Many Kinds of Heaven

We all have our own ideas about what heaven would be like and, this morning, I am in my own kind of heaven. The morning sunshine is streaming into my east windows, warming me in my black sweater, the music "Seven Falls" by Marshall Styler, is echoing through the studio with such ethereal beauty that I feel am quietly breathing in the music itself, and I'm weaving on my loom named Grace. What could be better?

This morning light is so good for weaving lace....the cross-light makes the lace patterns 'pop', adding joy to the weaving.

I've got the whole day to focus on whatever I want ~ no taxes, no paperwork ~ a time of introspection and renewal....at least for today...

So, I thought I'd "put to paper" a run down of what's in the works...As my last post says, I have been thinking a LOT about what the last year has meant to me. There have been successes, some challenges, some hopes and dreams that need rearranging. I'm still "me", but after my tremendous effort to make what I do financially viable, I see that there is more funds but less joy....this seems too out of balance for me and fun will be added to the program after I, as my dear husband says, "reboot".

My last post saw a statement that I am going to resurrect my fiber art, make it a more prominent part of my creative life, and, with that repeated, I am happy to say that a fiber art piece which was 'born' some 2 years ago, was finally 'fleshed out' yesterday....I am so excited! It's real now!

I have no photos, of course, except what has been envisioned in my brain for so long....but I can describe the materials in it.....no worry, there will not be a test, but here goes....the fiber art piece will contain handwoven fabric, fabric paints, thrums, metallic threads of all kinds, beads, novelty yarns, blended yarns/fibers of cotton, silk, rayon, lyocel, wool, nylon, viscose and my own formulas of adhesives and emulsions. The labor involved will include weaving, stitching, fiber casting, couching, beading, fiber sculpting, quilting, piecing and fabric painting... thank goodness the work list is shorter, huh?

When looking to the future, there's some things that I want to maintain ~ weaving, of course and I must continue with my Desert Daze fabrics...this fabric is as much of part of me as the fiber art, is still inspired by the natural world around me and came to me in such an mental explosion of thought that I almost fell OVER!

Yes, it must remain, this lovely yardage and in whatever form it may become.

Then there's the "art yardage"... I don't know what else to call it. It was an adventure to weave and to make ready for exhibition. I look forward to my next big adventure in this area of

weaving, and I have more ideas "growing" every day!


There was sooooooooooo much work involved with this piece after the complicated weaving process... but I loved every minute of it! This photos
here show the process of adding a backing. Since the yardage exhibition in
Long Beach, Convergence 2012 was to be seen from both sides, I felt that
people deserved to see the very best I could do....so...on went the backing!
You can see the back uncovered in the photo after this one...

Needless to say, it took up a GREAT deal of space, but I got a system down for creating a huge space for work like this.

I use this huge set-up for the photographing my work, too...

Then there's the blankets....yes, I have to continue with my blankets....I started with blankets all those 42 something years ago, and they are still dear to my heart.

I end this message of hope with a smile and happy thoughts.

I am struck with a feeling of being about as blessed as an old weaver has the right to be....

I am aware of every moment of the life I have, the craft that is in my mind and in my heart and I am sending many happy thoughts out with...

Miles and Miles of Smiles,
Cat B.