Category Archives: Festivals

2026 Christmas Towels

Equipment, Festivals, Outdoors, ParaTassels, Spinning, , , ,

With the bobbins all full the next step in the process is to transfer from the bobbin rack to the warp beam. On ‘Big Mac’ this is a sectional beam with 2″ sections which equates to 36 warp yarns. I clamp the bobbin rack to a heavy chair which does two things – keeps the rack from falling over and lifts it up to keep the yarn a little more centralized. I can then slide it along as I move from section to section to keep it lined up

From the bobbin rack the yarn goes through my Leclerc Tension Box (note the 3rd peg which pushes down on the yarn is not in place in this photo). I used to have one peg on the warp beam covered in blue tape and I’d use that to count the rotations. As you can imagine, one little lapse in concentration and I’d be out by a rotation (or two). This problem was solved by buying a small counter which relies on a sensor and a magnet. 100% accuracy now!

I couldn’t find my winding handle this morning so the alternative is a ring spanner. Once the required rotations are made the yarn is taped to itself temporarily, the yarn is cut, a knot is put in the end to be attached to a leader and the tension box is moved over to align with the next section and the whole process is repeated to fill 11 sections

Yesterday we had our Weaving Guild meeting and the presentation was on Hybrid Weaving or combining tablet weaving with loom weaving. I had been meaning to try this out at some stage so it was a natural to prepare some background information and have my loom all set up so I could actually demonstrate how it is done. I’m obviously no expert on this. There is however an expert in the form of Inge Dam, who lives in Canada and is the recognized expert on the technique. I had some short you tube videos of her work and also showed the others her web site gallery which has world class woven cloth and garments made from her work. The web site is https://ingedam.net/gallery/ and is well worth the visit. She appears to still offer 3 day workshops on this technique and other tablet weaving. She has also published a book ‘Tablet-woven Accents for Designer Fabrics’ Available from her web site or Amazon or The Woolery.

This sample was just a test and demo, I will have to re-sley the reed to get a proper sett for the twill loom woven portion. I’ll also add more warp to build it out to a table runner size.

After the guild meeting I set up with Phyllis to demonstrate at the local ‘Blessing of the Buffalo’ in Georgetown. I was spinning and Phyllis weaving. It’s held annually – this being the 17th. There was a good crowd turn up – the event is totally free and along with the entertainment there is the Cherokee Nation connection, vendors, informative displays, a vintage car line-up and free food. It’s hosted by Greg Vital (TN House Representative) on his Buffalo farm.

I managed to sell 6 towels and some para-tassels, so despite the bitter cold at the end of the day, it was a fun afternoon.

2023 Birchwood Fiber Festival

Festivals, ParaTassels, Weaving

May was the month for our (a small group of Fiber Artists – mostly from our Weaving Guild) inaugural Fiber Festival. Over a year in the planning and perceived to be a replacement in our region for the now significantly changed Townsend event. I had put my name down to be Vendor Chair (after the years I had done this for the Smokey Mountain Fiber Arts Festival) and we also had several other ‘veterans’ on the board.

Initially we did not think we would have a lot of interest from vendors, but we chose the weekend to not clash too badly with any rival festivals. The Maryland Sheep and Wool was on, but that’s way out of our ‘local’ league. We also had to consider Instructors to run interesting courses as the whole package needed to be attractive to the public who we needed to turn up in their hundreds it was all to work.

Our venue was the Birchwood Community Center (where we hold our monthly guild meetings. We know the folk who manage the place and they were super supportive in our planning and as a bonus they would supply all day food from the (ex-school) cafeteria. It is how they make their little bit of profit for their group. They also hold the Sandhill Crane Festival in January each year a very well attended Festival that has been running for many years

Through lots of planning meetings we agreed on strategies to promote and attract Vendors, Instructors, and the public. This included social media (www.birchwoodfiberfestival.com primarily), mail-outs to guilds and fiber related shops, setting up demonstrations at other fesitvals, TV appearances, and as much ‘sharing’ as we could encourage. Things came together slowly and we ended up with a completely full vendor hall, a good variety of courses on offer and quite a bit of interest gathered from our various appearances.

For the actual festival we started the set up on the Thursday, had Vendors arrive to set up on the Friday and much setting up of classrooms based on what the actual lessons would be. The vendor hall (my part of ship) was the gymnasium which meant a relative easy job setting out the spaces. We had decided that we wanted to have at least 8 foot aisles which allow better two way traffic and hence a traffic flow that goes up and back rather than just a quick one way look around.

The photo’s from top left, clockwise are: the gymnasium (tape marks on floor for vendor spaces), vendor spaces filling on Friday, the next three are the Festival about to open on Saturday morning.

We had good crowds on Saturday and less on Sunday, but a lot of people went out the door with shopping bags which apparently was enough for all but two of our vendors saying they want to come back for 2024. Anne I did well with our towels and Para-tassels and will actually have a booth for 2024, so I had better get going on some stock!

Rainy Day work

Clean & Service, Equipment, Festivals, Looms, Project, Studio, Weaving

The ‘Oak and Fern’ bathmat is now finished. It’s still on the loom as I have enough warp for another four to five foot long rug. I may weave two smaller door mats for the doors from the studio to the garage and the workshop. I have plenty of weft yarn.

Oak & Fern Bathmat Finished

In other work in the studio I continued cleaning various parts of ‘Senior’. The treadles are like the rest of the loom wood – perhaps maple under a dark stain. One part that seems to be different is the shuttle race on the beater frame. It appears to be a darker wood and is typically a harder wood as it is an area that experiences a fair amount of wear and tear.

I’ve numbered the heddle frames as they are removed and cleaned to ensure I put them back in the right order. The frames and lamms seem to be in reasonable condition and don’t have much wear. One small shortfall is the lower lamm where the original wire connections to the treadle was made is only as wide as the 6 treadles side by side. Most looms have two extra treadles, i.e. for a 4 shaft; 6 treadles. If I add two more treadles I may have to extend the lower lamm on each side. The side by side picture shows the first cleaned treadle and beside it the shuttle race. The slot for the reed at the back of the race is a good example of the workmanship. The top and front of the race are finished and smooth. The slot edge is still as originally cut . I’ll likely sand it of a little more just for the looks as functionally it doesn’t need changing.

Today is the start of a fine period here in the valley so I will be able to get back up on the roof to get as much done before we head up to Townsend for the Fall Guild sale this weekend where I will be volunteering and selling some of my woven and spun items.

Guild Meeting

Festivals

Last weekend we finally held another Scenic Valley Handweavers meeting. It’s been quite a while. It was well attended and while there wasn’t a program, the ‘show and share’ was fairly extensive. One other piece of news was of interest. The Chatahoochee Handweavers Guild have asked other local guilds if they would like to join their”Creative Confinement: On Line Fiber Show” We voted and accepted the invitation.

Each member of invited guilds can submit up to 5 pieces (plus two photo’s and accompanying description). If accepted they will then go into the chosen categories and after the 24th of July voting begins. The pieces submitted must have been woven in the last two years and meet certain criteria. I found 5 pieces and assembled photo’s etc and went through the on-line process. Two days later I received an email that all 5 pieces have been accepted.

We are all expected to raise the profile for the on-line show, which I will do via various social media.

Closer to the date and once I find out how the voting works I will send out more posts with links and a hope that you will vote for me 🙂

Smoky Mountain Virtual Fiber Arts Festival

Festivals

As previously mentioned the 2020 Festival was cancelled because of the COVID-19 threat to all concerned. One of our vendors volunteered to put together a virtual site linking participating vendors shop pages to one place. This is now live and as of today will start including further information.

It is at: https://smfafvirtualfestival2020.wordpress.com/

Feel free to spread the word/link and visit the sites listed and hopefully we will all be together again in 2021.

Baby Blanket Received

Festivals, Studio

We heard back from North Carolina – they love the blanket and will forward some photo’s idc. Can’t wait to see that. Not much fiber activity over the last two weeks but have managed to get a fair bit of building work done on the studio.

We were lucky during the recent severe weather – the nearest 3 tornadoes were about 20 minutes away from here, although as we were in the warning area we did spend some time sheltering until the all clear was given. It was the single highest rainfall we have experienced though: 7 inches in 12 hours. It might have been a little over, as I emptied the full range gauge at midnight after the all clear!

Weaving guild members have been posting pictures of work while in ‘stay at home’ mode. It’s our virtual show and tell on the Scenic Valley Handweavers FB page. No detail yet on the virtual Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival page – I’ll post, share, promote that as soon as I receive details.

Other work has mostly been spring gardening preparation and planting. With the hot-house and our aerogarden for seed raising we are way ahead of previous years. With the last ‘frost day’ date now gone we have plenty of plants out in our various gardens and hope to have bumper crops. In between work, while sitting on the porch swing I’ve now counted 4 hummingbirds active – their energy never ceases to amaze me!!

2020 Smoky Mountains Fiber Arts Festival

Festivals

Not surprisingly this festival has been cancelled on advice from multiple sources and with consultation amongst the community. There will be a 2021 SMFAF, held April 16-17, 2021 and we are hoping to hold a 2020 Smoky Mountain Virtual Fiber Arts Festival this year on the original dates (24-25 April). We have 18 of our vendors signed up to participate and I am chasing more. One of our vendors is volunteering time to create the entry point on the web which will link to vendors own web sites. Watch out for further announcements on this.

Townsend Blue Ribbon Fair 2018

Festivals, Weaving

We visited Townsend last weekend so that I could participate as part of the Townsend Artisan Guild.  This was the third year that I have demonstrated weaving.  There is normally a spinning demonstration as well and the guild sets up an arts and crafts tent were kids are able to participate in various activities.

I normally set up on the verandah at the front of the Heritage center – visible as folk come in the main entrance.  This year we set up on the porch of the Montvale Station log home – one of the several dotted around the site.  I wasn’t sure that we would see the same volume of traffic at the back, but that was not the case and throughout the day I had a steady stream of visitors.

TBR0

The porch turned out to be an ideal place to set up – I had shade the whole day although it was hot without much of a breeze.  I had a table to put a whole range of my weaving plus hung a tapestry made by my father and some South American hand manipulated weaving.  I wove cotton dish towels on the HD loom.  Carefully taking my time as I only had enough warp left for about one towel, so I definitely talked more than wove.

TBR1

I had one or two weavers call by, but mostly it was just interested people who came to look in the cabin and stopped to see what I was doing.  Lots of kids asking great questions.  As often happens at these demonstrations I also acted as an unpaid travel agent once people found out I was from New Zealand.

TAG Picnic

Equipment, Festivals, Looms, Weaving

Saturday this week was the Townsend Artisan Guild annual picnic.  The event was held at the Metcalf Bottoms pavilion in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park about half way between Townsend and Gatlinburg.

I headed off a little early so that I could call in to some of the many antique stores on the way north that are often closed when I am traveling to and from Townsend.  Along the way I managed to pick up a couple of old rip saws – rusty but otherwise OK. They will need some cleaning, but rip saws are expensive and pretty hard to find as power tools are to most common option.

IMG_9353

Around 40 people attended the picnic and there was a lot of activity in and around us at the many other picnic tables and a constant stream of folk heading to and from the river.  At mountain elevations the temperature was easily 10 degrees cooler than in the valley where it was in the mid to high nineties.

I also picked up the TAG Harrisville Design loom.  This is the one I have used on multiple occasions to demonstrate weaving.  They are short on storage space and don’t really have any other weavers.  I’ll look after the loom and make sure it is ready for demonstrations and also potentially set up and run some weaving classes for interested members.

IMG_9352

The warp on the loom is the one I put on so that the Scenic Valley Handweavers could use the loom to demonstrate at the last Smoky Mountains Fiber Arts Festival.  I wove the first few stripes to give them an idea how to proceed.  I can see we’ll need some lessons on reversing twill stripes and consistent beating!!

Save the Date!

Festivals

Today I travelled through to Maryville, TN for a wrap-up meeting after the 2018 Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival.  We met at the Vienna Coffee House (http://viennacoffeehouse.net/) a great coffee shop/eatery.  We had a meeting room booked and were treated to a great picture show (it helps that the chairperson is a photographer) along with details of costs, statistics, and some of the feedback received.  For my part we had 11 more vendors than last year, and 60% signed up on Sunday for 2019, to ensure they get the same spaces. With representatives from all the festival committee areas at the meeting today we quickly moved on to gathering ideas for the 2019 Festival.

Next year the Festival will be held from April 12 through 14.  This is slightly earlier to avoid a clash with Easter.  I will be volunteering as the Vendor/Volunteer co-ordinator again and already have some plans on how to streamline some of the interactive work with vendors.  I received positive feedback on the planning work for 2018 and approval to start work on some more minor changes.  The big highlight was that we received lots of positive feedback about the upgraded map I prepared (although it still needs a little work!).

The 2019 Festival will be the 10th, and because of that we are considering some special efforts to recognise loyal vendors, regular instructors, and committed contributors.  I will add links to this blog and the kiwiweave web pages as we get them set up.  It should include the slide show we watched.

This year I will be working on creating a database for the many vendor/space options and will have to improve my graphics skills to improve the map.  Perhaps one could populate the other, although I suspect my IT skills may not stretch that far.