A day in the studio…

Morning…

My day in the studio is based on a fairly consistent schedule. I try not to get resentful when my schedule is tampered with by some need to go to town - dentist appointment, hair cut, etc; I’m fortunate that my husband even does the grocery shopping (and most of the cooking these days)! I’ve found I work better on some things when I’m fresh in the morning, others in the afternoon after I’ve had my first meal of the day, and still others as I’m winding down in the evening.

Regardless, my day starts with a morning walk on the prairie with my dogs. It is always a little “off” if this doesn’t happen (like when it’s storming or icy).

Routine is important to me and the walk is always followed by shower and yoga, then settling down in the studio with the computer, my favorite coffee, and any writing that needs to be done. This is when I work on my classes, articles, and website content. I feel I’m sharper first thing in the morning for the mental side of things.

Some days I have other tasks to do during that time. Those are larger ones that can’t get accomplished in one day. It also includes anything I don’t enjoy doing and so am most likely to procrastinate on. For these, I set a timer for an hour and chip away at it in blocks of 60 minutes over the days ahead. I also might have other duties; I volunteer for a couple organizations I belong to so any other commitments gets lumped into those morning hours, too.

Toward the end of last year, I added another ritual to my daily practice. To draw in my journal each morning. This has become a favorite part of my day, although it isn’t always done in the morning. It doesn’t need to last long; I’m a big fan of gesture drawing!

I take lots of photos on my morning walks - and these drawings often come from one of these photos. I make a little note on the date the photo was shot so I can come back to it if I need to. I’ve found it to be a wonderful resource to look back on when I’m getting ready to start something new.

Usually just before noon, I might get some weaving time in- something that doesn’t require a lot of thought, like one of my various “research” pieces. I call these research pieces, although they began as what I thought would be my version of a tapestry diary. I’ve been doing color studies - just blocks of color or blends in my favorite yarns and colors I’m most drawn to.

Afternoon…

Creativity kicks in after I eat, and the rest of my day is spent weaving, or planning tapestries, maybe even still some more writing - or research - about tapestry. On a good day it continues into the evening hours.

I would say I get on the average of 6 hours of weaving time most days. Sometimes less, sometimes more.

I have a number of looms and like to keep them all warped and ready. I find myself moving from one to the other unless I’ve got a deadline that requires more focus. The time away from a weaving is just as important as the time at the loom. I don’t work from a rigid cartoon so this process of stepping back allows each weaving to evolve more naturally.

Evening…

In the evening, as natural light fades, I prefer to work on small hand held looms. It’s also when I reach for any finishing work. Sewing in ends, anything I can do quietly.

Along with my weaving journal where I keep track of ideas and tapestries, I have another journal I use to keep track of deadlines and to-do lists. It’s based on the Bullet Journal method. One of the things I always do is to make a daily list with little boxes (squares) that can be checked off at the end of the day. I check off the boxes that got done and put an arrow in the ones that didn’t. The best part of this method: I then color in those little checked boxes! It’s a great way to see at a glance what got done, what didn’t. And it gives me a strange satisfaction and closure for the day. Then I make my list for the next day.

This article was first published in ATA’s Tapestry Topics Spring 2021.

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