2.29.12

An extra day in the month! How exciting! How will you spend your extra 24 hours? (Facepalm) I could have had a V8!

This is a relief embroidered piece that Dee Dee made using an assortment of felt and buttons as well as a product label. 

Here is another with sticks, needle woven fronds, and three little monkeys carved from bone or possibly tagua nut.

The weaving looks very difficult and it was when I just looked at it and tried on my own to make it happen. Dee Dee showed me a way that made it so much easier.

2.28.12

This beautiful piece of embroidery came from Dee Dee Triplett's trip to Guatemala. I doubt you can tell but each stick of each petal is made of bouillon stitch--that is a stitch that requires upwards of 10 stitches worked around it.

 It is amazing in person. The next one was "recycled" by the seller into something appealing to the tourist crowd.

 See? A handy little tote.

Here is an apprilla. I have been interested in these for some time now.  Probably because they are a style of "relief" embroidery meaning they usually have a three dimensional quality.

2.25.12

Wednesday at the Folk School

I have enjoyed Morning Song each day and not even missed my customary morning of computering. I am sorry to miss all the evening programs, but basically they are just practices for the different community dance groups, which I can go see anytime. This time with Dee Dee Triplett and my two talented classmates will never happen again, so I will enjoy it.

Had a massage today from a wonderful, nurse, tie-dye expert, kaleidoscope-making masseur. He probably has other claims to fame but those are the ones I know about. 

I had the opportunity to spend time with him TWO days in a row because after my massage day, I invited him back to our classroom to see how we were rusting blacksmith refuse (we practiced dumpster diving and found a treasure trove) on to "found" fabric. As a tie-dye expert, he was very interested.  He came back the next day to show us an outfit that had a long story in front of it. Fantastic. He left us that evening with ANOTHER long story, joyful, sad, enraging, poignant and with a happily-ever-after that reaffirms the basic goodness of most people regardless of their own personally held beliefs. 

Yes, the socks do not match. Man after my own heart. His have all the shades of red, rose, lavender (with sparkles,"Someone made them for me and of course they have sparkles. I love sparkly things"), and all the pinks from hot to mellow. You can see part of his outfit. The entire thing was tints of what you see on the pants cuff, audaciously, joyously tie-dyed and was the exclamation point to a story we had heard the night before.

2.24.12

Tuesday at the Folk School

 

 Ice encrusted waterfall in the pond between "home" and the dining hall.

Tuesday, Feb 14.  Up later--5ish. Icy Cold. Spent the day learning new stitches. Many were "off-loom" weaving style. Came back after dinner even though that meant missing the contra dancing. Worked with the teacher and learned even more "off-loom" work, but basically worked independently. 

Fun times with the roommates. Laughing and revealing confidences; discussing teachers and classes. Every meal, I have been sitting at a different table and meeting people. Met a pair of doctors and a data person. The doctors are making a fly-fishing pole (he) and learning book arts (she) The data person works in Atlanta and says she has taken several blacksmithing classes already. She is working on a table sized-bonsai like tree that will hold three candle cups. I hope I get to see it. She is fun to talk to and I ate lunch AND dinner with her. I will go back to breakfast Wednesday and sit where she customarily sits. 

 As you see, I DID get to take a picture of Blacksmith Atlanta-Data person's beautifully wrought creation.

2.23.12

The diary from first full day at the Folk School.

 Metairie classmate's sample of stitches.

Monday, February 13.

I am up at 4:07 a.m. Sleep fitfully until 5:40 when I decide to quietly gather my things and go to the bathroom in the hall (not the one in the room--don't want to wake up the other) Took my shower, got my computer, downstairs for coffee which was promised at 6:00. Well, they were close. Only ones up--me and a man who probably was in the next room. After about 15 minutes, more men entered the living area. Women don't seem to be up and about. Seems like these fellows may be doing wood working? Not sure. They were talking about sawing logs and I can tell you that SOMEone in the next room was definitely SAWING LOGS throughout most of the night! 

In class, we reviewed lots of old stitches, learned some of the ones that involve stitching enhanced by stitching of another color applied on top. Came back and worked after supper with a classmate. She has led a fascinating life and is a Katrina survivor. I cannot even begin to imagine how that will affect every choice she makes from then on. She elected not to receive a certificate of completion. I wondered at the time if that was because she realizes THINGS are not as meaningful as people and knowledge. She worked small and neat, organized. Like many people in the sciences (she is/was a geologist) she has a left-brain streak but I think Katrina really brought a different sense of order to who she is.

2.22.12

Melted snowman made by *Flower*, my fire-dancing, vegetarian-cooking roommate when she was here the week before studying pottery.

John C. Campbell Folk School was wonderful. I was lucky enough to stay on campus even though I live only 30 miles away. I think it was important to do that the first time so I could get as much of the "flavor" of the school as possible. I had wonderful roommates. We shared a lot of laughs and there were five of us in one room, so laughter was a wonderful bond. Here is Sunday's diary entry:

Sunday, Feb 12.

I am to stay in Keith House, on the floor above the registration and "living" area.  I have 5five roommates and we are a varied bunch. The Kentuckian is a therapist and her clients contact her by text and FaceBook. I think they are very lucky to have her. She will learn the banjo this week.  The blacksmith is a knitter and had pretty blue and green yarn which she will probably be too tired to use this week. Two are learning vegetarian cookery. The first I met also does fire dancing, the other does non-combative historical re-enactments. Then, next to me, is a newlywed who is studying paper arts and the making of books. I am the only embroiderer in the bunch.

Dinner is family style. We all file in, stand, sing a blessing, then pass serving bowls around. Sunday night's menu: ham slices, string beans, sweet potatoes, cornbread muffins, chocolate cake. Just like a regular Sunday dinner at  a grandma's.

Then we met with our teachers in the classroom. I drove over to the weaving building where my class is being held so I could off-load my huge bin. Dee Dee has TONS of supplies for us to use.

It looks like we will be doing a sampler of leaves after we learn KNOTS Monday.

Here is the teacher's sample. We never did get to that, so I am doing one at home right now.