I’ve been doing a post at the end of each year on my (not always) knitting highlights so I thought I’d do a (not always) tapestry highlights, too. Here goes… probably more tapestry than not here, though.

In January, I began this website. Initially, I wanted to keep a digital record of my work and I didn’t expect it to be anything but that. However, as time progressed I decided to make it public when I realized I could much more easily share what I was doing that way.

I remember setting some goals for the year. I wrote on LTT, ATA’s private Facebook page: “I'm hoping to continue my series of Tree Companions and start some weavings focusing on moss. Explore more warp/weft combos and setts. Would also like to start entering shows.”

I finished 3 weavings in January: Root Study, Bars of Color, and Faux Cedar. Roots is a small weaving where I began to explore other options for weaving the finer lines. It’s the first weaving I tried the soumak technique on. Bars of Color was an oddity. I’d gone through old drawings from 30 years ago in an old weaving journal and decided to play around with what I found. It was kind of fun, but the colors were off and I haven’t felt the urge to return to it all year. It was in Faux Cedar that I really began to explore soumak. The entire plant was created with soumak.

I began February with a trip to Wichita for a class on making Pipe Looms, taught by Lu Ross. I’d been wanting to connect with Lu for some time and this seemed the perfect way to meet. I’m glad I went and I’m glad I learned to drill a hole (me!) and actually make the loom myself - but I still haven’t used it. Maybe in 2020.

I also began focusing on shows and planning to enter my tapestries. I finished Ode to Ancient Plants and Tree Companions 2. Ode to Ancient Plants was an extension of Faux Cedar. Tree Companions 2 was the first weaving using more extensive soumak for the root systems of the trees.

I decided I needed to try some finer yarns for more detail, so in March I began to stock up on Mora from the Woolery. I experimented with finer setts and also split setts and did a lot of sampling. Weavings completed this month were Little Trees and samples included Tree Branches, Ode to Ancient Plants 2, and the first of many samples for ATA’s postcard exchange, Here and There. Oh, and I also began posting on Instagram.

I also sent out class proposals to begin teaching tapestry and had two classes accepted to teach at TNNA in June and established a teacher account with Mirrix looms. At this point, I had 3 Mirrix looms:

• Lani, which I love and use for sampling and travel

• Little Guy, which of course I also love and could do slightly larger tapestries on, and

• Zeus, my first and largest Mirrix loom

I now also have Zach, which is between Little Guy and Zeus. As you can see, I’m a fan of these looms. Shameless plug: if you’re interested in one, my teacher account allows me to sell them…

And around this time, Lu and I began working on forming a Kansas Tapestry Group.

Much of April and May was spent working on class samples and handouts for the TNNA classes, organizing the Kansas tapestry group, and working on samples for the postcard exchange. In April I also took on the role of volunteer for ATA as administrator on LTT in charge of the monthly topics. In May, our small group began meeting once a month in Lawrence. Many thanks to Susan at Yarn Barn for allowing us to get together there.

June- Weavings included Protection, and more samples, mostly for the postcard exchange. I was trying to work out how to make circular soumak dots. Classes at TNNA went really well and I was encouraged enough to submit proposals to Stitches.

Around this time, I was becoming obsessed with color and color blending in tapestry and began studying the work of Maximo Laura- (not to mention dreaming of an internship with him). July was spent doing more color sampling, more postcard samples, and beginning a new series on portals- focusing on wildflowers which I’d planned to embellish after weaving. Also, in July, my focus turned to knitting and my upcoming workshop with Trips for Knitters.

I finished the final postcard in August and began planning Roots. I also attended my first (regional) meeting of (KC) Missouri Fiber Artists group (MOFA). It was great to meet so many inspiring artists and I look forward to getting to know more fiber artists through MOFA.

My weaving practice fell back a bit the latter part of the year. In September I was working on small stuff (more portals), but my focus was on a bigger (knitting) project: Gail, to complete my Montisi Collections.

For the past five years, my Octobers have been spent in Italy with Trips for Knitters. I took both my little frame looms, Hokett and Easel Weaver, with me this year, but didn’t get much done.

Back at home, I started my first weaving in late October on the Easel Weaver and discovered I really love working on it. I took a bag of left-over Faro on a road trip to St Louis and had a lot of fun weaving in the car. Here it is finished in early November. Also finished this month was a weaving I’d started many months ago as a sample for various ideas in my head. It turned out to be Landscape.

December was been spent finally working on Roots (in progress below), a secret gift I can’t go into here, and planning next year’s projects.

Looking back at the goals I quoted earlier, I feel pretty good. Didn’t meet the moss goal, but I did enter a number of shows during the year. After a series of rejections, I finally made it into 5 shows in the fall - all in the St Louis area.

Here’s to a Happy New Year!

Any fiber goals for you this year?

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