Sunday, May 24, 2026

Old art, new weaving and an honor

I've been sending art to good new homes for a couple of years now, so that Handsome Son will have less to deal with after I've gone. I usually ask for a picture of the piece in its new home, and here are some of the latest.


A friend in Ohio modeling her woven bead bracelet

She gave this piece to her daughter 


 


The tiny embroidery on the shelf is in good company, as you see.
 
 

Here it's a silverwork piece, titled Flyover, now living in Georgia. And you saw the bergamot boxes and other gold things on Mary's blog Bless our Hearts, from Florida.

At this point my work is all over the world, there's just no escape!

Meanwhile at home on a cold rainy day, the weaving is well under way with workarounds.

While I work, I'm listening to a YouTube presentation about upcycling kimono fabric, by a young Japanese sewist based in London and knowledgeable about the history of these textiles. 


Nowadays kimonos, however beautiful, are thrown away because there's no room in the modern Japanese home for them and the big wooden chests they're stored in. 

That's probably how my kimono made its way to me via my friend buying it from a wholesaler in second hand clothes.

Meanwhile back at the loom


Knowledgeable weavers will notice that after ages warping and mounting and rolling the warp, I got it rolled backward, but I'm just moving on and we'll see how it works.

I did a row of twining to start the piece and some plain weave to establish the threads evenly. The card is inserted to give a clean start.





The boucle cotton is a bit too textured for the heddle in one direction, and I'm using the Stoorstalka Gehpa shuttle to lift the threads and help the wooden shuttle.  The wooden comb that came with the loom is nice but for this thicker yarn I'm using a bigger comb to pack down the work.

I already loaded a second shuttle in another color of the same yarn, this time solid. I'm looking for subtle stripes. We'll see.

If this comes out well it will be a cowl to send to the knitting ministry.  Rose, this is some of the yarn that Pony brought me! 

And today brought me an invitation to be a guest of honor at an upcoming event about embroidery, particularly gold work. Not my scene, too long, too many people, too orchestrated,  but I can send pictures. Nice to be asked though.

Happy day everyone, just accept invitations you want, not to get worn out at an event to oblige other people. It's okay. 

Meanwhile visit Cup on the Bus, because Joanne's back! She's baaaaack! Yay.





34 comments:

  1. I love how even the most experienced among us can still get things back to front (or upside down?). Gives me hope.
    How thrilling to be invited to be the guest of honour and how liberating to be able to say no thankyou.
    Now I am off to see what Joanne has been up to. Thanks for the heads up.

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    1. Speaking of weaving, I hope you get us up to speed on yours, if you've been doing it recently.
      I really don't do groups and dinners and that kind of thing, so I sent a link to a lot of pictures of the group to screenshot.
      I think a lot of people will be happy to see Joanne again.

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  2. You have reminded me that a photo the I restored now hangs somewhere in New Zealand. It was to do with my grandfather but from the 1920s, IIRC. I don't know why your art hanging caused me to think of my grandfather's photo, but that is just where my brain went.

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    1. Maybe you could blog about that? I'd like to know more.

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  3. Codex an entire world that I was not familiar with beyond looking at textiles. It's amazing that no matter how experienced dumb mistakes happen. Perfect calligraphy lettering and I forget a letter. Cannot pretend it's artistic expression with "Thank Yo" (no room at the end because I didn't measure spacing).

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    1. That one is pretty evident. Mine at least isn't obvious to anyone who doesn't weave! But at least neither of us burned down Notre Dame.

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  4. The feelings must be good when you see photos of some of your work in someone's home, perhaps even pride of place.

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    1. It's nice to know people want to live with it.

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  5. I used to have a big comb like that, so handy for detangly wet curly hair, it got old and some teeth broke..
    I like the bead bracelet and the hanger item. Your newest weaving is going to be lovely with that colour in it.

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    1. I used to use that comb myself, to avoid breaking curly hair into frizz. Now it has a new life. I was really happy to see Q had put on the bracelet right away.

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  6. Sounds like kimonos are more popular outside of Japan than within these days.

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    1. Yes, maybe people with more space and leisure to deal with them.

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  7. So wonderful to know your work is enjoyed all over the world. The current weaving is in the color combination I love-

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    1. I like these ocean-like colors, blue, green, gray, too. It's nice to think how many homes have taken in my work.

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  8. It's nice to know that your art has found new homes around the world and is prominently displayed or worn. Receiving an invite is wonderful and being able to decline for your own reasons is just as good.

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    1. It's certainly nice to know I'm remembered after being out of that milieu for many years.

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  9. Kimonos are so beautiful on the right people.

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    1. They're very flattering, because of the drape.

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  10. An international artist among my blogging buddies! I am honoured. And pleased for you.

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    1. That sounds so impressive! But my work's been acquired all over for about forty years. I just never thought to mention it before.

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    2. I mean back when buyers acquired pieces. The current wave is as gifts.

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  11. I enjoyed the photos of the little loom in action. It's just like magic to see the progression! And yes, isn't it wonderful that Joanne is back! So happy to see that.

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    1. Watching someone else work is a pleasure! I'm pleased with this new loom. Simple, cheap and nicely designed.

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  12. It is always an honor to be remembered for something like that. I can completely understand why turning down the invitation was an easy call though. Just the thought of something like that makes me shudder.
    Hurray for Joanne being back! I am thrilled!

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    1. I knew my introverted friends would get this. And I was so happy to go to joanne's blog and find her there in person.

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  13. I am so happy to be back and to keep reading what my dear friends have to say. Keep weaving and spinning and dyeing and making the world happy.

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    1. I'm very glad you're back, posting and commenting. Your voice has been so missed.

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  14. Your weaving is looking great. I imagine working with boucle yarn isn't easy so good for you for tackling it. It's lovely to be asked to do things but sometimes it's just too much to contemplate, so I understand why you would say no.

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    1. I think they forget how much older I am than they. I have limited energy and I need to use it wisely. The bucks has a nice texture and it's a bear to work with!

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    2. I wrote boucle, not bucks, sigh.

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  15. As I know exactly, zero about weaving. I don’t see a problem at all.
    It was lovely to see you were invited to an event. Like you I would have probably graciously declined.

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    1. It looks good if you aren't familiar with it! I can see all kinds of issues, but I'll address them in the next thing I make. There's a certain pleasure in being honored and a different one in declining.

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  16. Lovely post today. I enjoyed the progression of new loom from set up to your progress on the cowl. Thinking through the process was a needed distraction.

    The little abstract icon on a coat hanger is adorable. Find your own deity in the colors and shapes.

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    1. Thanks, Patti. I think it's interesting to watch other people's progression. There are a couple of YouTubers who show that and I love to watch. The icon, perfect word, is on a tiny hanger about five inches wide. The background is a square woven on a pot holder loom!

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