Hidden Talents
I was watching Sweeney Todd, the film version, starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (with Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall) last night, and I was amazed at the musical talent these normally drama-oriented actors showed. I know from playing the show that the...
Whirlwind Woven Shibori time
Wow, I've been amazed at the wonderful response to Woven Shibori for Textural Effects! Thank you so much for your warm comments and orders!! Typically, there have been a few technical glitches, notably with a Paypal button for the US postage that kept showing the...
Standing out from the crowd
Only a few are left with any clothes on now. It's amazing how fast it's happened! It's amazing how you don't notice things until there's a sudden change in conditions, isn't it? One minute everywhere was green, then a cold snap, and sudden changes in colour, then...
24 hours until publication
Only 24 hours to go until publication of my monograph, Woven Shibori for Textural Effects! It's really exciting! There is nothing quite as thrilling as seeing your first authorial efforts in print! So that means that there are only 24 hours to go to get the...
Weaving Christmas Cards – Take Three
This week I've made a start on weaving my Christmas Cards - again. Yes, this is the third attempt! Hopefully this one will work! The first version was an angel - woven on one of my hand-jacquard sample looms, known as Baby #3. Unfortunately, I have problems with...
Weaving and Cosmetics??
Have you noticed that this winter, cosmetics houses are focussing on the 'feel' factor of make-up? Satins, sables, and velvet are just some of the textures they are using to describe their products. As textile people we know that touch can override all other senses...
Pre-launch special offer on Woven Shibori for Texture
Well, well, the time has finally come and I can unveil the Woven Shibori for Texture monograph!! I first showed drafts of the monograph at Convergence and Complex Weavers Seminars in Albuquerque this summer but since then I have added a section on 8 shaft shibori and...
Whitespace and breathing space
Do you believe in spooky? Are you a believer in co-incidences? What about parallel universerses? Well, I'm thinking maybe parallel lives! Feeling a little overwhelmed with everything I still have to do coming up to a book launch, (more on that next week) I took a...
Textural weaving – single cloth with floats
I said last week that I would show you something similar to the combined single and double cloth, but with floats. Because of the floats, the cloth is now a single layer. Using the same design, but turning the 'blocks' on the second layer into plain weave, we now...