What's looming

For the past couple months I've had this note stuck to my studio door:

It reminds me that my chief task right now is to finish things for my upcoming show, ICONIC, in February.  You can read more about that show HERE.

So here's where we stand.  So close to finishing Mary (Yes) I can taste it!  That black horizontal line on the warps about 2" above the weaving is the finish line.  I think the hand came out OK.  Foreshortening and shadows made for an strange rendering.  And of course the whole image is being woven from the side.  My one complaint about weaving on this horizontal loom is that I can't see much of the tapestry at any one time; the completed weaving rolls under the breast beam.  I do unroll it occasionally to check how it's all looking, but I kind of hate to do that.  (What do the rest of you horizontal loom tapestry weavers do?)

Molly Elkind, Mary (Yes) in progress.  (c) 2017 

I've finally begun weaving the last of the illuminated manuscript-inspired pieces for the show.  The background of Red Letter Night will be wedge weave, as you can see from the work so far.  I'm weaving this from the side, so the image is turned 90 degrees to the left. It's about to start getting interesting as I weave those big shapes and patterns in the center.

Molly Elkind, Red Letter Night in progress.  (c) 2017

And, since it's the beginning of a new month, I've started November's tapestry diary.  This month the name of the game is texture, in various pale neutral yarns.  We'll see how many textures I can come up with. 

Here's a closer look at the weaving so far.  So far, from left to right, I've experimented with countered soumak, plain weave, plain weave on doubled warps, twining (the thin gray rectangle in lower right), and eccentric weaving (above the gray rectangle).  I may have to break down and finally try rya knots one of these days!

Finally, there is one more piece I'm going to make for the show.  I'm not going to say much about it yet, but here's a sneak peek at the fabric and trim I will use.  I've got some ideas simmering that I can't wait to try out.

I hope you are finding time this fall to be creative in your chosen field of play.  Thanks for keeping me company here.