The Autumn months bring cooler weather and, for many of us, a renewed focus on our fiber passions. With luck, we have larger blocks of time in which to consider our next projects and our Guilds, many of which have recessed over the Summer, are again operating at full speed with plans for interesting programs and workshops.
I find that this is the time when I am most creative. After a season of doing things other than weaving with family and friends, I finally have time to think about ideas and projects that I want to try and, perhaps, new solutions for old problems.
I now have a time frame and deadline, too. If I’m planning on participating in Holiday Boutiques and making gifts for friends and family, now is the time to organize. If I’ve been thinking about a new technique I want to try, I begin researching how to do it and how to incorporate the finished project into a garment suitable for a Conference fashion show or an entry into the next County Fair.
I am a weaver and, since I’ve been weaving for many years, I have a backlog of handwoven material that has come off the loom and gone into storage for various reasons. I find that the fall is a good time to review this stash. Last year I went through these pieces with a friend who is a painter in her spare time and an interior designer who loves using color in her professional life. With her at my side, we spent an afternoon reviewing what I had and I got to see the yardage through a new set of eyes.
The other thing that I’ve learned when going through my stash is that just because I wove the fabric and finished it doesn’t mean that it is done. If I come across a piece that is technically great but the colors are dated, I consider overdyeing it. If the piece is a standout but I only have a yard, I try to find a way to use it as an accent piece. And then there is embellishment: beading, embroidery, fringe, cording, buttons,–you name it. These are techniques that can take your finished projects from ordinary to out of this world.
So, for our Winter issue, I would like to focus on creativity. Tell me what sparks your imagination, what techniques you have discovered and how you go from ordinary to inspired.
This is your chance to inspire others.
Judy Fisher, Editor
editor(at)CNCH.org