Textiles

Probably my love of textiles began early in my childhood watching my mother craft fine clothes from flat pieces of cloth.  I was always fascinated by the way the cloth was put together.  My Great Aunt Ruth taught me to knit when I was nine.  At age fourteen I first saw a weaver working at a loom and I fell in love.  My first weaving lessons were at the Pioneer Settlement for the Creative Arts in Barberville, Florida.  I taught myself to spin first with the drop spindle then on the spinning wheel then progressed to dyeing wool first with Kool-Aid then with commercial dyes.  I enjoy experimentation.   I do not know if the greatest joy is in the execution of a piece or in seeing family and friends enjoy the work that I produce.  I do know that I really enjoy the feel of the fibers in my fingers.

Guatemalan Workshop

Weaving Workshop with Deborah Chandler: Going Wild with Guatemalan Color

Offered by Pinellas Weavers Guild, January 17-19, 2007

A final warping demonstration

Things came together

Then we warped our looms

Then offered

The weave structure in black, white, & gray

The variety fascinating

The colors are amazing

Taught each of us a little more

Some like the Guatemalan samples

New Rigid Heddle Loom

Lots of color combinations

in various colors

Helping one another

Guatemalan Cotton

Got the tension right

Finally on Friday

Figured out what we were doing

Experienced Weavers

Deborah lectured a little

Cute hats too!

At Clearwater Library

And some very different

and reels

And overcoming problems

And newer weavers

and made our warps

and made our warps

and learned a lot

And got down to weaving

and colors

and admire the workmanship

And samples

All in all

All got encouragement and

All from Guatemalan Cotton!

Affirmation from one another

A variety of experiences

a riot of color

We wound balls

We made beautiful samples

We had our warps on the looms

We got it right

To see Mayan Hands products

Thursday night we visited the Purple Moon