When everything is running smoothly....

WOW, it's been awhile since I posted because I've been lashing on just about every loom and getting them started weaving.  Also, I have a plan brewing to put on Hazle which I hope to submit to HGA's Convergence yardage exhibit in 2012.....this fabric would have 3 background colors and 2 squash blossom colors and a continually 'rolling' blend and change.  MAN, can't I think up something simple?  I just don't seem to have that tendency.

Another thing I've been busy with is....I've gotten myself on Etsy!  I have put my little Raggy Cat Pin Cushions on there and a couple of scarves! In time, I plan to put more scarves, more Raggy Cats (if they sell), my Fabric Flower Pins and my stoles!  It's fun and easy and I just decided to give it a try.

My shop is called...Cat Brysch Creations Studio by CatBryschCreations on Etsy.
Wish me luck!

I've often been asked where I got my training.  I have never had a lesson, never. I sure have taught a few of those, but never had one.  The closest I can come to a lesson was when a very dear lady, Judy, loaned me her Baby Wolf to try a real draft on, so I could see what a commercially constructed loom was like.  Before that, I was using a loom that I made myself, and, at the time I wrote for Handwoven in the '80s, I submitted a 13-Harness draft that they had to alter so people would know what to do with it!  They had to really work at it, and I felt a little bad (and so honored) that they made such an effort.  That's when I knew I had to learn these conventional looms and weaver's language called drafts!

The integration was almost instant....my weaver brain very quietly went....oh! and that was that!  I was amended.  I realized, too, that these looms added a great deal of speed and convenience!  Wow, but I must have been living in a cave or something.  But, during that "time of not knowing", I got a special kind of training... instead of the loom doing it FOR me, I was designing every single thread.  I could 'see' where every weft thread was traveling, under, over, when it was floating above the web to make a pattern element.  And that was a good thing!  It seems that many weavers today just learn to follow the instructions and don't necessarily learn to see what each treadle produces.  This is why some weavers have trouble seeing, and then interpreting, errors.  So, if you are a new weaver, take the time to recognize what each harness does for you. Even today, when I look at a draft, my brain still 'sees' where every single weft thread is traveling...

I was trying to develop a space on this blog where I could add tricks of the trade that I might pass along..... things I've worked out over my 37 years.  But, the blog space filled or something, and would not let me add or change anything anymore, so I had to just delete it!  So, instead, I'm going to try to offer a few tricks of the trade in my posts.

HERE'S A Trick ~  This trick is offered assuming that you have taken out all threading errors and are just weaving along happily.  When I am weaving, I have a "watch spot" that I watch very closely....it might hold one whole motif of the entire pattern, and if it doesn't develop right or look right, I've made an error! This "watch spot" adds efficiency because I can see instantly if something is not right!  Now, of course, I do let my eye cover the whole fabric as I weave, but that spot insures I haven't missed a treadle sequence or doubled up on something.

This, to the right, is my "watch spot" on Doris.  Now, Doris has 1,500 warp threads on her and there's no repeats of design until you get to the center and then everything is mirrored.... so, there's a LOT to watch!

But my eye falls upon that one circled motif row to the right side of this photo...it's the rounded oval surrounded by upper and lower part circles.  I know it well, so, when it doesn't look right, I need to check my work!

I will have more 'tricks' in my posts, because there's nothing better than weavers sharing!  I hope you are weaving today.  I know I'll be weaving and sending out as many good, and watchful, thoughts as I can in my Miles and Miles of Smiles, Cat B.

Happiness Is.....

Now, if you've been reading this blog, you know that I've been traveling and have done 2 shows back-to-back and a wonderful visit to Rosepath Weaving in Lindale as well.  What fun I've had.  Then, when I get home, the 'work' begins.... unloading the rig and taking contents of all those boxes apart to rearrange everything and packing it up for the next show!  Well,  okay, it's taken me awhile, but now I'm beginning to prepare my looms to, again, help me make fiber magic.

Now, except for the volume of yardage that I weave, we are all weavers together, right?  So, you know what happiness is......

Happiness is when you have tied your warp threads onto the front cloth beam, you've wound your bobbins within a thread of STUFFED, you have even woven in your HEADER, that moment comes when everything is right with your world... and you begin to weave....now this is happiness.  Weavers everywhere unite in one great big happy grin....I'm gonna go weave on Jimmy now...e'ya later!

I am sending out much of this happiness and Miles and Miles of Smiles,  Cat B.

Rose Path Weaving and Other Adventures

I am back from a long journey through Texas on my way to CHT ~ Contemporary Handweavers of Texas which held their state-wide conference in College Station this past week.  But, on the way to be a vendor at that event, I stopped at Rose Path Weaving to visit one of the shops that my husband supplies with his weaving and spinning tools.  While there, I offered a 4-hour demo/workshop on Jim's Hokett Would Work Hand Looms to all comers.  What fun it was, and what a fun bunch of people!!!

The photo can't say it all, though, as it cannot show the wonderful atmosphere in there, the beautifully arranged stock, the knowledgeable brainpower in the place or the giving spirit of the people inside.  For that, I hope you will go visit in purrrrrrrrrrrson.  To visit on line check out www.rosepath.net and get an eye-full!  They offer classes and one is coming up on the Hokett Would Work Hand Loom, so you can learn all about weaving on these fantastic little looms.

Here is a close-up of my work "Tierra Persona" (Earth Person) which won first prize Fiber Arts Fiesta where I was also a vendor.  This piece took many, many hours to complete, holds sculpted fibers and threads of cottons, rayons & silks and cast fibers that were all combined by using collage, couching and beading with glass beads. I hoped it would sell for it's modest $695 price, but, regretfully, it did not.  It hangs again in my hallway where, I must admit, I would miss it if it sold.  My goal is to sell it someday.  I will begin another fiber art piece with my goal to enter it into the Mixed Media section of AFAF in 2013.  I wanted to show this close up because people who came by my booth said that the close-up just astounded them....if you will notice.... even the irises of the eyes and the lips are renditions of leaves.

Here is my booth at Contemporary Handweavers of Texas Conference in College Station.  I had some of the most wonderful neighbors at this event who made the experience much more FUN.  Peggy and Penny at SkyLoom Weavers (find them at www.skyloomweavers.com) brought such humor and help to all their customers and they are from Cat Spring, TX....now wouldn't I like to go THERE!?!?!  Chele at Fiberlady (find her at www.fiberlady.com) is so full of knowledge and works so hard at what she does!

This trip was tiring after having done a show the week before, but I will recover quickly because I HAVE ORDERS TO FILL!!!!!!!!!!!  With all my best wishes, I am sending Miles and Miles of Smiles, Cat B.

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.