The Shuttle

Now it is time to start showing you the shuttle part of “Shuttle, Hook and Needle”.

When I was a teenager I wanted to be a potter not a weaver. The first time I sat down to throw a pot on a wheel, I knew I was not a potter; but from the first time I sat down at a loom, I knew I was a weaver.

My first weaving class was at Berea College, in Berea, Kentucky. I was 18. Throwing the shuttle and watching the pattern appear was magic! I wanted a loom of my own but with no money, what to do? Since my family lived on a farm, my Dad helped me plant a sweet corn patch. I sold enough corn that summer at a local farmer’s market to buy a small Harrisville loom that came in a kit. I still have that first loom along with six and one-half other looms in the studio.

In future postings I will introduce you to each loom, its history and its function. I also will be showing you the types of weaving I am the most interested in. 

Louise

Close Up of Woven Hanging

Meet Needmore

Mr. Needmore Snow that is!

     Needmore Snow began as a snowman built by the village children. But alas, there was not enough snow to build a real snowman. So in the middle of the night, under a full moon, the snowball crept away. Now, Needmore lives in the quiet of the forest among the critters.

     Be silent as you take a walk in the woods, and with luck, you may come upon him. You might find him, dressed in his top hat, with boots on his feet, sitting upon a stump. He will be puffing on his corncob pipe, and he will raise a hand in greeting. 

Mr. Needmore Snow

Pocket Doll

What’s old is new again, or so it seems.

Pocket roll-ups, make do’s, pin keeps and tomato pin cushions.

They are old ideas but new again for collectors of primitives; but have you seen a “pocket doll”?

Over 30 years ago I met an older lady who was a doll maker. She used to make and sell Raggedy Ann’s and Andy’s and lots of other types of dolls. She would make piles of dolls, which fascinated me. She taught me a lot about making dolls: like the basics of stuffing a doll smoothly and hair making.

She always had a “pocket doll” hanging above her treadle sewing machine. The pocket was used for storing patterns and the face was used as a pincushion! It turns out it had belonged to my great-grandmother. I drew off a pattern of the doll and have made a few for family members but not for over 20 years.

I suddenly remembered the doll and decided to make an updated version. She can hang over your sewing machine, on a peg rack or even in your kitchen.

Pocket Doll

Here she is hanging on one of my peg racks.

Angels

January is one of the best times to work on new ideas in the studio. I have been working on Angel Tree Toppers. I made an angel for my daughters Christmas tree by expanding on angels that I have always made as ornaments. I love how they turned out!

I have finished three more since then. They are not traditional Christmas colors so they can be displayed at all times of the year. Vintage lace and buttons, new Civil War print fabric, rickrack, beads, bells, wool wings and stars, with stitching make each angel one of a kind. 

 

Trio of Angel Tree Toppers

Angels

Backs of Angels

I like these so much I am going to make several more for two studio tours and a craft show planned for this year.

Louise

Quiet Reflections

South Toe River

It is a time to reflect quietly on the past year. To remember love ones lost, family far away, the laughter and tears we have shared. It is also a time to look forward to the New Year that has begun with hope, dreams, hard work and creative ideas. 

Happy New Year 

Louise