This may not seem like a big deal, but I hemmed the second towel tonight. The big deal to me was that I was frustrated by winding a bobbin on my sewing machine for the first time in twenty plus years. I struggled and struggled because according to the directions, I was supposed to loosen a knob that wouldn’t loosen. Finally I said “screw it” and tried winding the bobbin anyway. It worked. All that effort wasted! But it did work.

I went to Jo-Ann’s this afternoon to buy supplies for the long-term project that is still shaping up in my head. It will probably involve sewing and piecework and collage and beadwork. I knew that in order to get back into this that I’d need a rotary cutter and some basic supplies. My body has changed a lot since I was 23, and my grip doesn’t care for using scissors for long periods of time. Today my elbow injury flared up again - I don’t know what triggered it, but even typing is bothering it, so I’ll have to really baby it this week.

Fortunately I have some really good inspiration to look at on the Internet. This web page gives you an idea of where I’m heading, courtesy of Sharon B., whose blog is just incredible: Fabric Postcards. I also bought a copy of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine.

That’s Squ!rt in the corner, helping me with my weaving.  I only did a few minutes worth of weaving tonight, because I had a big day and need some sleep!  This inkle band will go on the Lake Waccamaw hat.

I finished the second towel and cut it off the loom too. The uneven tension problems were getting worse and although it was okay on this one, it would have been frustrating on the next one. I’ll tie it back to the front tomorrow. I’m happy with this towel! This is a detail going round the front beam.

I need to buy some blue thread to hem it, but I did zig-zag the edges and it’s ready to go.

I found a great stash of stuff in the spare bedroom that I used to have as my studio. In a box of patchwork squares I put together around 1983, there was my sewing machine manual. I should move my studio every seven years just to see what turns up.

This is the second of a set of unmercerized cotton textured towels that I’ve been working on. I started running out of the light blue color early on, which means that I had to change plans. This was supposed to be just vertical stripes. This plaid of different colored horizontal stripes will help me make the decision for the next one. Right now I’m leaning toward the medium blue, using this pattern. Tonight I wove about six inches.

When I wind a long warp, I like to do each piece a different way.

Today I joined a Flickr group called Crafting 365. I hope that it will help me stay on track by encouraging me to do something in the studio (or a portable project) every day, even if it is for just 15 minutes. Every day, I’ll post a photo to this blog and to Crafting 365 of something that I’m working playing with. My hope is to always keep something going on the Baby Wolf loom, and also have a portable project, such as beading or inkle weaving, to take with me. The main project, of which the Crafting 365 is simply a part, is giving me a wealth of ideas. (In other words, Crafting 365 will be fertilizer for another garden that I’m planting.) Some of these ideas will require me to step out of my comfort zone, which I hope will be good for me. Some ideas I got from going to Susanne and John’s house, and some I got from surfing the Net.

But I’ll always keep an old-fashioned traditional rhythmic type project for when I just need to press pedals and throw shuttles.

I’ll write more about this later because I need to get away from the computer. I’m trying to rein in my time here at night.