Weave in a Weekend - Finished work

learn to weave in a weekend

MMMMM, What fun this is. My students at Visarts are working diligently this weekend to learn to weave. This group of students (only 3 of them) are the most insightful first time weavers I have encountered before. I wish it were possible for all of them to continue in this endeavor. Unfortunately, life does not always grant our wishes. Here are pictures of their works in progress.
Thanks to all of you for you interest in my blog and my work and students.
Cherri

I got to turn a bowl today! I went to Barbara Dill's wood studio and she taught me to use a lathe. Together, we turned this bowl. I loved it, and encourage you to try it. If not wood turning, if you have a desire to try your hand at an art/craft form hitherto foreign to you, go for it!
If you are interested in taking class with Barbara, e-mail me and I'll pass your request on. Or check out her site:

http://www.barbaradill.com
Cherri

hatfelting class pics

Here are some pictures of the hats produced in my hatfelting class today. I offer these workshops privately also. You can book one for 3 or 4 people and we will have the workshop out here in Goochland. They are wonderful fun for friends or family to take together.

Glen Allen work and Felting workshop

Here are pics of some of the work going on at Glen Allen. The multi-color, highly textured piece is a set of place mats that I am weaving. The taupe and burgundy is Nancy's. She has done 2 or 3 scarves out of that, and these pics are just to show how pretty the weave and fiber are. She is weaving off the loom waste. The fiber is tencel.
The chenille piece is also taupe, and has beads woven in. This is Julie's work.
She is truly a 'natural' fiber artist.



Tomorrow I have a hatfelting workshop at The Visual Art Center of Richmond. I'll try to remember to take the camera and upload pics afterward. It's a busy weekend, so I may not get it done until sometime during the week.
Take care.

Cherri

Learn to weave in a weekend class

Some of you have been looking for a quick opportunity to try weaving. The Visual Art Center of Richmond is offering that opportunity. On January 25, I will be teaching a weaving intensive at the Visual Art Center of Richmond. You have the opportunity to completely immerse yourself in 3 days of weaving. Friday night, we will work from 6:30 - 9:00 pm measuring out our yarn to put on the loom. On Saturday morning, from 10-12:30, we will wind the yarn onto the loom, and pull the threads through the heddles. In the afternoon, we will finish pulling through heddles, and sley the reed, tie onto the loom and begin weaving these beautiful mohair shawls which we will finish on Sunday afternoon.
I have openings in this class, if you would like to join us. It's a wonderful refresher course for you if you just haven't woven in a while. If you are new to weaving, and want yet another opportunity to set up and weave under the instruction of a teacher before working on your own at home, or you just want to know if weaving is something you might want to pursue deeper, this is a good opportunity for you.
The class is designed for mohair shawls because they weave up quickly. I hope to see you there.
If you are not local, there are many lodging opportunities in the area. We are very close to VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University), and the thriving heart of Richmond, Virginia. Come join the fun and be a part of a vital weaving community.
Cherri

Da Schmartist artist

Ha ha ha,
Life's a hoot! Yesterday, a couple of friends came over (you know, the artsy type....) and taught me to use a chain saw.
After a long walk in the woods looking at the beauty of where I live, we cut up a tree that had fallen from a storm.
Barbara showed me how to use the chainsaw, and even let me use hers. It was sooooo cool. I only cut 2 or 3 logs, but now I feel comfortable enough to try again sometime. Jim taught me about splitting wood, which I have never been able to do, and then I dashed out to meet a friend for a cup of tea at the Glen Allen studio. We wound up spinning yarn and sipping tea for 2 hours. She's a potter and knitter.

My bizarre tapestry

Ok, here are 2 pics of the odd little tapestry I did this week. I wanted to do some pattern weaving in a tapestry type piece, and wanted some rya knots in it also. So here is the strange little piece I did. Yech!
I'm still working on the new tapestry loom that I hope to have saleable in a few weeks....4-6. After talking to Sue and Stu I'm thinking is should weave at least 24 inches, and maybe should have some sort of reed-like divise. Hmmm, it's still a work in progress.
Please click on the pictures and you can see much more detail.
Cherri

Student work and "What's on your loom"

Hi,
Well, there are several new students at the Glen Allen location. I knew I had 2 new students coming in yesterday, so I brought in a new loom, Had one of the current students bring in her own loom, where she had been using one of mine, and felt that we were set to go. Well, as luck would have it, we had 3 students come in! There was a last minute registration and I am full beyond capacity! The good news is that usually students don't get on the loom the first night of class. They usually plan their project, measure warp, tie the choke ties, and the ties that preserve the cross and insert lea sticks. Week 2, we go to the loom. What a lifesaver that is! Now I have a week to find another loom. Of course, I could just weave madly and get my work off the loom I'm using.....hey, that's a great idea. She can have my loom. How long do you think it will take me to weave 13 yards? Guess we'll find out.

Here are a few pictures of what's in the works. Margaret has the white on dark brown warp. That's at Roseneath. She is making pillows. The orange and pink on dark brown is Kelly's. She is making pillows also. The fiesta colors is Rebecca's linen huck table runner. It's an inspired piece. Rebecca is a very accomplished weaver. Let's see, the grey and black reversing twill is Lisa's. Do all Lisa's make wonderful weavers, and if I change my name, will it make me a better weaver? Hahahaha.
Uhm, let's see, where was I? Oh yes. the beautiful black and blue piece is a scarf that Erika is making. She is working on a sampler, using p.13 of Marguerite Davison's pattern book. This is only Erika's 3rd weaving. Isn't she doing well? I'm so proud of her;0)

Well, I'll post pics of my stuff in a few minutes.
Cherri

A Loom Review

Hi,
I thought I would do a loom review today. Since I own, or have owned so many looms that I rate many of them for you. Mind you, some of them aren't made anymore, but many of us/you buy used looms, so I'm reviewing any that I have used or taught on regularly that you might still encounter. If it isn't here, I haven't used it, and so I can't offer you advice on it, OK?

My #1 most favorite loom is my 16 harness, 45" Macomber. It's sturdy, never walks around when I use it. I like the tie-up system and for the most part, I like the super clips. The loom is very stable and durable. It can weave linen, mohair, wool, silk, tencel, cotton, qiviut, camel, alpaca, or whatever you can think to throw it's way, and you can beat the livin daylights out of whatever you are using for weft without ever phasing this loom. It's a wonderful loom. If we were talking about cars, Macomber would be a Mercedes! (yes, there are more expensive cars and there are more expensive looms, but Mercedes represents both performance and durability as well as stability, so it fits). I would recommend Macomber looms over any other loom available.

I also have 2 baby Macs, which are very good looms and I enjoy them tremendously. For my studio, they are very versitile, and fold up to an incredibly compact state. Once, I even got one in a rolling suitcase:0) There are drawbacks, however. These looms tend to pop the pins used for tie-up. I have taken these looms for demos, and not been able to weave because the super hooks, would not stay on the loom. Similarly, you can't fold the loom up with the super clips on, as they fall off easily. The loom doesn't have as much stability as Leclerc's Compact 24 and although I love them (they are Macombers), I do recognize their failings. My students don't like them as much as the Leclerc's because they are so small that they seem like miniature looms. In general, Macs are my favorite looms.

Next, I have a Lillstina, 6 Leclerc Compact 24's, an AVL 12 harness mechanical dobby and 2 students in my Roseneath studio have hand made looms by private individuals. Once is fashioned after the HD looms and the other is a lot like a hardwood Norwood loom. I have taught on Hammets and Leclerc Fanny's.
So let's discuss them.
I love the Lillistina. It's very light despite the fact that it weaves 45". I can push this loom across the floor with a finger. It doesn't walk as I weave with it, and it can be folded up and packed away fairly easily and flat. I like most Scandinavian looms. They are just SIMPLE! The harnesses are raised and lowered by balances, not rollers. Think of drilling a hole in the 6" mark of a 12" ruler, and hanging weights on it so you could tilt one side or the other to raise. It's like that. I keeps a nice tension and fits my personality. Problems? If you crank the tension too tight, the hooks that hold it together release and the loom collapses into it's folded position, which I believe could break your warp not to mention the fright that it gives the weaver.
Oh well, some things we love simply because we have chemistry with them. I have chemistry with my Lillstina.

My AVl I loved and continue to love each time I use it. I just don't use it that much. It's a great weave. It was wonderful when the kids were little and I needed to be able to set it up in the middle of the night while everyone was asleep, and then I could weave mindlessly during the day. Now, I want to think about my weaving more, and watch what is happening, trouble shoot, and even alter the treadling as I go. Yes, I can be a rather stream of consciousness weaver sometimes. The AVL has a great built in raddle, which I love. I has a friction brake, love it, has texsolve heddles, is a little noisy, folds compactly, and is light. Similarly, I like the beauty of the loom. It's designed very differently than most looms. It's not great for anything that needs very tight tension and I like to weave linen, so it's not my favorite, but it's a very good loom. Bear in mind that mine is maybe 20+ years old.

Hammetts, I think are simple looms and very useful. I definitely have taught on my share of them. They have a few problems, ie., the lamm pins slip out of the harnesses a lot, but I conquered that fairly early on. These looms are very stable, but a bit blocky. If I had the space and a free one found it's way into the studio, I would keep it for a while, but would eventually have to have Macombers or Leclercs instead.

I would hope to never own a Herrald loom. I taught on one for years, and it created misery in my life the whole time. When we finally sold those looms and bought new ones, I wouldn't give that one away. It had caused me so much misery that I wanted to burn it! Instead, I decided it would pay for the misery it caused and I took it apart and used the various parts to mount fiber art for sale. It would pay me back!!!!! The first piece that I mounted that way was burned up in a fire. The gallery it was in, was arsonized. Can you believe it? Anyway, stay away from Herrald looms.

Leclerc Looms.....Hmmm, I have always considered Leclerc as the Chevrolet of looms. It is a sturdy loom that can go the distance. It's reliable. It's well thought out, but would never make you feel special weaving on one. They are for the most part functional looms. That's what looms are for, right? Well, sometimes, you can weave on a loom and know that the designer was a weaver. Although I know that Msr. Leclerc was a weaver, his looms don't reflect that to me. I just don't see the innovation that I see in Mr. Ahrens' looms, or in Louet looms, or even the Macomber's looms. But they will do the job and probably never let you down (I can speak from the perspective of one who has owned or woven on the Artisat, Nilus, Compact 24, the Dorothy, the Fanny, and the Bergere). So the Leclerc is a very good buy for someone who is on a budget, and wants to never regret the money they have spent to get a functional loom. I would also group the old Union rug looms in with these since the roller type counter-balance looms are all quite similar.

For tapestry, I am developing my own loom. I don't like the rigid heddle looms much, and don't think you should have to pay a fortune for a tapestry loom. Hopefully this loom will be out in late Feb.

Hope this helps you. If I mentioned one, but didn't review it, I'm sorry. My tendonitis is starting to hurt.
Talk later.
Cherri

Spinning and weaving in Richmond,va

I have been advertising my spinning and weaving classes on several online venues, trying to boost enrollment at the Visual Art Center of Richmond. We have pretty good response to the "learn to weave in a weekend", but are still waiting for enrollment to increase for the regular and ongoing weaving class. It meets on Thursday nights, right here in Richmond, VA. We meet from 6:30 - 9:00. I have room for 8 students. I think I'm offering 4 or 5 sessions of it this spring, so you could actually learn a great deal just this spring alone. You don't have to have your own loom. Floor looms are provided by the art center. There is also plenty of open studio time, so you can come in outside of class and do various steps outside of class, so you can maximize your instructional time. No previous experience is necessary. If you can't make it, you can e-mail me, as I frequently have openings at one of my own studios for private lessons, or in one of my studio classes (Wed. nights, or Sunday afternoons).
I sell looms, spinning wheels, fiber for spinning, and yarn for your projects in class. If you are looking for someone to do loom repair, or spinning wheel repair, I do that and sell parts.
The looms I carry are Louet, Leclerc, and whatever used Looms I might have for sale at any given time. Currently, I have a 12 harness mechanical dobby loom by AVL that is for sale. You can e-mail me about that if you are interested. I also have a horizontal warping mill/reel for sale. It's a floor model, but folded up, it fits behind a door.

My marine son leaves today

Hi,
I'm just posting quickly. My son is leaving for pre-deployment training today. I may not see him for close to a year.
Keep us in your prayers.
Trying desparately to get my heart back in my chest.
Cherri

Darn, Darn, Darn!!!

You won't believe it. I went to the Visual Art Center for our facult party last night. I just stepped in for 15 minutes because I was at dinner with my parents, and in town. In that little bit of time, my mom's car was parked outside the center (remember that I am borrowing it because someone just caused an accident that involved both my girls and totalled my own car) and someone drove into my parked car! My Mom's car! DARN!
Someone rescue me please! I'm sure I'm sinking!

On a more positive note, at least no one was hurt. This time of year, it's usually our financial institution that has made a grievious error, or our appliances that have all had a melt-down, or something else major. So, I really can't complain, can I?
My life is so rich and full and warm and loving. I am very richly blessed:0)

In the event I don't check back in before Christmas, I hope yours if full of joy!
Cherri

Beautiful handspun yarn and it's fabric

I just wanted to post pictures of the piece I'm weaving at Roseneath. The pattern yarn is a very cool handspun that I did sort of 'on the fly'. I am using a Gems merino teal colored warp, and a navy blue corriedale hand-spun tabby weft. Hope you like it. I have also included a picture of the yarn before it is woven. What looks mustardy yellow is actually olive green. Cherri

pictures of a few of my handspun yarns

I am attaching pictures of some of my handspun yarns.
These are camel, alpaca, shetland, handpainted and black alpaca.
If you are not in the Richmond vicinity, but would like to study with me, I will be at Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington, PA this summer.
My spinning class there will be from July 6-11. You can contact Touchstone here:

http://www.touchstonecrafts.com/

I would love to hear from you.
Cherri

new pics/old and new work/play

Oh, I failed to mention that Alice Coppa came today to the Visual art center, and made one of these thrums scarves with me. She is an awesome knitter. You can visit her blog at:
http://ladyoftheloom.wordpress.com/





Here are a few pics of some of my current work. I have pics of the scarf I made in the thrums party today. It has to do with dissolving interfacing, hmmm it worked quite well. Then there are some pics of some of my handspun that has been crocheted into squares. These are just samples of how various breeds of sheep, and weights of handspun look when crocheted. There is my latest felt rug. I like it. It's more abstract than some, and more something than I usually am.
Uh, there is also a picture of a mohair boucle neck warmer that I hand-painted the yarn, and crocheted the item. It was too tickly (itchy) for me, so I knitted a liner for it out of some roving that I had hand-painted also. It is very 'me', as I like processes, and parts, sub-parts and sub-sub-parts to 'stuff'. Hope you feel inspired by some of this. If not, I hope you are at least moved to make your own and come up with some really great stuff.
Take care.
Cherri

Bethlehem walk

I'm seeing a lot of hits on this site of folks looking for Bethlehem Walk in Goochland.
We have had to "pass" on putting it on this year, as we are building a permanent site for it along with our new church.
It will be back next year. Please check with Salem Baptist Church next year. In the interim, have a Joyous Christmas!
Cherri

Fun Day at Visual Art Center of Richmond

In case I haven't invited you, Sat. is a fun open house sort of day at The Visual Art Center at 1812 W. Main st.
There will be hands on opportunities throughout the departments. Some for adults, and some for the kids.
The fiber studio will have a thrums party from 2-5 pm.
Hope you will join us for this fun!

On a another note, I'm sending out proposals to crafts centers for teaching opportunities. Please check out the Touchstone Crafts Center in Farmington, PA. I'll be there in July (6-11) teaching a class called The Serendipity of Spinning. It's a spinning class for all levels of spinning. We will cover a variety of fibers, drafting, spinning, plying and navajo plying. In addition, participants will learn to use inclusions, and will do some fundamental dyeing just for use during the week.
Please join us. This is a resident craft center.

Please keep us in your prayers, as the woman who hit my daughters in the auto accident last week is not 'claiming liability'.
This means there is no insurance coverage for the medical bills, or the auto bills. It also means that we will have to pay legal fees to engage an attorney and that will mean that Christmas will truly not be the materialistic, worldly holiday for us. I wanted it to be more about Christ's birth for us this year, but didn't imagine this would be how it would happen.

I'll talk more later. Cherri

God's grace and Cherri's girls

We lay awake tonight, counting our blessings, as we had a scare today. I was teaching and John was doing what he does, when we got calls on our cell phones. Now I try to keep my cell phone with me all the time. There are times, however, when it just isn't professional for me to receive phone calls. Teaching a class is one of them. I did go out to the van about 2:00 for something to supplement our materials stash in class when I looked at the screen of the cell phone. 20 calls had been missed in 4 hours! In the midst of that was a text message from my son. That seemed like the most immediate means of an answer, as 20 voice messages would be a lot to wade through.
OMG.
The message read,"Girls had accident. Va in hospital."
Concise. That's a good marine son. He had captured the essence of what I needed to know, except, if one is on the way to the hospital, what of the other?
SHOCK.
SHOCK.
Immediate phone calls. No answer, answering machine, voice mail. No answer.
Still SHOCK.
My phone rings and the daughter not in the hospital was on the line. The girls are OK. Va. is on the way to the hospital. Alone.
My hubby stayed with the well child and police to help her, as the other daughter was in properly trained hands and seemed like she might be in shock, or suffering a concussion. He needed to be where he was.
What to do? My students had worked all day to prepare their wool to felt, and we were at a crossroad.
What to do?
SHOCK.
yes, still shock.
I needed to be alone, just to let the fog clear.
Just a few moments alone. a phone call, everyone is ok.
EVERYONE IS OK.
Shock begins to subside. There is nothing I can do. Va. needs a cat scan. Can I help?
No. Will I be a help or a hinderance at the hospital?
A hysterical mom? a help? No. I stayed and finished teaching the class, knowing that my husband and my Dad were now
with my daughters. We are a family. My Dad and my husband, my daughters, my mom, my marine son and me.
My students might be my family some times. They surrounded me with love and support today.
Thank you Jane and Emily and Debra, and Glenn. Today you were like my cousins and my aunts. You helped me to be distracted in the midst of uncertainty and trauma.
I am blessed by my family. my work, my students. I have a rich life.
Thank you God, for grace to live another wonderful day as a full family, rich in love.
Cherri

Some weaving items that need a home

I have a friend who has several looms that she is looking for a home for. They are NOT floor looms. She has a couple of standing inkle looms, a couple of frame looms, and some books. Here is how she describes these items and if you are interested, please contact me. The items are in Lynchburg, but can travel to Richmond near the Christmas holidays.
Cherri

"I have a LeClerc Cendral floor model Inkle loom which has been much loved and well used but I consider it in good condition. This has pegs enough to weave up to 150" on one warping. Heck, I even have it warped up for Thanksgiving thinking my grandkids would like to weave a pastel rainbow bookmark one last time. Silly me.

The other loom is a handmade Inkle loom which my aunt passed on to me years ago, in the 1970's. I think the designer made it in such a way that a handicapped person in a wheelchair could weave in his/her chair. My aunt was a Red Cross volunteer teaching handcrafts to disabled veterans at Walter Reed hospital during WWII. It is a floor model and the top fits into its stand. In my early weaving business days it went with me on vacations and to craft shows because it was so portable. On this one a piece up to about 60" long can be woven.

I have a large frame loom, size 22"x38", which I bought from the Hammett School Craft Supplies Company years ago. Called their Todd Perfection Loom, it was the first loom I used when teaching my 4th grade students. Each child got to weave several rows at a time, etc. It can weave placemat size pieces which can become a mat or handbag or wall hanging. Seated on the floor before it they could imagine they were a Southwestern Indian weaver. One can weave a piece up to 20"x30" on it. I have its instruction book also.

I have a 14" x 20" board loom made by the Belding Lily Company. They call it an All-Around Weaving Board. And I have their detailed and illustrated instructions it came with.

I have 6 good weaving books too.

2 copies of Helene Bress' INKLE WEAVING.
1 copy of CLOTHING FROM THE HANDS THAT WEAVE by Anita Mayer
1 copy of Rachel Brown's THE WEAVING, SPINNING, AND DYEING BOOK
1 copy of Nina Holland's INKLE LOOM WEAVING
1 copy of A WEAVER'S GARDEN by Rita Buchanan (on growing plants with which to weave)