Not too hot to weave ...

Arletta making rag placemats

With the Studio and Garden Tour 2012 now behind us and a hot, dry summer settling in, things are getting  back to normal at the weaving studio. This week, Chris has three women from Illinois who are spending four days taking weaving lessons and producing their own treasures.

Keena weaving a dish towel.

Myrna making huck placemats.

The gardens were affected by the drought and nighttime visits from our deer friends. Chris notes that the weather must make it tough on the deer, too, so we're cutting them a little slack and a day lily snack or two.

Temps around here have hit 107, and it's been weeks since we've had significant rainfall. Fourth of July fireworks locally have been postponed until Labor Day. We are managing to keep the veggie garden going with water from the green tank in the middle of the picture below. The tank fills from the gutters and downspout at the back of the studio (when it rains) and from the pond on our property when it doesn't.

Part of the back garden ... tomatoes and kale.

We met some interesting folks on the tour, with the first visitors being from Edinburgh. Scotland, that is, not Indiana, and lots of folks from Indianapolis, Columbus, Ohio and Louisville, Ky. Visitors trying their hands at weaving produced two "community rugs" which will be given to local charities as fundraisers. We raised about $80 from the sale of Chris' mug rugs to be donated to the Brown County Art Scholarship fund. And some funds were raised by selling peace flags which we created on the tour last year. We are suggesting a donation of $10, all of which goes to the local Habitat for Humanity. (We can ship them for $15, and it's an ongoing project until all the flags have found new homes.) 

Peace Flags for your garden - visitors to the studio tour wrote messages
on the fabric which was then woven into flags.

Guest artist Doug Runyan sold several of his paintings and pastels and created one of his best drawings while demonstrating pastel techniques.

"Consider the Lillies of the Field" by Douglas Runyan

Chris just finished several scarves, some of which will be going to the Columbus (Ind.) Visitor's Center. 

We're also preparing a group of rugs and clothing to be listed on the Indiana Artisan's new virtual marketplace website. More on that later.

The studio will remain open throughout the summer, booking day weaving classes as weather permits. Visitors are always welcome.
Bob (and Chris)

Ahhhh, summer

After all my preparations, complaining, weaving, gardening, and brow beating, the Studio and Garden Tour is OVER! A big sigh of relief and on to summer.
We had about 280 visitors over three days of miserable heat. What troopers they were.I had a guest artist, Norene Mara, that paints and makes jewelry:
I also had a guest artist, Rose Poe, that makes beautifully colored baskets and also weaves.
The gardens could have used more work, but at 90+ degrees, not that many people were taking time to look at them ... out of their cars and into the air-conditioned studio!
The "weaver's garden" had a new umbrella for shade and some cute purse pots (an idea I stole from a friend) hanging on the shepherd's crooks. The purses got a LOT of comments.

The loom room was a demonstration and display area:The plate garden needed washing ... too bad. Pike was watching for cars ...Too hot to sell clothing ...

The positive comments make all the preparation work worthwhile. But I'm ready for pool time and to get back to weaving for the fall shows.

Enough of the snow already!

This is my meditation circle. It's an area in the woods across from the house and studio that has paths through the trees and a few places to sit and think. There has been plenty of time for that this winter, but it's not been happening out in the snow.

Dear Saint Francis looks like he has his work cut out for him.
Everyone has probably seen their fill of snow pictures this winter. So that's it from me.
I've been weaving in the house for the last month because I have an art show in Indianapolis tomorrow and Sunday. Hoping for good weather and to see some friendly faces ...