Sherri Woodard Coffey

This is a picture that a friend took of some dolls in a market in Peru. Just thought I’d throw it in for some color.

Okay, it’s pretty boring around here right now. I’m weaving, watching the birds, and thinking about how I’m going to finally get the right colors for this dye project. I made a group of small sample skeins (10 grams) yesterday. I’m going to dig out my old canning jars and try minute amounts of dye on each skein. I’ve never dyed this way before, but I know people who have. It’s tempting to go out and buy a cheap microwave, but then I’d have to arrange a place for it.

Had my eyes checked yesterday after having lunch with a friend. My prescription has changed, so I’m going to have new lenses put into the old frames.

Like I said, pretty dull. The weather is nice, though we need rain. Makes me want to do some gardening, even though it’s February and will freeze again.

Back to weaving . . .

Jennifer wanted to know about the texture of the piece in the last post. I showed a close-up of that piece in a previous post. After trying a sample last summer, I just recently got around to doing some needle felting around the Xs and Os with some merino roving. It looks good and appears to be structurally sound, but I don’t think I would put it on the floor and walk on it. Of course, I don’t think the size of this piece lends itself to the floor anyway. It measures 33.5 x 46–I think. I’ve got a couple of pieces that I either want to do some more needle felting or other type of surface design, perhaps printing or dyeing. They are rolled up in the collection that needs to have the ends needle woven into the fabric of the rug.

Sunshine again…but cold

Doing more dyeing and weaving today. I find myself really ready for spring, and it’s only Groundhog Day! My desire for spring seems to be coming earlier and earlier every year.

Math

I spent some time yesterday translating the small amounts of the Grey Spoons into what I think are metric equivalents, since all my dyeing is done by metric weight. I think I’ll make a table because those spoons are really easy to use for the smaller amounts needed for lighter colors.

Web Site

I have spent some time updating our guild’s web site with new photos.

Here’s what I hung for Stage West. They want me to hang one more piece, but I have to decide on what will go well with this group and the RED wall. Actually, the wall doesn’t look bad. There is a big window to the right, so it gets plenty of light. And there’s a big spot for the evening lighting. Speaking of evening, we’re getting comped to go to the champagne opening. Guess we’ll get out on a Saturday night!

Tonight is the first presentation of the play, and they’ve still got ice in front of the door and the walkway to the door. Needless to say, we utilized the back door. Did not want to try and carry large items and try to follow the 10-inch wide, ice-free path across the parking area.

I think I know which piece to hang with this group. Will hang it tomorrow. If it doesn’t go with the group, it’ll just have to look like the outcast. At least it has a title.

Titles

The piece on the right in the picture does not have a title, so it’s listed as Untitled (Purple Ikat). I think most of my work could remain untitled, as in Untitled I, Untitled II, and so on. But people seem to like titles and expect them. If anyone has a title to suggest, I’ll consider it. I was thinking of something like Eights, since the ikat sections are in groups of eights. Pretty boring, right?

Work of William Zwiefel

I always like to see weaving in any form. Many of my friends weave with complicated structures that are beautiful and that I admire. I just don’t want to keep up with the treadling necessary for that kind of weaving and do it myself. There’s an artist who comes to Main Street that weaves large metal screens. Maybe I’ll own one someday. Then there’s glass weaving. Take a look at at William Zwiefel’s work, pictured above. I love it. I heard about a program on CBS Sunday morning about glass weaving and watched the video. You can see it here. Pretty interesting.

I forgot to link ProChemical when I mentioned them earlier. Here it is. I’ve been buying things from them for years, and they’ve been very efficient and prompt. They’ve got so much that I don’t have a clue what it’s all for–batik, surface design, immersion dyeing. And the nice thing is that all their directions are online. So, if you forget how to do something …

… when I should really be working. All I really want to do is take a nap. It’s cold, we’ve got freezing rain, and it’s not going to get warmer for a couple of days. Ideal time to get work done, right? My electricity was off for 5 1/2 hours yesterday. And since it was so cloudy and dreary, I couldn’t see to do much work. Tried one of those headlamps, but the band around my head gives me a headache. Never could wear headbands when they were in style. I’m really hoping that this freezing rain/ice/sleet doesn’t get thick on the electrical wires and cause power outages.

I was supposed to hang my pieces at Stage West today, but with the streets like they are …. well, I DO live in Texas, and we’re not used to this stuff! The play opens Thursday, and I’ll be hanging my work that morning. Nothing like last minute.

Finishing up

Ordered the new dyes from ProChem on Sunday–got an email that they will arrive Thursday. Great! Very efficient. Today I’m lashing the rods onto two pieces, one of which is in the steaming process right now.

Later

I am planning on tying the warp on the front today in preparation for weaving tomorrow. Not completely sure where I’ll start, but have a few ideas. Yesterday I went to Kinko’s and made some copies and had an enlargement made. It’s of a preColumbian fish that I want to do someday. Maybe I had better decide on what I’m going to be weaving before tying on that warp. At least there’s a nice fire going in the studio. Makes it all better.

I’m going to stop trying to get the correct shades of yarn for now. I looked at the ProChem site today, and ordered some WashFast Acid dyes. I know lots of people use them, but I’ve never seen the need to change from using my Sabraset/Lanaset dyes before. I ordered some colors that might work, but I’ll believe it when I see it! For now, I’m going to work on hanging the pieces at Stage West and start another weaving project. Tomorrow I will buy a new level (maybe laser?) and some stainless steel rods from Discount Steel. Those guys were really helpful when I went out there before. They cater to the small user of metal, folks like you and me. They took me around in the warehouse and showed me “stuff.” I have been wanting to get some galvanized sheet metal to cover the countertops in my dye studio. All I have to do is measure, and they will fold the edges over so that I can nail it down.

Now, about all those dyed skeins of yarn that I’ve been dyeing the wrong colors…I’ve been wondering what would happen if I took them and redyed them with the same color…like turquoise, maybe?

So, it’s time to tie a warp back on that loom and get busy weaving.

Wrong colors, way too olive-y, probably attributable to the golden yellow dye.

Dyeing

I made up some 1% solution for the three colors I’m going to try this go-round. I usually dye with the powders, but some of my numbers were coming up in the hundredths of a gram. Even the triple beam won’t do that! I like 2 out of the 5 colors I’m working on.

Stage West

The theater decided it needed to repaint the wall where my pieces will hang rather than repair it. And, no, they are not changing the color. A short reprieve from that chore/pleasure. I’m thinking of using the method of a friend and lashing a stainless steel rod about an inch from the top of the piece, and hanging with the rod. Guess I should experiment with that.

Don’t read this if you don’t want to hear anything else about politics

Here’s a blog that I find both amusing and interesting: http://margaretandhelen.wordpress.com/.
Beware that some people may be offended by the political stance, but I think her January 20 post is right on. But, again, I don’t know why we can’t have different opinions and still be friends. I generally avoid political and religious discussions because there’s so little point. No one’s opinion is going to be changed, and folks just get over excited.