Weaving A Gem Of A Life

Saturday was my community weaving project in Angelica. Although I will change some things next time around, the project was reasonably successful. This is a story told mostly in pictures, with just a few words.

As I expected, it took only about 5 minutes for me to complete the loom frame assembly.

What I didn’t expect was that the tent frame would be substantially lower than my tent, so the milk jug weights were resting on the ground. I should have made the weaving frame only 4′ high and wide instead of 5′, both to deal with this problem and account for the time it took to do the weaving.

Regardless, I started warping the loom.

My guesstimate was right – it took me about an hour to get the loom all warped.

I put in just a bit of one color so people got the basic idea, then solicited my first weavers.

It didn’t take long before some younger weavers joined in.

They drew in others.

The frame is large, so it takes a lot of time to build up color.

Time is passing really quickly and the crowd is thinning, so I work quickly trying to fill in around the shapes the community wove in. Wish there was more time, more people, and a smaller frame.

I asked people at the end to fill in sections, too. Kids were happy to oblige.

Just in time, the weaving is done.

I think it’s going to be about a week before it’s fully installed on Main Street. I’ll go back then and take a photo, too.

All in all, it was fun. I plan to improve on this process and do more community weaving.

Before I give you the real answer, I have to say I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t get some fanciful answers. I was hoping for things like a croquet court for mice who want to hit the ball only once and go through all the wickets. Or maybe where the young snake had to go during time out. Or perhaps even a long series of jumping hurdles for a leprechaun.

No such luck, just a serious – and very good – guess and someone who didn’t want to be a spoiler.

For the rest of you, this is a beam for a semi-permanent loom I’m making for a community weaving project.

Here’s the basic story…

More than 2 years ago kendrick43, woman on Weavolution, inspired me with her Front Porch Weaving. I really wanted to try it but didn’t want my own wonderful front porch view obstructed. I was waiting for the right opportunity.

It arrived! A few months ago one of the organizers asked me if I’d demonstrate weaving at the Angelica Farmer’s Market some time this summer. I told her I could bring my little loom and do that, but I’d rather do a weaving project that involved the community. Staci was eager for something different.

This coming Saturday (7/27) I’m doing a community weaving project called Sheer Colors in Angelica! The weaving will be created in the Village Circle during Farmer’s Market hours (9-1) and then moved to its permanent home, so I’ve had to do lots of thinking and prep about how to make that viable. (Thanks to my wonderful son who knows nothing about weaving but is a very creative thinker with lots of [un]common sense and is a terrific problem solver.)

I’ve now mostly ‘built’ a semi-permanent loom using 2″ x 2″s, cable staples, clothesline, and PVC pipe. The final assembly will be done onsite – or I couldn’t move this 5′ x 5′ frame. It will hang from 3 S hooks on the top beam, with 3 more S hooks holding 1/2 gallon milk jugs filled with water hanging from the bottom beam for tension.

After the final onsite loom assembly steps, I’ll warp the loom with doubled 8/3 cotton. Once it’s warped, I have a dozen 25-yard rolls of tulle in various colors that people will be able to weave into it as the muse/moment strikes them. I have no idea what the finished product will look like. Nor if I have too much or not enough tulle. Nor how well my loom will function. Nor….anything else! Assuming some level of success, after completion it’ll be moved from the Village Circle park to in front of a store in downtown Angelica.

I’m really excited about this project and will take photos of process and completion and post them here. If it works well I plan to do more of it. If you’re anywhere near southwestern NYS, I hope you’ll come and join in the fun!