Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Weaving rag balls made by another

A couple weeks ago a gal came into my shop with a box of rag balls that she had sewn and wanted to know what I would charge for weaving them for her.  She wanted a long rug 100 inches and a couple short ones.  The balls looked pretty neat and rolled up tight and she had 4 rolls of warp for me to use, a burgundy, cream, green, and tan.  So we negotiated a fee and I took it home.  Since my loom was empty I preceded to warp it using her carpet warp and adding some of my own to have enough to fill my loom.  Not going to all the work of warping a loom without putting the max on it.  Ended up taking all I warped with only enough to finish out with a short rug for myself.

Anyway as I started to weave I realized what a mess I had.  She had sewn the strips together wrong leaving wide untrimmed seams. Plus she had such a mixture of fabric, some strips of old blanket I threw out.  There was alot of prints, and old muslin.  Some had the hems attached.  So I had lots of trimming and ripping some that were way to wide and the silky stuff had to go.  Here is the big rug when it was done.  I was amazed that it looked as good as it was.  All the bumps and lumps from her seams actually gave it an old time look and when she picked them up today she was so happy with them.  I gave her a little lesson on how to sew the strips in case she makes any more.  But I could tell these old scraps ment alot to her as each fabric told a story of her mothers dress or the old pillow cases and flour sacks.



Wednesday, August 7, 2013

August column



I would like to apologize to my book store customers for my inconsistent business hours. I have a family member who is ill and I am the transportation for all the Dr. appointments. So having to be closed some days to take care of what is most important to me. I have posted my phone number and if you are coming from very far please feel free to give me a call to be sure I am there, 417-312-0956.

I have learned a new technique in weaving for my little table top loom. It is called tubular weaving and I have been busy making new tote bags on the loom. They are all lined with pockets. Anyone interested in learning more about weaving come by the store and I will be glad to give you a demonstration and even let you have some hands on. There will be some great classes offered at Fiber Daze on September 20th, & 21st at Mt. Vernon. Everything from crocheting, weaving, spinning, basket weaving, felting, and dyeing. Go to this site http://www.fiberfolksofswmo.com/ and you can look it over and register if you want. I will be there on Saturday as a greeter in the morning and will be taking a class in afternoon.

I find that I read a book and if I like it I will look on my shelves and find several to read. This month I have read several books by Kirk Mitchell. If you are a Tony Hillerman fan, you will like Mitchell. He brings authenticity to his books as he was a deputy sheriff on a Paiute-Shoshone reservation in Ca. The books here all have the same characters to follow and I find that interesting.

Cry Dance
by
Kirk Mitchell

Emmett Parker, a Chomanche and a seasoned investigator for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Anna Turnipseed, a Modoc and rookie FBI agent are the main characters. A body is found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon on Havasupai Nation land. Emmet and Anna are teamed for the first time to investigate this crime. It leads them into a complex mystery with Anna eventually used as bait for the killer to get to Emmet. It deals with the gaming industry on the reservations. Some tribes want to have it on their land and others want to maintain their heritage. A very good read.

Dance of Thunder Dogs
by
Kirk Mitchell

In this investigation Emmet and Anna work on a case on a reservation in Oklahoma. Oil well funds are being diverted from the rightful reservation recipients, but where has the money gone and why? Then a fellow investigator is murdered and Emmet becomes the prime suspect. In this book you start to see a little love interest developing between Emmet and Anna. I like the way this guy writes and the weaving of peoples lives to create a picture for you.

Spirit Sickness
by
Kirk Mitchell
What I find interesting about the way Mitchell writes is that his characters somehow manage to maintain their Indian heritage while upholding the law. Emmet and Anna are brought to the scene of a brutal murder of a cop from a Navajo reservation in New Mexico, and his wife. There are spirits and Gila Monsters added to the mix. The murderer has woven his personal madness with Navajo myth to create his own reality. They have to stop him before he kills again. The love interest between Emmet and Anna has evolved but has become complicated.

What day is it?” asked Pooh.
It's today,” squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day..” said Pooh.
-A.A. Milne