Fleeceful Kingdom

"A lot of parents pack up their troubles and send them off to summer camp." --Raymond Duncan

I can't believe it's time for camp. All my fiber equipment is in the front hall, waiting to be loaded first thing tomorrow morning. Then I'm off!


I had some time between last-minute running around getting supplies (I have five more students more than they told me to plan for!!!), sat at the sewing machine, and whipped up this t-shirt:



I had wanted to make some of these to sell at Art in the Park last weekend, but I didn't get around to it. Maybe next time because it was so fun and used up leftover woven scraps (I never throw anything away)! I've never done any quilting, but this reverse applique was quick and easy. I made a couple of flubs (Opps. Saori has no mistakes), and it would help to have a pair of really sharp pointy scissors, so I will know for next time.

In the meantime, my project bag is overflowing with things-to-do-while-I-wait-for-Sissy-at-PT. I'm not very good at sitting-and-waiting. My project bag helps take the edge off.


I have no new pics of my sheepies! Not that they are camera shy now that their fleeces are growing in so nice, but my camera is acting a little off. But Georgie sends his hellos and wishes he could go with me to camp tomorrow. I had to tell him there is no room in the back of the car.

May the fleece be with you,
Abu

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." --Confucius

Before I left for Saori Worcester, I finished a tee for Frida, who is in desperate need of summer clothes. I had to draw on an inner reserve of courage to take the scissors and cut! I measured her, cut a paper pattern out of newspaper, and prayed a lot! Thankfully, it fit!

 
In the second heat wave of the season, I made my way to Saori Worcester, praying my car would not overheat in the Berkshires. The drive was uneventful, and I actually arrived a little early. Mihoko suggested we get started right away.

I had brought all my weaving since my last class, and spent the next hour in a one-on-one show and tell. Mihoko provided her gentle feedback, suggesting different techniques, sewing and cutting tips, etc. She left all my samples out for the other students to look at when they arrived for the 6:30 class.

Throughout the rest of the week, the positive feedback from other students was very rewarding and encouraging, and will buoy me along until I return to the Worcester studio in early August.

As much fun and encouraging as the studio time was, the highlight of my trip was a visit to an inner city elementary school that has a partnership program with Saori Worcester. Mihoko's husband, Nat, asked me if I wanted to go and help teach a Saori class of 5th graders. I jumped at the chance, and 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, we were buzzed in through the locked and barred doors of the xxx School of Science & Technology.

It was explained to me the school had found some table looms in storage; then put out the word to other schools in the district to search their attics. The result produced 20 table looms in various degrees of unkeptness. Mihoko told me they spent a lot of time scrubbing and cleaning the looms to return them to working order. The art teacher was then trained in Saori techniques, and the program put in place.

The next 45 minutes were the fastest minutes of the day! The students filed in the classroom, and grabbed their table looms (two students per loom). Boxes of various yarns of different textures and colors were produced, and the students got down to work. I love the idea that the students were working in teams on their looms. The lesson for the day was two-color interlock. I went up to a bunch of boys and asked if they knew how to do the technique. They said no, so I demonstrated and asked if they wanted to give it a try. They were off, so I moved on to my next group. I praised their use of color and texture, the bits of treasure they had woven in. The girls giggled and laughed and at me, as 5th grade girls will do. But it didn't matter. I was having such a good time. We had to practically shout to hear one another, the sound level was so high!

Then one boy came up to me and asked if I would show him how to add feathers in his weaving. Sure! So we went over to his loom, he produced a handful of feathers, and I showed him how to tuck them in. Once I was assured he was okay, I left him to his own, and continued moving around, offering help where needed.

As the class came to an close, these "tough" inner city kids didn't want to put their looms away! They didn't want it to end! The teacher had to ask several times for the kids to clean up and put things away. There was another flurry of activity as the room was set in motion. But then, there was a tug on my arm. "Miss! Please come here!" It was the boy with the feathers. Before I left, he wanted to show me his weaving. I went across the room, where he turned around with his loom and just about shoved it in my face! He was beaming; grinning from ear to ear, so proud of his weaving and his feathers! I will never forget his face, his smile, and the greatest gift he gave me that day.

Inspired by the school kids, this was the weaving I did in the studio class.

When I returned home, the fabric wanted to be made into a vest; my first Saori wearable!

While in Worcester, Mihoko taught me how to do a two-color interlock in a warp. When I returned home, I gave it a try.

I think I will use this fun fabric for some evening bags / cosmetic cases.

  

I'm almost finished with Em's b'day bag, and hope to post pics soon. Just working out some technical details.

I did some cold process dyeing on my return from Worcester, before the poppies and bachelor buttons disappear.



Tia Sari returned from CR due to a knee injury, so Em and the girls came by for a visit. Did I mention Sundays are Georgie's favorite day? Oh, how I love my Little Shepherdess!



Wherever you go today, whatever you do; may you do it with all your heart.

Fleece,
Abu

"It is thus with farming: if you do one thing late, you will be late in all your work." --Cato The Elder

I haven't been able to get in the dye garden. Either it has been too rainy/wet or it was too hot! Yesterday was the perfect garden day; sunny, blue sky, and a temperature drop of 30 degrees!

Boy, was I in for a surprise.

The flax is coming along great, but the edge needed to be trimmed and the bed needed weeding!

There. That's better. The Professor gave me some advice. Weed more like a meditation, not like your life depended on it. Then it's not so overwhelming.

So I started to weed. The sun was warm on my back. A mommy robin built a nest in the bird box and kept me company. There was a nice breeze.

But then I got to wondering. What if it did matter? What if there was no Walmart, Target, (enter other big name box store)??? What if the clothes on my back were the result of my own hand???

I've been following Rebecca Burgess and her Fibershed project since last fall. http://www.rebeccarburgess.com/fibershed

Her goal is "To live for one year, in clothes made from fibers that are solely sourced within a geographical region no larger than 150 miles from my front door; this includes the natural dye colors as well!"

This was part of my motivation to have a flax and dye garden. A challenge to myself. Could I grow my own clothes??? I have the Shetlands for my nice warm woolies, but what about the one day of summer? Cotton is out. Can I grow flax and hemp in Central New York?

In my research about flax, it is a 1-1/2 to 2 year project, from seed to actual garment!!! Can you imagine our fore sisters growing their own clothes? Which is probably why they only had one dress. And why clothes were handed down and stitched and patched and stitched some more. Which brings me back to the thought about telling time through cloth.

I'm embarassed when I open my closet! (But now I see it as potential). I haven't done a F*R*U*gal project for a while, so it was time to dust some of those clothes off and make something of them.

In case you missed my previous posts, F*R*U*gal means I'm a Free, Reuse, and Upcycle kind of gal. Here is what I'm working on today:

Em, if you're reading this, stop here!

M's birthday is coming up, and I thought I would make her a market bag type thingy. My inspiration came from a bag a woman brought to Saori Worcester last month.

The "What if it did matter?" will continue to be a big question for me. It brings me back to all the research I did in school on fair trade, child labor, the environmental damage caused by the textile industry, women's cooperatives, my idea of bringing back the local mills (they were all up and down the outlet at the turn of the century), putting local people back to work, knitting from wind power, connecting with other local fiber producers, etc., etc. Oh, I need to go and weave to calm myself. This is too big a question for my little brain!

Fleece and be calm!

Abu