Come with me to the quaint little town of Eureka Springs, nestled in the heart of the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas. First, we need to prepare and pack up. Then, enjoy the day-long drive. Put rug warp on six looms (five of them Glimåkras!) with Debbie Davis and me. And then, greet each eager weaver the next day and enjoy the process of creating special patterned rag rugs together.
Sit on the porch swing with me at the serene cabin secluded in the woods, and do some small frame tapestry while Steve whittles out more little men.
Then, greet the second round of weavers, and be sure to congratulate each one on their fabulous work. Drive home to Texas with me and let’s recount all the blessings–the kind and interesting people we met and all the fun we had!
Beaver LakeDesigning double binding rugs.Debbie Davis, of Red Scottie Fibers, enjoys the end result of her design. She let me share in the fun of weaving some of the rug.
Three days is almost too short for threading looms, sleyingreeds, tying on, and tying up. And designing and weaving a realdouble binding rag rug. But with this fantastic group of weavers, we did it! It is satisfying to hear a roomful of looms at work. Beaters banging, treadles clacking, and exclamations of “Oh, look at this!,” and “Karen, Help!” The highlights for me are seeing the amazing designs created by each individual, and watching the delight in each weaver’s face as she rolls out her own rug on the floor.
Morning sunlight at the cabin in the woods where we are staying.Red Scottie Fibers in Eureka Springs, Arkansas is hosting the workshop.Six looms with weavers setting up for weaving double binding rag rugs.Janet’s was one of the first rugs off the loom.Gayle’s reaction to seeing her new rug on the floor was a spontaneous happy dance!Double binding rag rugs and four of the rug designers.
May you make something beautiful and do your own happy dance.
This time I get to teach. I enjoy being a student, learning new things, and new ways of doing things. I also love to teach. It is a wonderful opportunity to come alongside a learner, to lead someone to see what they can achieve, to open up a door to fresh possibilities. This week I am in the teacher role. I’m eager to get to know the students and see the double binding rag rugs they will create as a result of our focused time together. And I am looking forward to learning what the students will teach me!
Compiling notes and assembling folders takes place in my office, which is in my music studio.
With my checklist in hand, I make little piles of supplies, tools, and examples in my weaving room.Workshop supplies are stacked in plastic bins. The big duffle bags holds example double binding rugs.Car is packed while there is still daylight. Road trip begins very early the next morning.
Do people know how much fun it is to weave rag rugs? Next week I’ll be in Arkansas teaching what I love. This ten-yard warp is giving me ample rehearsal time for explaining double binding techniques. Mostly, though, I want to introduce students to the thrill of rag rug weaving!
Double binding uses two ski shuttles, because the structure has two layers woven together. Each side of the rag rug is the reverse of the other side.
I am puzzled by weavers who are not fond of weaving rag rugs. “It’s too slow,” I’ve been told. “It doesn’t interest me.” And what about weavers who have never attempted to weave a rag rug? “What?!” I want to say, “You have a weaving loom, and you’ve never tried weaving a rag rug?” That tells you more about me than it does about them. People are drawn to what they know and love, and they see that thing differently than someone who is not drawn to it.
The goodness of God is like that for me. I’m drawn to it. God is good. One famous saying of Jesus is that the pure in heart will see God. That motivates me to examine my own heart. I can’t think of anything better than seeing the goodness of God.
May you be drawn to good things.
(There is one opening left in my double binding rag rug workshop next week at Red Scottie Fibersin Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It’s not too late to sign up! If you’re interested, let me know.)
Weaving Southwest has a vibrant history in northern New Mexico that has influenced weaving traditions far and wide. I recently took advantage of this treasure trove of experience in a class taught by Teresa Loveless, the granddaughter of Weaving Southwest pioneer, Rachel Brown. I hoped to sharpen my tapestry skills by learning a fresh approach, and I was not disappointed! Teresa’s attentive teaching style brims with encouragement, making every student exceed their own expectations.
Weaving Southwest in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico.Teresa Loveless on the right with her five happy students from the class “Habitat, A Study in Verticals.”
Join me as I sit with Teresa in the park across from the shop to talk about her dreams and aspirations…
Fast forward twenty years. What would you like to be known for?
I have an interest in preservation of culture, and seeing that carried out through textiles. Preserving culture through textiles worldwide is a hidden passion of mine, and I’m working on ways to make that happen.
This sounds like a big dream.
Yes, it is a big dream that I have given a lot of thought to. With modern technology there is great potential. Technology makes it possible to pick out every little niche of fiber in the world and pull it all together in a classy and educational way.
What can be done to preserve cultures through textiles?
You could go to little villages or communities, and through today’s technology, bring them all together and preserve entire cultures. In Before They Pass Away, photographer Jimmy Nelson documents some of the most secluded tribes in the world. And he put them together in an incredible photo book, with their beautiful textiles draping all over them. That book was part of the inspiration for my dream.
Your grandmother taught you how to weave; and your mother taught you jewelry making. And now you are passing weaving on to your very young daughter. What are your thoughts about people passing what they know on to their children and grandchildren?
I grew up in this family of artists and inventors, and they were weavers and jewelers and everything in between, and I did it all. I wove and I made jewelry. It was normal. It was my life. When I went away and realized that not everyone brought their loom to college, or that making a silver ring is not something everybody can do… that was eye opening.
For me, it is all about passing it along. Teach your kids to do what you do. Even if they think they’re going to go off and do something else. I was going to go be a scientist. And then I came back. Clearly, I’m not a scientist. I’m a weaver.
Because it was passed on through my family, and because of my incredible grandmother, I am able to help preserve culture. I am helping to preserve beauty through textiles.
What about your daughter, do you think she will become a weaver?
Pass on the tradition, pass on the skill, and pass on, hopefully, the love for it. But my daughter loves bugs more than she likes yarn right now, so maybe she’ll be the scientist, who knows?
Weaving Southwest pickup truck depicts the down-to-earth approach of the shop. Highly accomplished, yet unpretentious.
Tell me about your sweet spot. Are there times when you think, “I was made for this?”
I’m doing it here, like the class we just finished. I love teaching. I love being able to share what I know, what was passed on to me. It doesn’t matter how much someone knows or doesn’t know when they come. From afar, weaving does look a little confusing, but if you get the feel of it, if you understand the warp and weft and structure… Oh, the things you can do!
You enjoy simplifying things for people, don’t you?
That’s it, definitely! It doesn’t have to be hard. There are all sorts of technical terms, but weaving does not have to be difficult. Seeing people blossom, from, “Oh my gosh, which is warp, which is weft?” Or, “Do I do a single dovetail here?,” to realizing you can do a single dovetail wherever you want, …but you don’t have to. There are so many options. If you go into it with confidence you’re going to be able to produce incredible work!
You seem happy to see your students flourish…
Oh, yes. When I see my students happy, then I’m happy!
Thank you for taking time with me. It has been fun to get to know you more!
Absolutely! Thanks!
This study in verticals is hung horizontally just above the work table in my weaving studio. Makes me smile.
