Monday, February 6, 2017

Looks a little different in my studio right now... Can you tell what is missing?


For about three months now, I have struggled emotionally with the absence of my little weaving loom at home. I have had my scarf loom be apart of my daily life since before being a mother. My girls have grown around their mom weaving all their lives. Last May, I moved my "baby" loom into a beautiful studio space. For months it didn’t really affect me because I was working hard on creating work for my show that was in Oct/Nov at Leedy-Voulkos Art Center. Those pieces were woven on my much larger loom, a AVL 45” compu-dobby loom located in my home. But once my show was finished and deinstalled; right around the holidays, was when I really realized how much a truly missed weaving on my little loom daily.  

Weaving at this loom has been a gift from the very first day I brought it home after traveling more than 13 hours to pick it up in Cincinnati with a classmate of mine from KCAI. The process before weaving and the act of actually sitting at my loom and weaving has also been a gift of healing to me in many ways. It has helped me process and heal from loss, deal with health issues and chronic pain along with anxiety. Everyday I get to sit at my loom is not only an act of creativity but is also therapeutic. 

 It is not just a machine that helps make a piece of woven cloth but it has become my sanctuary of peace for almost 12 years. It helps bring calm to my anxiety and helps balance my life. I have also loved that I can weave with my daughters surrounding me. They get to see their mom happy and using her passion for creativity along with spending time with each other. I also get a lot weaving done at home, working between daily chores or right before going to bed. 

Since the end of November, I have really felt lost without my loom at home. I thought about moving it back many times but considered that a “failure” in some way. I wanted to quickly purchase another loom but I knew it would be a foolish decision finically, especially during the holidays. Don’t get me wrong, I seriously LOVE my new studio space and it is GREAT having a space separate from my home, but I have really, REALLY missed weaving from my loom at home more. 


So, I decided the healthiest thing for me right now in life, especially during these winter months, is to move it back home. Last Saturday my husband helped with the move and I feel absolutely terrific. I know this sounds cheesy to some people, but I feel whole and balanced again and healthier with a sense of hope. That is how much the act of weaving means to me.

 Immediately on Saturday, after moving it back into my basement studio, I actually felt motivated to clean the house and studio. My studio hasn’t been cleaned since October……. And I cleaned my car on Sunday, which I have neglected for months. I found the motivation because I knew at anytime I could sit at my loom and weave, if only for five minutes at a time. 


I am now in the market for a second small loom. I would love to have it in my studio in East Brookside. I am looking for another eight harness Schacht Baby Wolf loom. If anyone out there comes across one for sale, please let me know. In the meantime, I will still be spending lots of weekdays in my studio doing the never-ending computer work that comes with running a small business, doing the finishings on my scarves, making yarn necklaces and best of all meeting up with anyone that would like to see my work. Please feel free to contact me for a studio visit. I would love to see you soon. 






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