Mid Febuary Goings On.....

It has been a very busy February after a quiet January and it was great to have the looms all filled up again and new projects coming off.  Besides the regulars of Stevie, Sandra, Susan and Pat, we were joined by Ginny Kern as a new monthly student.  Rose Diamond was also back for the month to finish her time from the Vt Folklife Grant to work on carpet techniques.  She choose some ambitious projects which you can see photos of below.  On the new student front, we had our neighbor Dang - who runs a Thai restaurant in Montpelier with her husband (and is also the daughter-in-law of famous illustrator - Mary Azarian) come to learn to weave on a barn frame loom with wool.  Dang grew up in Thailand watching her mother weave on a back strap type loom using different cellulosic fibers and fine cotton so this was a very different experience for her.   Next to arrive was Michele Goldman from Orono, Maine who made a beautiful striped warp of 8/2 cotton and took home a small rug loom that belonged to Sandra. Last week we hand another Miane-ite....Madeline Owen and her boyfriend, Dylan, who are running a CSA garden outside of Camden.  Madeline wove a beautiful throw and a scarf for Dylan...all in 5 days!  Stayed tuned for what's in store for March as the clothing fabrics challenge begins to take shape!

 

Stevie weaving a log cabin throw that she dyed the gold and red for.

Detail of Stevie's throw.

Susan ironing her double bed blanket woven from 3/8 Jagger Spun.

Susan starting a new warp of cotolin napkins.

Sandra weaving a luminous red cotton warp of M's &O's dishtowels.

Ginny with her finished 3/8 Jagger spun throw.

Ginny's cotton baby blanket in a sweet overshot pattern.

Dang finishing her Jagger Spun wool throw.

Michele Goldman, a new student from Maine, weaving cotton dishtowels.

Detail of Michele's towels.

Another new student from Maine....Madeline Owen weaving her 3/8 Jagger Spun throw.

Rose with her rag rug warp of wool.

Close-up of Rose's rag rug.

Rose's finished rag rug warp!

Rose designing her warp faced carpet.

Rose beaming on the warp faced carpet....it had been a long day.

Ellie playing hooky from upholstering to finish a sweater.

Rabbit Goody coming to MSW in March!

After many long years we have finally persuaded Rabbit Goody to come and teach her pattern weaving workshop here at the school!  The class is on the weekend of March 9 & 10, 2013 from 9 am to 4:30 pm. Here is a description of what's to come.....


Pattern Weaving:  Designing & Drafting

This workshop will help students understand how patterns are created through threading and treadling and how weave structures are created.  The class will work with block weaves:  using two and three block patterns including Spot Weave, M's & O's, summer and winter and float work.  We will also look at progressive weaves:  complex twills, satin and crepe weaves.  On Saturday we will discuss the theory of block weaves and try our hand at drafting and on Sunday we will create our own patterns and try them out on the loom. We will draft on point paper and the computer using Fiberworks PCW.  The class is open to beginners thru advanced weavers.   Call 802-426-377 or email the school for more information - eatonhill@fairpoint.net

Rabbit at her hand loom.

Identifying historic textiles.

Sashes, Belts & Hammocks....

It's been a quiet month here at MSW .....not much new work and no new students .....so it was a perfect time to explore some new weaving techniques.  Zoe has become interested in the hand manipulated technique of sprang and decided that she wanted to weave her very own hammock.  After a few small samplings she built herself a frame and warped it up for a full sized hammock.  Not to be outdone, Norman
then brought out some of his hand manipulated weavings most notably his work on the French Canadian

trading sashes - "Ceinture Flechee's".  These sashes are woven with the warp as the weft in incredibly beautiful and complex patterns.  Anyone interested in a class on these or in making your own hammock???

Zoe's frame for her sprang woven hammock.

Norman showing Zoe his collection of hand manipulated belts and sashes.

Two  Ceinture Flechee'....one made by Norman on left and another made in Quebec.

Detail of Quebecoise made Ceinture Flechee'

A fitting way to celebrate the end of the month...Zoe's 4oth Birthday....

Zoe's Birthday lunch!

Opening presents......

Her own copy of Norman's new DVD!