Blanket of Earth; Blanket of Blue; various sizes; hand spun wool; backstrap loom
Back from the lovely show at La Conner,
it is time to turn my attention to my next big event:
"Luminous Cloth" at the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center in Tillamook, OR
3 July - 3 September
reception 9 July from noon - 4 PM
it is time to turn my attention to my next big event:
"Luminous Cloth" at the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center in Tillamook, OR
3 July - 3 September
reception 9 July from noon - 4 PM
Blanket of Earth; Blanket of Snow; Blanket of Blue; various sizes; hand spun wool; backstrap loom
This means it is time to figure out how to hang fabric I've been making all winter.
There are some big decisions:
Hanging rod or no hanging rod?
Flat or draped?
Fringe up, fringe down, no fringe at all -- or all three?
There are some big decisions:
Hanging rod or no hanging rod?
Flat or draped?
Fringe up, fringe down, no fringe at all -- or all three?
After decades of sending tapestries off to shows around the country, I've got a system down,
part of which involves making the hanging device for each tapestry as soon as it comes off the loom -- usually a structure that holds the tapestry yet lets it float cleanly against the wall.
Last year, obsessed with mobiles as I was, I spent weeks bending wire and messing about with fishing swivels to finally come up with about five different approaches for the show at the Pritchard Gallery, none of which will work this year, alas.
Indeed, since I started making my materials before I even thought about what they would become, much less how they would go together or be displayed, it's back to the drawing board -- or jar of hanging hardware as the case may be.
part of which involves making the hanging device for each tapestry as soon as it comes off the loom -- usually a structure that holds the tapestry yet lets it float cleanly against the wall.
Last year, obsessed with mobiles as I was, I spent weeks bending wire and messing about with fishing swivels to finally come up with about five different approaches for the show at the Pritchard Gallery, none of which will work this year, alas.
Indeed, since I started making my materials before I even thought about what they would become, much less how they would go together or be displayed, it's back to the drawing board -- or jar of hanging hardware as the case may be.
Like the mobiles I want these to hang out in space so they can interact with the light -- both front and back-- and move with local air currents.
But unlike the tiny but sturdy mobiles these swaths of cloth are large and delicate so need some support sturdier than wire.
But unlike the tiny but sturdy mobiles these swaths of cloth are large and delicate so need some support sturdier than wire.
Should those supports be round or flat?
Is it best to sew a pocket for a rod, or, as with my tapestries, stitch the cloth to the fabric covered stick?
Do I want to cover the hangy things with fabric at all, or can I paint them?
Must I try both with every one?
Is it best to sew a pocket for a rod, or, as with my tapestries, stitch the cloth to the fabric covered stick?
Do I want to cover the hangy things with fabric at all, or can I paint them?
Must I try both with every one?
The two most important things are that they hang in a way that I like (which isn't necessarily flat),
and that whatever system I use, it is
a. easy for the gallery crew to manage.
b. straightforward to ship
a, however, is more important than b.
so I may have to pay through the nose to get my long narrow boxes to the coast of Oregon.
Should have thought that part out before I sewed them all together eh?
and that whatever system I use, it is
a. easy for the gallery crew to manage.
b. straightforward to ship
a, however, is more important than b.
so I may have to pay through the nose to get my long narrow boxes to the coast of Oregon.
Should have thought that part out before I sewed them all together eh?
Bojaji Blanket (detail); hand spun wool; linen
Except that this cloth is very bossy and has led me by the nose through this entire process so I rather doubt I had (or will have), much choice.
Bojagi Blanket; 60" x 60"; hand spun wool, linen; backstrap loom
At least they don't weigh much and I can do a lot of experimentation with binder clips and clothes pins.
Blanket of Fog; spindle spun wool; backstrap loom; 60" x 60"
These panels are actually only part of the show.
Soon I'll talk about some of the other work that'll be there
till then --I'll be hammering and sewing.
Soon I'll talk about some of the other work that'll be there
till then --I'll be hammering and sewing.
