Now it can be told....

Now I can tell you about something in the works that I think is very interesting.   Some months back a representative from the Black Sheep Weavers in the Palo Alto area called me to see if I would present a workshop on sewing with handwoven fabric.  (I am the co-author of Handwoven, Tailormade, now out of print)  I suggested that they get in touch with Daryl Lancaster (http://weaversew.com/wordblog/) who routinely teaches sewing with handwoven fabrics.  Together the woman in California (I haven't asked her permission to give her name here) and I came up with the idea of having me present a workshop on designing fabrics with Daryl's workshop on sewing a jacket in mind.  I got in touch with Daryl, cleared it with her and got her specs for the cloth she likes.

Today the contract for my workshop arrived.  I will teach this workshop in March and Daryl present hers in the fall giving the participants time to weave the cloth they will need after learning about the design of such cloth from me and perfecting their samples in class. 

Doesn't that sound like a good idea?  The only downside for me is not getting to see the jackets they make but perhaps I can persuade someone to photograph the group next fall and send an image to me.

In the meantime I have been weaving and weaving and weaving.  The warp on the sectional beam is not as deep on the pegs as it once was and I have about 56 or 57 feet woven after I started this second piece.  Somehow thinking of it in feet (which is how I will be paid, eventually) makes it seem that I am making more progress.

The black 20/2 in the warp on one side seems to break every six inches or so (if I am lucky) which requires that I stop, repair and needle weave to make sure it doesn't show and then go on.  Tedious?
Oh, my, yes.

Tonight I took off to go to hear a choir in which friends of mine sing and it was wonderful.  No, it isn't the MoTabs; tickets to hear the Morman Tabernacle Choir's Christmas concert are long gone and I didn't getone.  I have not decorated nor have I written or sent any Christmas cards:  all I do is weave grill cloth but this concert reminded me of the season.

There was a major hitch yesterday afternoon.  The loom which is connected to a computer suddenly stopped communicating with the computer.  It was late enough in the day that when the frist things I tried did not remedy the situation I went to bed.  This morning I checked all kinds of connections, tried the cable on the other loom, tried a new cable, re-booted the computer....no luck with any of that.  I could feel the tendrils of panic starting to move.  I HAVE to finish this!  Finally it turned out that the connection at the back of the computer was loose.  The back of the computer is very nearly completely inaccessible so it is a mystery how it became loose and required agility I didn't know I had to get to it. 

I was more relieved than I can tell you.  I have something else promised before Christmas that can only be woven on this loom and I can hardly wait to get to it.  It will be beautiful and interesting and NOT made of brittle 20/2 black cotton!

So it goes....