Thursday, May 31, 2012

100 American Craftsmen

No, not another weaving story. Yet.  I am off to help Linda again this weekend, this time at the Keenan Center in Lockport, New York.  The show is 100 American Craftsmen.  I think we’re staying at the motel where you call the front desk and order movies from a notebook of pages of movies.  They tell you what channel on the TV and turn it on in ten minutes.  Or, we may visit with Maybelle.  Frankly, I don’t know how Linda recovered from selling all those rugs two weeks ago.  I’d go help her weave, but I’ve never been strong enough to pull a creel.  Details next week.


I know I sold this rug in Indianapolis last week to a delightful young couple.  Sunday morning.  Three feet wide and over six feet long.  A lot of rug.  Linda came back to the booth and missed it right away.  Made quite the hole in the wall of rugs.

22 comments:

  1. She must work non stop in order to have enough for all these shows.

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    1. This has been interesting. People may think artisans have whole days where they many only eat bon bons and watch soaps. Actually, self employment needs to be a disciplined, nine to five job. Or, nine to nine. I'll have to write a post about it someday.

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  2. That's a lot of beautiful weaving. I hook rugs and couldn't get enough output in three years for a show - let alone an actual sale. And more than once - I'm impressed.
    I'm a new follower from Kathy's blog.

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  3. I love the colours in that rug! (it would suit my home very nicely ;-p)

    I've never attempted weaving but I'm fascinated to watch others at work. We recently visited Stirling Castle, Scotland, where they are re-making tapestries to fit the restoration project on the great hall - it was breathtaking to see the weavers working their magic on site!

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  4. I took a semester of weaving in college but never really took to it. and I hate doing shows. putting my work out there for people to peruse and pass over. too stressful. maybe that's why I went into commission work. sell it before you make it.

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    1. Really interesting to think about. For me the stress would be waiting for the money to find me. At the end of a show I wanted to know if I could make the next mortgage payment. Not reacting to the rejection or disinterest is part of the job. Although I famously did react, a couple of times.

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    2. Sounds like a post or two there :)

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  5. Drop-dead Gorgeous! I want that rug. And ;ook at you--strong enough to head out on another road trip to engage the public in the beauty of creativity. Have a fabulous trip!

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  6. In the words of my friend, who used to yell this at the top of her voice WHENEVER we attended a course with an overnight stay, ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!
    Jane x

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  7. A hand woven rug would definitely catch my eye.

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  8. It's a beautiful rug. I haven't owned a handmade woven rug for so many years. It was one of the best rugs I owned. Can't remember what happened to it though. I guess I finally gave it away with no place to store things and many moves later. Enjoy your trip.

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  9. Beautiful rug. I hope you have a really successful weekend.

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  10. Great rugs!!!! Hope your weekend is successful and fun!

    And oh yeah, long ago a friend told me that the worst part about being self-employed is that the boss is a slave driver. :)

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  11. Looking forward to reading the details :-).

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  12. That's a very nice rug, although I prefer my rugs more square. Long and narrow is more like a hall runner for me.

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  13. Lovely rug. My mother had rugs like this when I was a little girl and she used them in the hallway...she called them runners. Very nice!

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  14. The Kenan show actually was a home coming for Joanne and I..We met old friends, had a wonderful dinner at my favorite restaurant(one that joanne introduced me to many years ago) and had my 70th birthday celebration...Good friends, good wine, good hotel and wonderful "roadie" with me..Life is near perfect. Self employment is tough-I am not as disciplined as joanne and she needs to kick me in the butt often..A 80 mile kick, but it still works..The rug pictured I originally titled, "The Kite Runner" as I had woven the first while listening to that book on tape..Then customers told me it was Tuscany..The colors have been so altered since the original that I now call it a Fuscany...The craze continues. As a nearly retired weaver, I will now attempt the challenge of my career-weaving a 29 FOOT runner in those colors..Advise from former weavers, Joanne and Janice will get me through..

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