think we mostly take it for granted. I think this is at the root of the struggle fiber has had being recognized in the art world. Well, that and the association of fiber with "women’s work".

The first tiny house of Miss Lucy Morgan

The first tiny house of Miss Lucy Morgan

One of the first things I noticed my first morning at Penland was a new post and beam structure which was sheltering this truck.

Lucy Morgan was quite a woman. She started Penland School of Crafts with her brother Rufus. Rufus soon bowed out, but Lucy spent her life tending the school. It started innocently enough. She taught local women to weave goods to be sold as a way to support their families. Eventually she found herself running a school that taught much more than weaving. 

In the midst of the Depression, there was no money and the students were not coming for classes, so Lucy rounded up the funds to take the below truck and a log cabin building (the first "tiny house"?) all the way to the 1933 Chicago World's Fair to sell the weaving of her Appalachian community. Her weavers wove all winter without pay to make stock for the fair and their gamble paid off. She even got the yarn supplier to give her materials with the promise to pay him back after the fair. 

Tiny tapestry landscapes of Penland

Tiny tapestry landscapes of Penland

After much deliberation, I brought my little pipe loom to Penland where I am teaching a two-week class about color use in tapestry weaving. I debated about trying to weave a large piece on a floor loom, but I'm not the kind of teacher that can really accomplish my own work while teaching a workshop. I need uninterrupted time to make work and teaching is definitely a full-on task.

I usually travel to teach with a Mirrix loom but I wanted to do some four-selvedge experimenting and the thinner bars on the pipe loom work better for this. So the decision was pipes. 

Forest witches and all, creativity is the thing

Forest witches and all, creativity is the thing

First of all, I'm still at Penland. Thankfully. I've been here a week now and feel I could stay for a few years without trouble. I'm still searching for more wishing wells (as well as forest witches) but I've also seen some marvels in the other studios. For example, Esther Shimazu is here and the clay figures that class is making are incredible. They are firing tomorrow. I can't wait to see the personalities that come out of that kiln.

The amount of creativity that I see every minute is astounding. Put two-hundred plus people who are interested in art and craft together on the side of a mountain, give them a little instruction, time, some good food, and the proper tools and the results are phenomenal.

Doin' the craft school thing

Doin' the craft school thing

If you missed the oft-repeated news, I'm at Penland. I apologize for mentioning it so often, but geez if Penland isn't just the greatest place. I've been here three days now and already feel everything loosening up. Maybe that is the morning yoga, but my step is lighter and my headspace is clearer.

I am here to teach a tapestry class called The Thrill of Color. It addresses color use through color theory and woven techniques to blend color. It is such a wonderful thing to have two full weeks to work with a group of students. This length of time allows some real learning and experimentation to happen.