Busy Busy!

I have done a lot since October 1st including abandonning the attempt to do a triple weave in no time flat. I had got to the stage of having the Megado a third threaded when I realised that I had miscalculated the number of ends and would have to start again from scratch with the threading, taking out everything I had done so far. The warps and winding on are okay. It was 1030 pm on Sunday when I realised this so I decided it would have to be abandonned as an entry to teh MTF exhibition at West Bromwich. It will do for an exhibition next spring.

Since then I have been to my first class this session at bookbinding where I got to grips with headbands for Coptic bindings. I prepared three books over the summer and am doing them one after the other in the hopes I will a) get it right b) remember it. I have got it right or it looks fine to me.  As to remembering it, maybe I have to make another three books in a week or two!!

Friday (today) I taught the Bournville class how to make a Japanese-style bound book using fabric they had created. Mostly okay but I have never done any teaching on this topic which was not a full day when I would aim - and succeed - in getting everyone to complete two books in 6 or 7 hours. This time I aimed to do one in 2 hours - and missed completely. Noone completed a book and we are going to have to finish them next time. I feel depressed about this but I don't see what I could have done except recognise it was not going to get finished. What with that and the Megado I feel that a little less optimism about timing might be a good idea!!

Last Friday, I stopped by Needle Forge Mill Museum on the way home from Bournville to see an exhibition by SIX and friends (aka the Kemshalls) which I am not enthusiastic  about. It seems odd to say so but it was too representational. In the abstract, I have no objection to representational (what a horrible pun) but this included doing pictures based on Japanese woodblock prints by making a collage of the correctly patterned fabrics. And somehow it jarred. I did like some works featuring kites which were representational but -- - -. Oh well.

I spent last night at Leamington Spa minding the grand children while their parents attended a grand affair in Tate Modern!! This morning at breakfast Anne showed me some of her photos from China. They had 2 weeks there this summer. The above is from a series taken at an indigo factory! So I promptly acquired  copies!

There was also this - which is a simple loom from the Han Dynasty (200AD). I assume it is a 21st century copy!! The blurb says they also had drawlooms at this time. It is a complciated version of a vertical loom. Note the lease rod so it could  only weave tabby  or tabby with pickup. Interesting!

Now I am off to think about the drafting class next Saturday. I have made lots of notes on this but need to prepare from now on.