Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta!

Here I am getting ready for my next show in Texas and I am still thinking about the last one ~ Fiber Arts Fiesta!  This show is a vendor's DREAM and I am so happy that I could enjoy yet another one.  The event is so well set up, expertly run and is so beautiful!  To see all about it, just put this title into your search engine....it might take a little while to get all the latest information up there, but put it on your 'favorites' for the future!

I had several wonderful customers come into my booth wearing garments they have made from my handwoven yardage and what a THRILL.  Here's a photo of my friend Lynnae.  She's in her booth and came over to show me so I chased her down with my camera!  Check out her blog at Chamomile Connection.  She is such a talent and I'm lucky she allowed me to take her photo....thanks, Lynnae and you look gorgeous!

I got quite a surprise in this show, too.  I entered one of my fiber art pieces in the Mixed Media area, so I went to see how it looked in place and I discovered I'd won first place!  What a remarkable feeling!  Okay, here I am trying not to crack too big of a grin...I'm wearing some of my handwoven 60/2 perle cotton white fabric in a fully lined blouse that I made and one of my flower pins.

Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta is one of the best shows for fiber artists, of ALL interests, that the state of New Mexico has to offer.  They recently received the "Bravo" Award and not surprising!  It is inspiring, educational, fun and informative.  Every kind of supply one might need can be found there and there's classes to spur you on.  I hope you will plan to attend in 2 years!  I am sending out many happy thoughts and Miles of Smiles, Cat B.

I've been asked about Raggy Cat Pin Cushions and this photo shows some of them.  They are pin cushions that I designed several years ago.....I just HAD to because of my name!  At first, I thought I wanted to design something to use up scraps of handwoven fabric, but, in developing the Cats, I was having such fun with commercial fabric that I just kept making them from fabrics that I buy or that people give me from their stash.  The turquoise one with the beads was submitted to Fiber Arts Fiesta's 2007 Doll Exhibit and it won second prize! What a thrill that was!! I don't usually put beads on them or piece them because they would have to cost aLOT more than $15, if I added such time-consuming details in them!  So, there they are....my little Raggy Cat Pin Cushions!  Thanks for the interest and the comment!  I'm sending out Miles of Smiles.  Cat B.

Does anyone know what CRUNCH TIME means?

What a beautiful day and I can actually stop and enjoy it because all of my product is LOADED.  I am talking about getting ready for Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta, of course!  This premier fiber event, May 26-28 takes place at Expo New Mexico in the Manual Lujan Building and I feel so honored and thrilled to be a vendor there again this year!

I have to admit that there was some 'crunch time' in there for a while, because, here in our mountains, March decided to stay until May and I couldn't get the plants out of my cold frame and  into the ground until today!  I now have beans, cucumbers, arugula, squash, onions, potatoes, carrots, cantelope, watermelon and okra to eat, plus Heavenly Blue morning glories, purrrrrple cone flowers and sunflowers as feast for the eyes.  Besides these delights, I have been preparing all my fabrics to display, have more stoles than I have ever presented at a show and will be working on my Raggy Cat Pin Cushions almost until the moment we head to Albuquerque!

This is what crunch time is for!  My booth will look quite similar to this photo (this was my set-up at the first Earth's Palette event in Taos) except I'll have even more fabric!  Even I can't believe how fast my shuttles have been flying!  I have so much this time that I've had to leave some here at the Studio!  Well, wish me luck with Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta and, if any of you can come see this marvelous event for yourself, it would be well worth your efforts to attend!  I am sending out Miles and Miles of Smiles, Cat B.

It looks like a weaving studio, but....

It looks like a weaving studio, but Creations Studio is really an happiness factory.  I feel so blessed to be able to do this work.  I work at least 4 days a week.  All but one of my looms is Macomber....I love these looms (can't you tell?).  They all have names....I'm sitting at Doris right now.  They each have their own personalities, their own quirks and needs.  Some are a little testy while others are so smooth and efficient that the threads just FLY.  I can, on a good day, weave 6 yards a day.  I'm a very old-fashioned weaver...and a rather old one, at that!  I have no computer operated looms, because I love the challenge of keeping a series in my head when I am working with up to 17 treadles and have maybe 135 rows to a pattern.  I do use notes and move a clothes pins down as I weave, but the treadling is all a connection between my feet and my head! Ergonomics are very important if you have my challenges and can still weave up to 8 hours a day.

And my name is....

When asked what I do, I usually say I'm a weaver.  But, in reality, weaving is not my occupation, a weaver is what I am in every sense of the word.  I think weaving, breath weaving, dream weaving and I have done so for 37 years.  My name is Cat Brysch and weaving has enriched my life and, hopefully, I have enriched the weaving world in some way, too.

I taught weaving for many years, and, since retiring from teaching in 2007, I have missed the wonderment of watching the light going on in my students eyes.  I have created so many tricks of the trade, conveniences of time and method, and will be sharing some of those with those who read this blog.

So here I begin....and my name is....Cat Brysch, weaver