I’ve sent off a couple of things to the HGA Convergence exhibitions … hoping for the best. Whew! That’s a load off my mind. Now for Festival du Voyageur which starts on Friday. They’ve invited me to participate in the ‘school program’. I’ll be weaving on a sash that bears striking similarity to an historic piece, and talking with students about fingerweaving. Space permitting, I’ll bring along my table loom to show them the difference in technique. I’ve also prepared little baggies with materials for the beginner project from my book: chopsticks and eight strands of yarn, all set up and ready to go, cost $2 each. The school program runs 9:30 AM to 3PM, and then the crowds of general public come in the evening. If you’re in the Winnipeg area, stop in at Whittier Park, Feb 12-21.
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Once again the folks of the Métis Pavilion invited me to promote fingerweaving, the technique used to construct some of the original Métis sashes. I am grateful to former-students who assisted me. We encouraged visitors to try their hand at fingerweaving, a do-it-yourself friendship bracelet. Approx 300 bracelets were produced over the week. Many thanks to Suzanne, Claudette, Lenore, Guy, Jacqueline, Yvonne, Val, and Terry, for their assistance.
Bruce Middle School hosted me last week. I brought along my display of sashes to help explain the variety of patterns. Students then were given the opportunity to practice the basic method in fingerweaving, each creating for him/herself a ‘wrist sash’. Photos thanks to the students of Bruce Middle School.
December was spent on a list of personal and family projects. I worked on some woven rugs I promised myself long ago. I am finishing a sweater I promised my husband a while back. And I dabbled in twining and tablet weaving.
January 2009 has been jam-packed with activity. For those of you eager for fingerweaving instruction, I’ve hired someone to help, he’s filming for a DVD. Hopefully it will be out soon. As well, I’m working on that french translation of the book Fingerweaving Untangled. Perhaps by May 2009. Test pieces for another sash were created and submitted to the individual offering the commission. The next sash will feature two arrows on a red field. samples for the next commissioned work Following tips given to me by other weavers, I’m using rug warp from Halcyon yarns, hand dyed to just the right color. I made a presentation to the board of directors of Manitoba Artists in Heathcare, outlining my work representing the organization in the St Boniface General Hospital. Everyone entering a health care facility has a ‘right’ to feel stressed. Matters of life and death are common place there. It is my conviction that every corner of the facility must needs be equipped with ’stress reducing’ and ’stress absorbing’ resources. I see my weaving as my contribution to Artists in Healthcare attempting to help fulfill this requirement. To top it off I’ve been working with area schools to teach children the basics of fingerweaving. Angus McKay, Ste Agathe, Steinbach, and Bruce Middle School have all provided me with most eager students. Each one completed a friendship bracelet of one sort or another. The lovely thing about fibers is that there is no ‘bad’ way of doing things, only different manner of individual expression. Drove to Edmonton last week to give fingerweaving workshops for the folks of Fort Edmonton as well as St. Albert. Such eager and apt students! It was a pleasure to see people learn so quickly. We started out with the ‘make a friendship bracelet’ project. They quickly proceeded to other patterns, more threads: The next step was mastering the ‘advanced technique’. This is done working on the ‘diagonal stripe’ pattern. The room provided by Ft Edmonton had the perfect setup, a lovely coatrack along one wall. Before noon, the folks from St Albert had mastered the technique, and produced the beginnings of a diagonal stripe leg tie. The next day we worked on patterns, changing weft within a row for vertical stripe and sawtooth, working from center to outer edge for the chevron. Again, such a pleasure to work with keen students.
Flew to Tampa, Florida, for the Handweaver’s Guild of America Convergence 2008. Workshops of all stripes, to totally expand my weaving horizons. Amazing people. Mind blowing exhibits. It seems that the book Fingerweaving Untangled is a hot item. All the vendors had copies, and were wanting more. The 120 copies I had shipped to my hotel room were spoken for immediately.
On the way back I stopped in Minneapolis for the book launch at Ft Snelling. A very pleasant Summer day, lots of visitors to the Fort, a great deal of interest in making a ‘friendship bracelet’. Back in Winnipeg, I’ll be finishing the 8th sample for the Manitoba Museum set. Dr. Katherine Pettipas, Curator, The Manitoba Museum writes:
This publication is welcome addition to the literature on the ancient craft of finger weaving. Carol James, an accomplished Winnipeg weaver and teacher, has dedicated over 20 years to the art. Her knowledge and sash reproductions are based on the detailed study of historical artifacts that are housed in various heritage institutions such as The Manitoba Museum and the Musée Saint-Boniface. Beginners and experienced finger weavers alike will appreciate this well-illustrated “how to” guide that not only presents the basics, but also guides the user through the complicated art of “trouble shooting.” This type of information sharing is only possible from Carol James’ years of experience as highly skilled weaver and outstanding teacher of the craft. Gabriel Dufault President Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba writes: In an easy to understand format, Carol James has demystified the fascinating art of finger weaving, particularly that of the taditional sash. Through illustrations and clear explanations, she makes it relatively simple for the novice to create his or her own heirloom. Her many years of experience with her craft brings to the reader the required assistance and reassurance that they also can explore their creativity. Excellent resource material! Marie Zorniak Grade 4 teacher Strathcona School Winnipeg Manitoba writes: Carol has a talent which transcends her delft fingers as she spins and weaves wool. Carol is a patient teacher who shares her weaving knowledge with young students and is as excited as the children when they see their first threads become a pattern. This book of wonderful information helps to unravel the technique of finger weaving in a clear and concise manner. Carol is a master weaver who brings threads of wool to life as they dance in patterns as she weaves. This book reflects the simple and clear way that Carol teaches this art Carol’s quiet way of teaching as she passes her knowledge on to students makes her an honoured guest in my classroom. Students delight in the process and the making of their projects.Carol’s book is reflective of the learner and their new found skills as she takes them on a journey of discovery. I’ve been teaching fingerweaving for some time now. My students have encouraged me to publish the ‘handouts’ in book form. It was a small project that really got out of hand. It’s now a full color 64 page book, entitled
Fingerweaving Untangled, an illustrated beginner’s guide, including detailed patterns and common mistakes. The book provides two methods for fingerweaving, a beginner’s method and an advanced method. It is well illustrated with step-by-step drawings and photos, vetted by a wide variety of students of varying abilities. Also included are photos of museum-pieces, and sashes I’ve woven, illustrating the techniques, patterns, and common mistakes. This way you can do-it-yourself for that sash you’ve always wanted. |
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