Textiles and Tea, plant rescue and bagworms

Yesterday's Textiles and Tea featured, Louise Lemieux Berube,  a French Canadian weaver, specialist in Jacquard, one of the earliest to train on software to run Jacquard looms, and a beloved teacher, judging from the comments as she spoke.

She incorporates painting onto her large weaving, and many types of thread in the bobbins. Currrently she's incorporating paper yarn. 

This gave me a great idea for the next wall hanging, using some of my paper weaving, from yarn I spun, Sarah Swett style, from paper I'd dyed. More later on that. And she's been known to branch out into metal, as you see in the forest installation.

Back here, the wall hanging is moving right along

It's starting to feel sturdy in my hands. One more row of squares and it's done.

Gary meanwhile had found little self rooted plants of tradescantia which he ran over with, wanting me to do something about them. 

So here's what happened yesterday

new pot with refreshed soil waiting for use. We were expecting frost so I brought it in overnight.

Work in progress

And here's the pot upstairs under the parent plant.

Meanwhile, I finally got around to a bit of pruning, just as well, because while I was snapping off dead twigs and cutting out crossed branches, I found a couple of  dreaded bagworms.

I opened one case to show you. The others are at a different stage, with a very tough membrane attaching them to branches. As the larvae develop, they eat foliage, and are a serious pest locally. They can defoliate and kill a tree once they get going.

These are gone now, and I need to be alert from now on.

The tree looks happier.

It's been a while since we had a puzzle, here's two

How to use it, then? Or is this like those mattress labels you daren't remove because it's illegal...

anyway here's a Haggard Hawks that's not as hard as it seems at first

And because we all need a puppy right now

Happy day everyone, warm puppies to you!

Puppy in the offing, Art Shaped start, winnowing, and other excitements

Yesterday a couple of calls from Gary mainly about my getting some food supplement items from his fridge and delivering them across the street to unwell neighbor struggling with chemo. No problem, done. 

Then he called with the other news: a new puppy in his life from tomorrow. French bulldog/Boston terrier mix.  Whenever he gets back I'll get to meet my new seven week old neighbor. Can't wait. Especially since he gets to train and care for it, I get to visit and play with my grandpup. 

Yesterday's winnowing was dull and vital. Paper files. Auto insurance dating back six years, different car, agent now retired.

I'm very good at filing in the right place, not very good at updating though. That mass of paper I soaked in soapy water till nearly pulp, drained, recycled. Much easier than hours shredding, and none of it very sensitive.

Today though, I decided on a mystery basket in a bottom drawer. And found, look at that: useful cardboard and tubes. 

Originally for spinning and plying, now exactly what's needed for the current artwork in progress.

Out of it this is now offered on Freecycle

Speaking of art in progress, it looks as if my freezer and kitchen island are the current studio, tall enough to stand at, good light, near water.

So here is the beginning of the beginning of what I think, hope,  will be a big piece. 

The circular pieces are coffee filters dyed, left from when I was spinning paper and weaving it, making miniature book covers.

 

Cut One, here we go, using the mailer the book came in 

 Then bend, add and tape the scraps to create eyes and nose, then cut off and reattach the bottom part to create a mouth.

Covered with the coffee filters, now drying before probably painting tomorrow, after a couple more changes to nose and mouth.

Then I'll create a head, attach the face and more things will happen.

At this point I was about done in. Partly there's a lot of physical effort which you don't notice at the time, then there's the constant mental exertion and multiple decision making, all great and all very expensive in energy. 

Darrell, who wrote Art Shaped, is into it

Meanwhile, the jigsaw puzzle is done

And I have lab work Wednesday in the building next to the puzzle library, so I'll return this one and see about borrowing another.

Another kind of winnowing is planned for. Friday, knitting group day, different library. Meg our Leader, would like to populate the library with plants. And I just happen to have a candidate I grew from cuttings

So if she wants it, and I can get it in the car and the weather's not too cold, and I make it there..

Last night I took out some recycling and, clear night,  looked up and caught the Moon, Venus and Jupiter in a straight line, very cool display. Nice to go to all that trouble for me.

Before I forget the Haggard Hawks puzzle answer

BAG BEG BIG BOG BUG!

I see these similarities: all three letters, all with initial B final G, vowels in alphabetical order. Any more?

Have you seen this beautiful swords into plowshares artwork?

Happy day everyone, look for whatever constitutes a sunflower in your life, even when surrounded by shell casings.