marshfield school of weaving: What's Going On In the Studio These Days

the tamaracks are putting on their show

cotton houndstooth dishtowels

Taylore threading up for her summer blanket/winter sheet

Susan W's linen toweling, ready for finishing

Lynnette's silk scarves in a plaited twill treadling variation

Sandra's cotton runner

Susan O is making another run of striped cotton dishtowels

some cotton placemats we're weaving for our annual studio sale

Sandra and Stevie have been working on shadow weave runners

Pat is threading up some cotton twill dishtowels

It's late autumn now,and most days much chillier. The tamaracks have turned golden; they're usually the last little bright burst of color before it really gets dreary outdoors, giving us all the heads-up to finish our last-minute gardening, get the firewood in, and put the storm windows in place for the winter.

Inside we are snug as bugs in a rug. The windows are not often open these days and the heat is on. Everyone has been making such beautiful fabric, either busy making gifts for the holiday season, or getting things made for our first annual studio sale to be held here the first two Saturdays in December.

Of course, the production weavers (i.e., teaching faculty) for Eaton Hill are churning out cotton dishtowels, colorful placemats, and wool/silk and alpaca scarves and throws as fast as they possibly can, in between all their other duties here.

Sandra and Stevie have been working on a shadow weave countermarche set-up...cotton runners in very strong jewel tones. It's a lively pattern that keeps both of them on their toes! It's the shadow weave gamp out of the 2004 Jan/Feb issue of Handwoven.

Sandra has also been working on a sumptuously heavy cotton runner. The latest combination of red warp and tobacco weft is really a stunner. It looks so old-world european. Certainly this will be a visually warming addition to a wintertime interior.

Susan O. has been weaving another run of the twill stripe cotton dishtowels that everyone here is fairly mad about this fall. Towels like this will feature heavily at the studio sale. They were super-popular last year. We sold every single one! So this year EVERYONE is making them.

Pat is doing her version of a twill plaid dishtowel that has become a standard around here, in beautiful seagreens and blues.

Susan W. has been experimenting with cotton/linen toweling and is currently setting up for a fine cotton herringbone fabric that she hopes to make a skirt out of. She is on a clothing fabric quest!

Lynnette has been weaving up a few silk scarves in an 8-harness plaited twill. They are so fine and delicate! She changed the treadling for each scarf, so they all have a very different effect.

Taylore is back this fall. She's setting up for a long summer blanket/winter sheet project. Her warp is a dark warm brown 16/2 cotton, and her weft is all ends of hand-dyed wool singles that we scrounged for out in the shed a few weeks ago. This will be a project to watch...as her colors are so beautiful together. So very inspiring.

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And, a little update on Patricia and Netra's projects...in a disciplined and heroic effort they both managed to complete their challenging projects by week's end. It was wonderful having you both here again!