Bay School of the Arts Fiber show

Well, it's the time of year for the Bay School of the Arts fiber show. I think in previous years, it was called a wearable art show, but they have broadened their offerings, and are open to all fiber arts. One of my students (perhaps more) has entered work, as have I. So tonight, from 5-7pm, I will be at the opening reception. Please join us. If not for the opening, please see the show while it is open.
I hope to post pics late tonight, or tomorrow.
Cherri

VA Opera - Pirates of Penzance

I try to keep this blog about fiber arts, but last night I went to the Virginia Opera's production of "The Pirates of Penzance" at the Landmark Theatre. It was wonderful! Set was very nice, costumes of the maidens was GREAT! and the music was....well, it WAS Gilbert and Sullivan, right? Fabulous. One of the prominent male parts was played by a native Richmonder, William Ferguson. He was very good, as was the Pirate King, Dominic Aquilino. It is playing again on Sunday, for a matinee. If you get the time, please go. It is very worth your time.
Cherri

What are you recycling? Weaving and Weftovers

Let's call this one "Every little bit".
First, I want to issue a challenge. Spread the word. Jan. is a good time to start putting our lives back together after the holidays, start fresh and be responsible, so let's start with using Every Little Thing. I want yarn stores and weaving stores across the world to put out collection boxes for "Pill bottle cotton". It's a great way to reuse something that is barely used! My objective is to put the pill bottle cotton into use again.
The challenge is:
Take that pill bottle cotton, and make something of it! Spin it and weave it , or knit it, or crochet it into something useful or artistic. We can use up everylittle bit of what is now wasted.
I will write to Handwoven magazine, and Spin off and see if we can get them on board.
If you are with me, this is the plan.
Get collection boxes in the fiber stores in Jan. end collection at the end of Feb. and have an online display of pillbottle art by June30. If you are 'in', just forward the information to your group of yarnies and ask them to do the same.
Digital pics should be sent to me by June 1, 2008. I will seek an exhibition opportunity for us if we make a decent showing. OK?
Who's in?


Next, is the "Weaving and Weftovers" agenda.
I'm having a "thrums" party, and want to invite you, and invite you to do the same. Again, it's a re-cycle effort for using stuff that few people really know what to do with. At the party, all guests are to bring their thrums. We will have several (7) stations set up for thrums projects. While in attendance at the party, you will share your thrums, and use some thrums that others have brought, and make items from, and learn to use your thrums. Some ideas are that they are great for warp on certain types of tapestry looms, you can make a disolving interface scarf from them, and you can use them for weft in tapestries and textured weavings. If you have ideas you would like to share, contact me at recyclethrums@earthlink.net
Bye for now.
Cherri

trivia

Here are a couple of pics from my house. One of them is the work that used to be hung in my 'hall of fame' as my students used to call it. It was the work that I was soo proud of as a younger weaver.
The other piece is the trivia piece. Few will know the significance of this piece, but that's ok.
Here goes:

Bay School Fiber Arts Exhibit

Hi Friends!
I just wanted to let you know that Bay School of the Arts has a fiber show opening Sat. 11/24.
I will be at the opening from 4-6. I have about 10 hats there, a wall hanging, a tallit, a handspun and handwoven silk scarf, and a few other things. Marilyn, from the CACGA hatfelting class has an entry from the class. I would love to see some of my fiber students and friends there......
Bay School is on Main St. in Mathews, VA.
Please do come!
Cherri

Pics of the Glen Allen studio

Here are a few pics of the Glen Allen studio. Sometimes I move looms from one studio to another. Right now, I have several of my looms at the Roseneath studio that would otherwise be here.
If you want to learn to weave, or join a community of busy weavers, please join us.
Cherri

student's work at Glen Allen studio

The beginnings of a rag rug.
This is a tencel warp
Here is a silk tapestry.

finished spinning class

I just finished a series of spinning classes at the Visual Art Center of Richmond. It was great. Everyone went home happy, and everyone would like to continue their fiber endeavors, which is good. Especially good are that the one student who seemed stiff and a little tense relaxed tonight, and her yarn really showed it, and that Milo is well. Milo is the dog of one of the students and poor thing went through a real trial during our class session.
Here are pictures of the work of some of my after-school students in weaving class:

spaces available in Thurs. night weaving class

We have a weaving class starting Thurs. night at the Visual Art Center of Richmond. We meet from 6:30 - 9:00 pm and there are openings! Please join us for this 4 week session. In that time, you can learn to dress a loom, and weave off a project. We work on 8 harness Leclerc floor looms. There is a mix of new weavers (never woven before) and returning weavers, so no matter what your experience level, you will feel right at home.
Come join us.
804.353.0094
Thanks!

make a hat with a friend as a holiday gift!

Did you know you can buy a 3-4 person hat or rug felting workshop as a holiday gift? Here is how it works. You buy 3 or 4 gift hatfelting certificates for the amount of the workshop ($85.00 ea) and I print them out. You then confer with the recipients of the gifts, and book a date to take the class together. It's loads of fun. You lay out your design, and felt up your hat. Then you block and shape the hats as we all try different shapes and styles, laughing and playing together in this fun workshop. It's always a great time!
These workshops are from 10 am - 4 pm. Can be booked on a Saturday or weekday.
Dates are currently open for Dec. and Jan., for friends to gather and make hats. We do these in Goochland at my home, where we have access to all of my materials and supplies, instead of the limited supply I can bring to traveling workshops. Join me!
Here are a couple of fun hats from my workshops.

felting at Bay school - christmas tree

Here is an image of the type of felt rug we will be making at Bay school of the arts in Nov. The class was requested by some of my felting students who wanted to make a similar rug.
Hope you like it, and feel inspired to take the class. I will be leaving Richmond at 8 am, if anyone needs a ride,e-mail me.
Cherri

a few more photos

Hi, I came across another picture of the hat in the previous post. This is it's original styling. Of course, the hats get re-fashioned fairly often if they don't get sold right away. I just love to alter them, and re-shape them. Also is a picture of one of my felt wall hangings. It is called "Brookview at Night". It's a representation of teh organic farm who's website I do. It's also one of the very few signed felt pieces I've done.
Cherri

upcoming classes

I've got a very busy schedule for the end of Oct and through Nov. If you are interested in taking a class to learn to make felt hats, I have several hatfelting classes in Virginia. There is one Oct. 27, in Mathews, Va. We will be wetfelting hats from wool roving. Students will have the opportunity to make either berets, or broad brimmed hats. I am also offering that class at Crossroads Art Center on Staples Mill Rd, in Richmond In Nov. 12. Thats a Monday. We will be there from 10 am - 4 pm. The following Monday, I will be teaching rug felting at Crossroads Art Center. For either of the Crossroads classes, you need to contact me for registration. that's maidensweaver@earthlink.net

I'm teaching hatfelting at the Visual Art center of Richmond on 11/3, but that class is full, although the Cultural Art Center at Glen Allen has my hatfelting class on 11/10. It is not full yet.

Rug felting on 11/17 at Visual art center of Richmond and the last time I checked, there were 2 openings for that class if you can't get an opening at Visarts, you might still find an opening for rug felting at the Cultural Art Center at Glen Allen. The rugfelting there is on Dec. 1.

One last mention of the felting classes. I have a class in Mathews to felt a rug like my Christmas Tree rug. It is called "Oh Christmas Tree". It also had openings. You don't have to felt the Christmas tree, but it was a class put together by special request, so I will be showing how it was done.

My weaving classes at The Visual Art Center of Richmond have openings for the Nov. Session. I hope to get 3 more people in that class. It meets on Thurs. nights from 6:30 - 9:00 pm. I had an opening occur briefly for the Roseneath studio, but it was filled from the 'waiting list'. I know several of you are still looking for openings there, and I am still trying to get additional studio space there. Glen Allen has 2 openings for weavers, and we will be starting a couple of spinners there on sunday afternoons also. If you are interested in spinning lessons, e-mail me at maidensweaver@earthlink.net

The Visual Art Center of Richmond also still has openings in the spinning class for Monday nights beginning Nov. 12 and continueing through Dec. 3, i think. This class is for beginners or intermediates. We keep the classes small enough to offer very personal instruction to everyone.

I think that covers it. I think I have some pics of handfelted hats to add to this. I will see if there is anything else. Stay in touch.
Cherri

Oh, one more thing. My church does a re-enactment of Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. It's called Bethlehem Walk, and is wonderful. You can catch it in December (15,16,17 I think) on Broad St. Rd.just west of the Food Lion on the South side of Broad St. e-mail me with questions.
C.

Spinning yarns from the spinning wheel

This class started tonight at the Visual Art Center of Richmond. It is a small group - 3 students. Two people came in with their own wheels, and the third's is coming from Louet in a week or so. One student is a returning student. She is doing well with her spinning, but not finding time enough, as she is in a masters program right now. The other two are very new, but both have tried drop spindling.
As usual, the new spinners didn't feel adept at what they were doing, but both were doing quite well by the end of the class. The one with her own wheel spent some portion of class working on the center's wheel. When I got a chance, I checked out her wheel, got it going, and she switched to her own wheel, and had great success with is. I suspect both students will return with a
voracious desire to spin more.
It is fun teaching the fiber arts and my life is very fulfilled at the moment. Take care, and I'll be back.
Cherri

Gospel, Rock-a-billy, Bluegrass?

Ha,Ha,Ha! Last night I went out to a Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike band concert at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.
It was soooo funny.....fun. I went into it without a clue who this band was, but they were billed as gospel, rock-a-billy, bluegrass???? Sorry, come again?
Well, they do some pieces similar to "Down to the River to Pray" in "Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?", and Valerie Smith is the most 'high energy' musician I have ever seen. I like her singing voice, but the band has this technique of crowding the mike, and then moving back and forth closer and farther away from the mike that 'works' well, except Valerie has the vocal power of a fog horn. It just didn't seem like there was enough room in the place for little Valerie, and her BIG voice.
Then, Becky Buller, another musician in the group came to the mike, and is sounded like the sound guys turned the mike off?! What in the-----?!?
Valerie was on stage, switching off several different instruments, as are the other band members, but she is bouncing around, clogging and just pumped with energy and never missing a beat musically.
It was more than I am used to. Most concerts for me are laid back old mellow rock, or classical...even some jazz. I just wasn't ready for this rock-a-billy bluegrass stuff.
The group was definitely worthy of a much larger audience. The auditorium was only 1/3 full, and some crackpot in the middle of the auditorium wouldn't shut up making cracks about the warm up musician, so after the brief intermission, there wasn't another person sitting within 10 feet of him.
I checked out their music online, and it's much more traditional sounding than the booming and fading they did last night. And Becky has some very nice pieces also. All in all, my favorite was a piece called buzzed. Itunes has it, but if you want a sample of the song at itunes, you won't get it because the piece they chose to use as a sampling of Buzzed is just band member intros?
Oh well, they won't be back in Richmond in '07, but I definitely reccomend them if you like Blue grass. You can find out more here: http://www.valeriesmithonline.com/
Toodles for now.
I have to go to church, and then teach my Sunday afternoon weaving class.
Cherri

Gospel, Rock-a-billy, Bluegrass?

walking the nickle bridge

Ok, so I've been a Richmonder all my life. I remember when the nickle bridge was a nickel (and I say that, which all old Richmonders do). I walked across it today because I wanted to take pictures while the water was very low, and the rocks were sunbathing. I love sunbathing rocks. They are so shameless, revealing EVERYTHING!. Well, here are a couple of the nudes of the rocks in the James.

images of daily life

As you can see, I am still weaving off that warp I used for the last tallit. This is a piece of merino fabric that is embroidered as it is woven. Some of the embroidery ends are actually woven is as weft, to validate the fact that the weaving and embroidery are integral. Probably just important to me. So, in general, I am having fun. Tomorrow, back to the grind. Good thing I like 'the grind':0)
This is the green and blue scarf I took off the loom today:
Another watercolor just waiting to be painted:
Here are some pics of the beauty in my daily life and some of ongoing work now that the commission glut is over.
These are the morning glories at my parents house. It is enriching just to walk up to the door and see these beauties, but I have almost always felt that about blue morning glories.

Would you like a cuppa?

Folks, I have just discovered a wonderful treasure in Richmond. We have a delightful tearoom. My parents and I went to a quaint little victorian house on Morris St. for tea today and were pleasantly surprised. The tearoom is called Cuppa Tea.
It's owned by VMI graduate, Alan Wagner and his wife Lurline. You may order a cuppa, or 'tea'. There are a variety of selections of 'tea', including cream, luncheon, asian, or dessert. Cream is basically a scone and clotted cream, luncheon is several savory selections (sandwiches/canape), a sweet (scone), and your cuppa, asian is a dim sum plate and dessert is (ahem) as you would expect, several dessert selections and a cuppa. They have a variety of wonderful tea blends and the ambiance is fairly flawless.
Please treat yourself and visit these kind folks and if you enjoy yourself, I will be expecting an invitation to join you next.
Here is a link, so you can plan your visit: http://www.cuppateacompany.com/
Have fun!
Cherri

Corporate workshops and other worthwhile fun

Things are moving a little slowly right now. I am in between one busy season and another. This time next week, things will be hopping again. For now, I started taking my watercolor class again today. I have a project planned and it is a fiber still life. I have probably posted the picture I intend to use, but will attach it to this e-mail, so you can see it.
Yesterday, I did a fiber demonstration at Innsbrook for the corporate folks there. It seems the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen is offering corporate workshops. This is an opportunity for artists to come in for an hour or two and give "duck and punch" art/craft sessions. It helps refresh and revive personnel at seminars, and can be used for team building. I had a great time at
"The Place". Food was catered by Expressions. They actually sponsored the event and the food was wonderful!!!
The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen is really good about community outreach and very open to ideas about class offerings. They are good people.
In addition to visual art, they are very supportive of the performing arts, and the performances I have been to there, were worth every penny spent!
Thanks for inviting me CACaGA!
Cherri