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I am not old

I am not old poem

I saw that posted on Facebook and just love it – the photo and the poem.

On the weaving front, I’ve finished 4 pieces for March from my Happy warp. First I wove a flat shawl in what I call ‘huck-ish’ – weaving just half of a huck pattern. This is an example of necessity causing a design element that I like a lot. I started weaving with magenta Tencel, believing I had 2 tubes of it. I was about 8″ from the second end when I ran out on the first tube and went to get the other.

Uh oh. It wasn’t magenta. It was bordeaux. They looked the same in the darkness of the shelves, but not once they were out in the daylight.

handwoven Happy shawl, flat

After consideration I unwove several inches so that I could do some weft striping. I added three stripes – coral and pink – separated by thin stripes of the magenta, and finished the shawl with the end of the magenta yarn. Whew!

I liked the way that coral looked so well that I decided I’d use it for weft for the next piece. The coral is Bambu 7. which is substantially thicker than the 8/2 cotton of the weft. It’s also very loosely spun. So I chose to stick with the ‘huck-ish’ treadling to minimize floats. As planned, this piece is a mobius. Here it is on Dolly so you can see how it sits.

Happy mobius in coral, front

So easy to wear. And the bamboo gives it such a wonderful hand.

Happy mobius in coral, side view

I chose an azure Tencel for the third piece, also a mobius. For this one I did a full huck treadling. I also like this one a lot.

Happy mobius in blue

It was clear I had enough warp left to weave a cowl. I picked a navy Bambu 7, and since the piece would be short I opted to do the full huck treadling again. This is far and away my least favorite.

Happy cowl in navy

Amazing how different they look with the different colored wefts, isn’t it?

There’s 4. I’m counting this next one as 5 for the month, even though it’s sort of cheating. I actually finished this piece in September, but it was never right. I didn’t know how to do the mobius at that time, and sewed it end-to-end. It was just a mess. So once I knew how to do the mobius I took it apart and fixed it. It’s a bit shorter than my typical, but it’s totally fine.

Midnight Moon mobius

So. With actual garments, simple as they may be, I needed a cloth label. I’d looked at several designs online and planned to order some.

Then the lightbulb went off in my brain. Wait! I had cloth labels that I’d designed for my baby wraps. I’d ordered something like 300 of them, so I had roughly 250 left. 🙂

They had info that I didn’t need or want on the clothing, so I had to get rid of that. A serger would have done the perfect job, but my machine with a narrow and tight zigzag stitch worked, and I could sew a string of them, one right after the other.

string of labels

The color is correct in the photo above, not in the one below.

On the left is the full label, created for my baby wraps. I use them for my towels – at least most of them. Some of my towels have some bamboo in them.

3 labels

In the center are labels I can use for things like the 100% cotton mobius – I don’t want them machine washed & dried.

On the left I can use for my other mobius and the center-seam shawls.

6 comments to I am not old

  • Ann Wiltse

    Everything you do shows your deep caring for all the “little” decisions (read;” important”) that change lives, improve lives, enhance relationships, bring beauty to the world and all the lives you touch. You, my dear, are a true artist! and much revered. You are rare, a treasure, a map just as the lady in the poem.

    Many and Much thanks to our Creator for you, Pat.

  • Jennifer P.

    The poem and photo are fantastic and moving. Your weaving is sensational.

  • Those shawls just make me smile! The poem is lovely, I’m printing it to keep on the cork board in the sewing room. Thank you for posting it Peg!

  • Alma

    The poem is lovely, as is the lady with a wreath of sticks and a map of lines on her face.

    I am so pleased you’ve been able to keep up with your weaving through the hours I’ve pulled you away from your looms. Great job on the shawls! (The remake from September looks SO cozy!)

    Great job, as always, Peg! Keep up the artist’s work generated from an artist’s eye and hands!

    • Peg Cherre

      Thanks for the compliments, Alma, and for being such a caring sister. The rayon chenille is definitely cozy.

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