Birch Blanket

This Shetland wool blanket was displayed in the "Welcoming Spring" part of my recent show at the Station House Gallery. It's made of a soft silvery grey with accents of warm yellow, cream and brown.

SH070 | 100% wool | 190 cm x 130 cm (75" x 51") | Sold

In September, I took photos of it draped over the lower branches of a paper birch, and designed and ordered a set of 6" x 6" cards. I've already been using the cards and have distributed some to interested people.

Update: The blanket sold later and I still have a good supply of the cards.

Williams Lake Medieval Market - My 3rd

Cariboo Handwoven was a vendor for the third time at the annual Williams Lake Medieval Market last weekend. The new venue in the larger high school campus provided two stages for musical performances, along with the usual great food, wandering minstrels, and many friends stopping in to visit and say hi. Even visitors who I didn't know at first were happy to look around, and I received many compliments on the recent Station House show. Thanks to all of those who dropped in!

I had many towels for sale and brought only a few home:

Cariboo Handwoven also had a good selection of wool blankets (on big rack under banner), cotton blankets (right-hand side of booth) and bath towels (hanging on tree between).

I was grateful to hang lights and dowels from the beautiful wall provided by Scott and Janet from New to Olde Designs. I had Debby Lloyd's gorgeous baskets on my other side - coincidentally, I displayed hand towels in my own rush basket with juniper handle that I'd bought earlier (very far left above stool).

It was one fantastic weekend with amazing community spirit - and people coming from as far as Quesnel and 70 Mile House.  I know - I met them!

Thanks so much, see you next year!

Bath Towels - 2nd Batch

My first set of cotton bath towels were very well-received by the two requestors, and the reviews couldn't be better. So I decided to weave up another batch for this busy time of the year with craft sales and numerous enquiries coming in.

Here are some examples of the 12 new bath towels:

All towels are about 90 cm (35") wide and 140 cm (55") long. They sell for $80 each. And they're heading to the Medieval Market later today for the weekend!

"Keep Weaving Your Story"

At the opening of "To Drive the Cold Winter Away" a week and a half ago, a friend and very dear person gave me a little gift she'd made, along with a card filled with kind words. Her note ended with: "Keep weaving your story." I was very touched by this gift, and those four words got me thinking.

Keep weaving my story? ... What is that? What is my story?

Stories are big these days. It seems that every person, every product, every thing has its story. I'm warming up to the idea of stories, although initially rather reluctantly. Just in case stories are a trend or a fad, I didn't want to be swept in. But maybe there's something to it, to a story. And if so - what is my story? What is this story I'm to weave?

Answering that question now, my story is who I am at this stage of my life in all that I've done that's made me who I am now. It includes my successes and triumphs, and my failures and goof-ups.  It goes for everyone. Right now, my story is being a weaver, but it's also my other interests: music, horses, running, my community, my province and country, my family, the travels I've done and places I've visited, and more. In other words, my story is all that I've experienced and learned so far in life.

The story I weave brings the style I've developed over decades, often described as fine-textured fabrics with meticulous finishing. Lately, I've added special aspects to my story like my Deep Forest and Energy series. And a new part of my story is "Blankets Aren't Just For Horses!" which is helping connect me with other horse lovers.

I suppose that my story is also what I'm to become. If I weave my story then I'm creating it as well as telling it. The timing is good for this, because as the days grow shorter and colder, those of us in the northern hemisphere are approaching the winter solstice and a new year. Now is the right time to be thinking about weaving my story because I first have to create it in my mind - and my heart.

To other weavers out there - what is the story you're weaving?

"To Drive the Cold Winter Away" at the Station House Gallery

To Drive the Cold Winter Away is my show (my first ever) with potter Joan Beck at the Station House Gallery in Williams Lake, BC. Joan and I developed three parts to the theme and here they are in sequence:

Staying Warm and Cozy

Six Shetland wool blankets

Family Blanket in Shetland wool woven in twill blocks

Chasing Winter Away

Blankets in wool (left and right) and cotton (centre)

Great combination of blankets and pottery

Awaiting Spring

Joan's raku swallows flying over cotton towels and blankets on trike, and Shetland wool blankets hanging

The show is on until Sunday November 23, and more photos are available on the Station House Gallery's Facebook page.

Thank you to the gallery's hanging committee, all who attended the fabulous opening last Thursday evening, and of course to my artistic partner, Joan Beck!

Station House Gallery Show

I'm almost ready to deliver blankets, scarves, towels and props to the Station House Gallery in Williams Lake tomorrow. "To Drive the Cold Winter Away" opens on Thursday, November 6 from 5-7 pm and continues to November 22. It's a short time period, just over two weeks, but November is the perfect month to think about facing the upcoming winter.

Taking inspiration from a 17th century Christmas carol, Joan Beck and Jane Perry's exhibition To Drive the Cold Winter Away aims to alleviate the dread that comes with early winter months. "We can embrace winter and see it as an opportunity to gear down with more time indoors for reading, crafts, and gathering with friends" the artists illustrate. Jane's weavings and Joan's pottery, accompanied by a surprise musical guest, provide the perfect indoor comforts to get you through another Cariboo winter.

From the germ of an idea in May 2013, through the proposal submission and acceptance, and then all the collaboration by Joan and me since - next Thursday will be fun!