at the end of a medium-big project
that your mind is particularly vulnerable
to the enticement other ideas?
As I finished weaving
the Digestive Biscuit Tapestry last week,
the pile of multi-hued coffee filters
my friend Jodi had collected
in the process of making
her amazing watercolors--
a pile of luscious color
that I had carefully stored in a cupboard
to avoid just this problem--
would not stop calling to me.
the out-of-sight-out-of-mind strategy
is only temporarily effective.
Ignore them though I did
as I cut the tapestry from the loom,
no sooner had I set down the scissors,
than I put the tapestry aside to rest,
dismantled the loom,
and made a tiny indigo pot.
The sun was shining,
the chickadees were chirping,
and I could take the drips outside
(wearing two sweaters and an apron),
to turn some of those
yellows (from rabbit brush),
pinks (from Cochineal),
and vaguely off-white ones (from coffee???)
into a range of greens, purples and blues.
and was hugely satisfying--
for what's not to love about a stack
of naturally colored paper?
"The tapestry
surely would like
to rest a little longer--
which leaves me time
to cut a few of these into strips
and add some twist."
my own box of crayons--
unsurprisingly addictive.
I noticed,
a great way to avoid
the inevitable finish work
on this fringed tapestry
(my first in a couple of years
that was not warped
using the four selvedge technique).
and sewed slits,
I wondered how long
I could I gaze upon
those freshly spun coffee filters...
that amazing color
neatly tapped into
weft-faced splendor,
on a tactile level--
whatever it was that had led me
to make the mid-tapestry leap
from linen to wool
a few weeks ago.
to come to any great conclusions,
so more experiments will hopefully ensue.
Here's, however, what I did note:
1. that weaving with wool
is familiar, forgiving,
elementally comfortable
and I LOVE it beyond words
(and in the midst of weaving words).
2. that I'm still super interested
in my ongoing cellulosic adventures--
in pursuing materials that come my way
friendly, familiar,
and easy to weave
or not.
in whatever material
is an amazing thing
to get to do.