Kathe Todd-Hooker’s-a Tapestry Weaver’s Blog

The last week or so has been interesting to say the least. Getting any weaving done was sometimes very difficult. The hand surgery is a total success. Now if the stitches and bruising in my palm would go away, I would be a happy camper, but the fingers work correctly-now. I am still trying to decide how to weave my black feather against the dark green mountains. Will start that tomorrow.

Thursday Jen, Sara and I will warp the new portable treadle loom that FFP designed and will hopefully be selling them by Midwest. Karen Pierosch wrote a very good article on making a portable table loom. It’s in the new handwoven. I love the fact it has drawers and a handle for carrying it. The height of the weaving is adjustable which is way cool. I have ordered one of the easels for use in the studio. I am looking forward to twain it with me when I go fishing with Spencer. I just go for the scenic sights. I am a vegan who doesn’t touch dead things.

I attended the Connections opening in San Jose. It was fun seeing and talking to old friends. I was extremely pleased with the presentations of the tapestries. It was a kick to see Peter’s work on the walls with the rest of us. Peter Rocci has been my student since almost the beginning of his tapestry weaving. Shelley Socolofsky had him first in high school. Maxima Laura’s work is breathtaking. I would really like to study is technique a lot

My feelings for a few of the pieces still boils down to a matter of what is appropriate scale, size and format for a well designed small format tapestry. Several pieces left me a wondering a bit. Sometimes the rib structure overwhelms the design in small format tapestries. Besides Maxima Laura’s work I was intrigued by Jean Pierre’s elegant Retablo and Joyce Hayes use of soumack.

Best of all I was able to pick up Jean-Pierre and Yael’s new book Water Song Tapestries-Notes on designing, weaving and Collaborative work. It’s not a long book, but it’s a total fascinating read. It includes Yael’s drawings and parts of her cartoon process. Her black and white drawings are elegant. I loved one of her sentences. A design, like a musical notation, is but a silent promise, yet you receive it as a gift.”

I am starting to play with the format of this blog and add things. Sometime before I leave for Kona I am going to attempt to put up a slide show and attach it to this blog.