Thursday, January 31, 2013

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.










Wednesday, January 30, 2013

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.















Saturday, January 26, 2013

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.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

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.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

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.





Sunday, January 20, 2013

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

Friday, January 18, 2013

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.