Weaving Away

Did I mention that I love to weave scarves!

Here are some images of scarf #3. Warp threads gradation as all five, avocado green to blue to purple. # 3 I wove with a reddish purple the entire scarf.

The beginning.
The middle.
The end.

Great View While Weaving

I am keeping my Grandma company for eight days at my parents' house in Lee's Summit while they are in California. Thankful for my portable loom and a great view while weaving this morning.

The second image is the beginning of scarf #1 and the third image is the end of scarf #1. I have five scarves on this warp that we're dyed in a gradation of purple to blue to avocado green. Each scarf will be woven differently.

Here are images of the scarf #2 today. I love weaving scarves especially when the warp threads are in a color gradation. It helps me excited to see the change of color every few inches.

Snow Covered Pastels Handwoven Scarves

I just finished a some new scarves this weekend and photographed them this afternoon. I am really excited about them. I used hand-dyed pastel tencel yarn striped next to natural white extra fine merino wool.

Snow Covered Pastels with White and Multicolored Handwoven Infinity Scarf#1

Snow Covered Pastels with Aqua and White Handwoven Infinity Scarf

Snow Covered Pastels with Sage Green Handwoven Infinity Scarf

Snow Covered Pastels with White and Multicolored Handwoven Infinity Scarf#2

Five Years on Etsy

After graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute I knew I wanted to continue to find the balance of family life and creating. I knew if I wanted to be a happy and healthy mom and wife I needed to also be able to find time everyday to be creative. In January of 2008, I had a daughter play date with Maria Buszek, one of my professors from KCAI. We both had 12 month old baby girls. I learned quickly that during play dates you rarely have time to have adult conversations because your focus is more on your babes. But I remember the little time we had to talk, I brought up how I didn't know really what to do next with my art. I was still weaving scarves and recently was making baby scarves. I showed Maria and she encourage me to start an Etsy shop. I had never heard of it but I was intrigued.

A week later I started up my shop, BillySueTextiles. I named it after I nickname my husband gave me our first year of marriage. It was a little rough starting up the shop not knowing exactly how everything works but I continued to play around with it. But after few weeks of opening I sold my first scarf.

( my first scarf sold.....beautiful model, my best friend Hannah but horrible photo) Life has been busier these days I have now two daughters, Cora who is six and Emma who will be three in February. It's been five years now from today since I opened it and I am so grateful for it everyday in my life. The cost of Etsy is very low and it has helped me to challenge myself creatively. I have also been so suprised about who much I like photography as well. Since I have opened I have sold more 334 scarves online and more than 120 outside of my online shop. I have also started up two other Etsy shops. DebbieBarrettJones.Etsy.com is where I sell my large hand dyed, hand woven panels

And RocktoSleepDesigns.Etsy.com where I sell custom hand cut paper art.

Life is crazy trying to find the balance but I couldn't imagine life any other way. I wish I could meet all my customers from around the world and say thank you to them. With their support, I continue to be encouraged that I am doing what God has gifted me to do and am inspired and challenged to keep on making. Here are some images of a little photo shoot I took yesterday of my beautiful girls. I thought it would be nice to have them show off the "baby or me" scarves. I look forward to the many more years to come making and selling online.

Today's Work Day

Last night my six year old came into our bedroom around 3:20 and threw up on our floor. I got up quickly to help her to the bathroom and accidently stepped in the mess....yuck!! So, today's work day was cancelled but I managed to wake up before my Emma got up and finished this weaving. Tomorrow I plan to buy metal rods for the top so I can hang them up to see how this piece turned out. I know this will be like no other piece I have made before.

My girls had movie time this morning and I was able to finish these two custom silhouette orders.

Little Avery So overall, it has been a productive day so far. But now I think I need to nap. I have a HUGE headache.

Yesterday's Work Day

Yesterday I had a work day. My six year old was at school and my two year old was with my parents. I was able to finally finish pulling threads in this weaving that I haven't named yet. And weave this scarf.

An Oldie

I have had this extra large weaving folded up in a container for years. I am trying to figure out what to do with it. I made it right after my first commission for a church during my sophomore year at KCAI. It was woven double weave on a 45" dobby loom. So, it is around 90" x 90". I was having fun doing a photo shoot this afternoon. If anyone has any suggestions please pass them on. I am thinking I might cut up this piece......or not?

Weaving Away....

It is so nice to wake up before my girls do especially when I have the energy to weave. Here is what I worked on at 6:15am on this extremely cold Tuesday morning in January.

My Little Cora Bear

I recently did inventory on my scarves and found this little scarf that I once took off my Etsy shop to sell it on a separate online shop and that shop shut down. Since it never sold I was about about to photograph it again. But I just found these photos of it. My little Cora babe. What a darling....makes me want to cry. Chocolate with Blue and Green Strips Baby or Me Scarf

It's Spring in My House

On Monday I took down three wall hangings that were up for two weeks in my living room. Of course I was so grateful for taking the down because I installed them in their new home later that day. The only bad thing was I had a blank wall to work with. A couple of days ago I was mentally going through all my weavings in my head trying to figure out what I could use to make my turquoise blank wall better and I remembered a seven panel piece I did for my senior show at KCAI.

Transition Seven Sheer Handwoven Panels With a little time trying to figure how it would work on the wall, I decided to use the three larger panels in my living room and the four small ones in our bedroom. I am very pleased with the results and lOVE to see spring colors on my walls.

Bedroom

This photo is of me trying to figure out if I should tied the bottom and the top of the weaving together to make it half the length. This is a photo from inside the loop that was formed at the bottom. I am really happy I tried so I got this photo but REALLY happy I didn't keep it that way.