What's new around here!

Yesterday I went into the big metro area of Moultrie, Ga!  LOL  Actually, I did go downtown.  They have a little town square area that is quite charming.  Carol let me out downtown and I went door to door handing out flyers for my art workshops at the Art Center.

I am amazed at how receptive all of the shops were.  I was only about half way around the square when I ran out of sheets and cards.  Where I am from this would usually not be allowed.  I have heard people say they "don't want their store cluttered up" and such comments as that.  But I was not told no by anyone I approached.  I was told that they all try to support each other and to especially support the Art Center. 

It really is a large art center for such a small town.  I hope this word of mouth personal touch is going to help me pull in students.  When most people hear that you weave, they immediately picture a big floor loom in their head.  Not many who are not involved in the fiber arts realize that there are all kinds of different methods for weaving and the fabric structures that they will produce. 

When I started out at this I decided that if the primitives cultures, like American Indians for example, could walk out into the desert and create a loom and a weaving  with just what they could find for laying around for supplies.  Then I most certainly should be able to develop a loom with the help of the local hardware store.

I have seen looms priced at exorbitant amounts of money!  Mine cost around $20.00 to build.  The Bolivian, Peruvian, Hopi and many other peoples use back strap looms which are simply a bunch of sticks held together by the warps to weave on.  Their body is even involved as part of the loom.  How ingenious!

So, on my flyer, I actually put a picture of my loom with a weaving on it.  You can actually see the "Home Depot" logo on my stick shed, it is a paint stick for a 5 gal. bucket of paint.  The wood was bought off of the cull card at the same hardware store.  The legs are scrap wood I found on a construction site and asked one of the men to cut it (he had the saw in his hands anyway), and then I came home and drilled holes to put the threaded rods through.  Those rods and the nuts and washer, and a screen door spring for spacing the threads are basicly the only expense.  I even made my own swords out of lattice wood from the hardware store.  I have had them for about 12 years and they have a beautiful golden patina from so many weavings and of course from my hands.  This picture is how I open the conversations about my workshops.  I make sure to let me know that we can build them a loom just like it for well under $20.00.  

As for the spinning class, I was asked what a spindle is?  It never occurred to me that people wouldn't know what it was!!!  So I guess I am going to have to add my spindles to the picture!  I made those myself also, less than $5.00.  Then they can even use yarn that they created themselves in the weaving class.

I wore on of my Peyote bead cuffs and it was a "HUGE" success!  I think that class will actually have people in it!  

I might even teach pink straw basketry.  Even though I am new to that particular art form, it also drew alot of attention.

I am going to revamp my flyers, and then I am off to do the rest of the square, probably today.  Class starts in less than 2 weeks and I need students.  (As an instructor I am indeed self employed.)  Tomorrow, I will help with a fund raiser by selling lunches at the Middle School next door to the Art Center.

I also warped up both of my tapestry looms last night!  So when I get home today I can sit right down to weaving.  I went from nothing to do for weeks waiting out that biopsy to full blast in a matter of day.  I am grateful to be healthy and getting back into my life.

I leave you with some pictures of this loom and hope that you all have a wonderful day!

Shuttles to hold your yarn!

                                           
                                             Close up of the screen door spring on the top!

                                                                    Close up of the loom!

                                                                   Weaving in progress!

 

The weather was very nice here yesterday, not as deadly hot as usual.  It rained all night and today it is even cooler!  SO I  NEED TO GET OFF THE COMPUTER! and get going.