Tag Archives: libertytown

SO busy! And New Work at a New Venue!

Posted on November 21, 2013 by | Comments Off on SO busy! And New Work at a New Venue!
It is that time of year again.  The air is getting nippy (though with a spattering of 70 degree days!  Crazy Virginia weather.) the days are getting shorter and there is a ton of work to be done.


My studio has limited space for work in progress (I must do something about that in the new year...)


And I have things at all stages this week.





And WAY too much under plastic waiting patiently (!?) to be decorated.


Yet today, rather then get busy in the studio I worked in the yard doing what I hope is the last garden prep before winter, digging beds, planting bulbs, mulching and raking leaves.

So my studio still looks like this!


Meanwhile this past Saturday Kathy from Serendipity Quilt Shop in Dagsboro Delaware came to pick up her wholesale order!  These  pots are a little diffrent for me.  When we spoke at the fiber festival (where we met originally) she requested chickens, quilts, and the beach!  Here is a sample.  (If you want to buy head to her fantastic shop!)

(These pictures are only mediocre as I remembered I hadn't taken any while I was waiting for her to come pick the order up.  So just quick snaps to help me document...)





Spoon rests!  I'll have more of these at Liberty Town for the small works show in December!


Tomorrow I WILL spend the day in the studio. 


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Reality

Posted on April 10, 2013 by | Comments Off on Reality

There was a question on Facebook this week about seconds. What do you do with your seconds?




So I've had a very busy two months. There was some weaving.

My latest wool blanket


 I was working hard to build up inventory for a new fiber festival in Virginia this month (Powhatan Festival of Fiber).  I took advantage of an opportunity to move from my old studio at LibertyTown

(here my loom is already missing...)

 to a bigger and brighter space that I will share with my painter friend Carol Phifer.





Of course.  It was also FINALLY time to move into our new old house!  So the Saturday before the house move I decided to throw out my back. 

 I have finally learned the lesson of Asking for Help.  Artist friends helped with the studio, neighbors helped move items we didn't want the movers to take, the UMW girls rugby club (Rent a Rugger) helped move my pottery studio gear from the shed behind our rental and my buddy  Beth (Artist in Residence Extraordinaire) and her fantastic significant other helped me move my kiln.

After a full day of movers loading the truck, then unloading the truck we were left with this.


and this



We are getting there.  But slowly as I am still being careful with The Back.


Medicine helps.


Which brings us back to the discussion concerning seconds.  During all this moving and rearranging I had a kiln load of pots turn out less then good.  Sellable?  Maybe. But not a good representation of my work for a new show.  Seconds? I struggled with the idea of selling some at the LibertyTown artist yard sale in two weeks....but I finally decided that I was not happy with them and did not want them in circulation.  No matter that many people might not see the flaws.

So out came the hammer.
And it felt good.  No regrets.  (The best sign that it was the right choice.)

And since there is no time to recreate that load and my back is still healing I had to make the decision to pull out of the April show.

I will spend the next weeks setting up my home studio, organizing the home weaving space and working to have the few problems in the new place fixed.

And icing.

It's all good.

Even if that little clay box can hold half a kiln load of pots.

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Proof

Posted on February 10, 2013 by | Comments Off on Proof
Evidence of Thursday's efforts.

Since LibertyTown is a working pottery school with limited space, I have found it best if I work in small batches, get them through all their steps (trimming, slipping, painting, carving...) and in line for bisque firing before starting the next batch.




(Some of you will be impressed to see that yes I made TWO lids for the jar.  Just in case.)

I have a commission for a cookie jar...I am very limited in my skills when it comes to throwing larger objects (anything over 5 pounds of clay!) especially when the pot has to go UP as opposed to OUT.  Larger bowls and plates are much easier for me then tall cylinder shapes.  So taking on this request was a big chance.  But luckily it was ordered by a friend FOR a friend.  And how big is a package of cookies anyway?


Slipped and drying.  Ready for decoration tomorrow.....


Evidence that Dominion came to lay the new power line!  All I need now is for them to come back and actually hook the new line to the house and the 2nd line to my studio.....

PATIENTLY (!?!?) waiting.....

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Weaving Away with Clay on My Mind

Posted on May 14, 2012 by | Comments Off on Weaving Away with Clay on My Mind
Now that we are relatively settled in our small rental (I can't call it TINY since that is a whole different kind of house!) I have realized pretty quickly that for us to manage to exist in our small cluttered with boxes space I need to get out as much as possible! The good thing is that means time spent walking Layla along the river (all the Canadian Goose families are so fun to watch!) and many hours at my weaving studio at LibertyTown.

You may have heard that the show for the month of May is the annual Patron Show.  Fantastic work is donated, however number of pieces that that is (I think 51 this year...) that many $150 tickets are sold.  At the end of the month all ticket holders come for the Big Drawing.  When you ticket number is called you choose your own piece to take home!  This year tickets sold out in TWO DAYS.  Below is the blanket that I donated to the show.




My next project is another wool blanket. You may (or maybe not!) have noticed that the blanket for the show has a dark brown back.  This effect is created by the type of twill weave I used.  It also creates a somewhat heavier fabric. (For those of you in the know, a 3/1 twill creates a warp faced side, thats the colors in this example, and a weft faced side, that is the brown side.)  My next project is a more balanced twill that allows for both sides to be similar.

The warp, the yarn set up on the loom first, is an alternating cocoa brown and deep earthy red.


Nearly finished.....


....at the end....


To finish the piece I twist the fringe (that takes about 2 hours worth of Bones on TV.....) and run it through one hot wash/cold rinse cycle in my washing machine.  Last is to trim any loose ends.


I'm really happy with this one.


The colors are not quite true.  The yellowish color (the weft in this case) is actually more of a lemongrass green.....)

So now the weather has turned warmer for good I think.  So I am putting my wool away and pulling out the cotton and cotolin (50% cotton, 50% linen).

I have two blue baby blankets in stock.....Now I think I'll work with some light weight baby blankets with girls in mind!


BUT I have plans to start making pots in the LibertyTown pottery school space....so stay tuned!!

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I’m still here!

Posted on September 20, 2011 by | Comments Off on I’m still here!
I've been ignoring my blog of late. When I turn on my computer my home page stares at me accusingly. But here are some pictures and an update!

I had my first whole sale order!!  Jo at Miller Farms purchased a large quantity of my "farm ware" for her shop.  I'm thrilled.  Their farm is a wonderful place.  They raise beef cattle, provide seasonal pick your own, a produce and flower stand and a sweet farm gift shop.

I've been weaving again.




I have been preparing for My One Big Show this year. Fall Fiber Festival held in Orange VA. I have gone to the festival for years as a shopper (and BOY can I shop when it comes to all the gorgeous colored fiber....) but this year fiber sales will be down because I will be working at my own booth!  I have no idea what to expect but I will have an abundance of pots.  So we will see.



This past weekend I attended a spinning retreat at Graves Mountain Lodge as a vendor. 



It was a last minute decision since I was concerned about my stock for FFF.  It turned out to be a good decision, I had a few sales that made it worth my while (and still leaving plenty of stock for FFF) and it was a good dry run for set up and credit card logistics. SQUARE is my friend. Even with no cell service up there in the mountains we did have access to WiFi in the lodge so it worked perfectly.



Tell me what you think of my new banner....I couldn't hang it up here but the plan is to hang it high.


The next several weeks are VERY busy.  Lots of concerts (this week is Ray LaMontagne with Brandi Carlisle opening on Thursday night and Head and the Heart on Saturday night).  Sunday Greg and I will drive to Berryville to check out the Shenandoah Fiber Festival.  I have never been and am hearing great things about this event.  So plan to apply for 2012.  Fall Fiber Festival is the weekend of October 1&2, the next weekend I will be a vendor in Frederickburg at the Let's Stitch event at LibertyTown Arts Workshop.  And THEN two weeks later is the Juniper Moon Fall Shearing!

In the midst of all my preparations, visits from friends and great music we are also preparing for some big changes.

Greg has a new job starting in October so we will be moving BACK to Fredericksburg!  After only a year here in Charlottesville.

I will definitely miss this city.  LOVE being in the mountains and the ease of getting out of town and driving through the countryside, the music, the art, the FOOD.  But Greg is terribly excited and this will be a fantastic change for him.  And shoot (BECAUSE of how supportive Greg is)  I can pot anywhere. :)

I won't be leaving Charlottesville until after the house sells.  We won't list it till Spring and in the meantime I have my studio here at the house.

So if you know anyone looking for a place in C'ville in a convenient location with a home studio.....


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