Happy New Year!

It's that time again to reflect on the old and dream about the new. I am thankful for so many things that happened in 2007 but I am looking forward to many new things in 2008. I see new challenges as I want to develop some new work. I have been harboring more ideas then I can possibly create but I am determined to bring some of them to fruition in 2008. Oh my, that rhymed!!

I wish all of you a Happy New Year full of creative ideas, and here's hoping some of them come to completion!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Felt Beads

I've been playing around with making felt beads. Using merino wool roving, water, and soap I've had fun creating beads and buttons. Here are my early attempts:

This is an asortment of round and cylinder beads. The orange and brown one in the left corner is a button. I plan on embellishing it. It started out with a better shape but as I kept adding to it the shape become a little mis-shapen! Embellishments should take care of that.
Three of the beads I made became a necklace.

The center bead was felted around the necklace cord. The shiny area is silk roving that was added for texture and interest
Here's the whole necklace with glass beads added.


Look for more of these in my work, maybe on a hat or a purse or whatever inspires me!

Anatomy of a Hat

As I was working on a Hat order the other day I thought you might like to see pictures of how my hats are made. They are one of a kind and totally designed as I go. Here is one being made.

They begin like a crazy quilt. Pieces of my handwoven fabric are sewn to a muslin backing until the whole square is filled.

The whole piece is then stitched in a free motion patterning with rayon thread.

The pattern is pinned on and the crown is cut out. The brim is cut out of ultra suede, interfacing is added and the embellishments are sewn on.

The brim is then sewn to the crown.




The lining is sewn together and then added to the hat.















Buckram is sewn onto the bottom edge of the brim to keep it from stretching and a grosgrain band is added to the inner edge. Lastly the label, Judy Connor Jones, is added.

And the finished product........................

I build furniture too!

I've been working on trying to organize my office. I transferred books from another room in our house to the office. I very methodically arranged them by subject. It was fun rediscovering books that I had not used for a long time, books that I purchased and have not looked at yet, and books that have been put on my TO READ list! I consider books friends and like friends I haven't seen for a long time, it was great to reconnect. Needless to say this made the process take longer than if I had just moved the books and put them on the shelf!

Part of organizing was putting together a desk that I purchased from IKEA. It has been sitting in my office for several months. I have become an expert at putting together pieces of furniture. I also constructed my file cabinet and computer desk! Here are the pictures.

And the finished product - TA DAH!!!!!!

RED SOX WIN!

Ok, I stayed up late to see the Red Sox win the World Series. How 'bout those SOX!!!!!!

Congrats to Boston's favorite team - The Red Sox Rule!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats also to "my guy" Mike Lowell who was named MVP!!!!!!! They have to sign him for next year.


WAY TO GO SOX!!!!!!!!!!!

Pusey Room Red

OK, who remembers the color I used for the office wall in my studio? Anyone? If you guessed Pusey Room Red you were right. Well today I got to see the original Pusey Room at Memorial Church at Harvard. The walls are painted this beautiful red color and the portrait of Dr Pusey hangs on the wall. I only wish I had my camera with me to take a picture for the blog. Next time I'm at Harvard I'll be sure to get a picture.

So in case you are wondering and I'm sure you all are (!), there are only 3 places that this color exists, at Memorial Church at Harvard, at Peter Gomes's (Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard) home in Plymouth, and in my studio office! Thank you Peter for sharing the color. I love it!

Last 2 weeks

I got back Thursday after being away for 2 weeks. It seemed like a long time to be away from home. The weekend of October 5-7 I exhibited in The Wheaton Arts Fine Crafts Show in Millville, NJ. It was a good show and many friends stopped by to see me. Most of them I had not seen since we moved in 2005. I also had a lot of my loyal customers from the NJ/PA area stop by and shop. I am thankful for their appreciation of my work. It was nice to be back in my old stomping grounds.

My dear friends, Bette and Jack helped me with set-up and take-down as my usual "roadie", Jeff, was not able to come. The weather was so humid and hot it was unbelievable! And this is October!? But at least it did not rain!!!!

This is a show that the buyers come out to spend!!!!!!!! Yea!!!!

Here are some pictures from the show.

I stayed in NJ to visit with my Mom who lives in Ocean City. She is getting ready to move into a senior living facility and I stayed to help her with all the details of moving. It was a lot of cleaning out, sorting, and packing. We had a few adventures to the furniture store and the mall and Mario's Pizzaria Restaurant!

I had some time to visit my old haunts in my beloved Ocean City as this was the place where my family vacationed every summer. Check out the the beach and the fishing pier.









Yes those are people sitting on the beach in October!

Then there is Music Pier where all the concerts and events happen. Miss New Jersey receives her crown here!


And of course, no time on the boardwalk is complete without stopping for Johnson's popcorn! Actually I bought it for my husband who loves the caramel coated stuff!


And to remind me of the days I spent working in Ocean City before my freshman year in college there is The Chatterbox. Ah those were the days!!!!!












Yes, it's always been that color or at least some shade of pink! In the sixties it was a great hang out with music and college students spilling out onto the sidewalk. It was the "happening" place!!!! OK, I guess I just dated myself!!!!
As I drove home on Thursday it was fun to see the progression of the color change in the leaves. It really wasn't until I reached Rhode Island that the prettiest color was showing. As I headed toward Massachusetts I had the sense of coming home to a familiar place. Here is where my family and friends are now. It's good to be back home!!!!

Wheaton Arts Fine Crafts Festival

It's show time again! I'm getting ready to travel to New Jersey to exhibit in the Wheaton Arts Fine Crafts Festival this weekend. This is a wonderful show which I have done for several years. Wheaton Arts is a working Glass Museum where you can see the artists blowing glass. You can even try your hand at it by making a paperweight with one of the artists being your guide. I was unable to do this show last year since I was still finishing the studio and getting organized after the move. I am looking forward to returning this year. Check out the website at http://www.wheatonarts.org/. If you are in the South Jersey area come visit me at the show.

ART STROLL

Well the Stroll became a rainy day washout! The sun finally came out around 3:00! Unfortunately the Stroll ended at 4.

Despite the awful weather and low attendance, it was fun talking to the few people who ventured forth and a few brave souls who tried their hand at weaving.

I was very thankful to Mary Jane from "Collections on Court" who had given me the space right in the window. She graciously gave up prime marketing space to let me demonstrate and display my handwoven clothing. "Collections on Court" is a lovely upscale clothing shop. I had fun looking at all the wonderful unique designs and European style clothing. If you come to Plymouth it's a shop you should not miss.

Thank you Mary Jane for hosting me as your artist for the day.

Plymouth Art Stroll

I'm getting ready to do the Plymouth Art Stroll on Saturday the 15th. It is in conjunction with the opening of The Plymouth Art Guild's Annual Tent Show which opens on Friday night. I was lucky enough to have 2 pieces accepted into the show this year. They had 500 entries and only accept around 200 pieces.

This is one of the pieces accepted into the show. Sorry the picture isn't better. I shot it quickly in my studio just for reference. It is a shrug made out of cotton and rayon chenille with a hand-dyed (by "moi") silk bound edge. The other piece acepted was a painted warp scarf from the Faith Elements series called "Spiritual Path".


The Art Stroll is a wonderful town event. Artists are paired up with businesses and can demonstrate and sell their work. I am paired up with a high end clothing shop called "Collections on Court". I will have one of my smaller looms there and will demonstrate weaving along with letting others try their hand at throwing the shuttle across the warp. It is a wonderful way for people to get a small taste of what it is like to weave and the whole working process of an artist. I look forward to doing it because it gives me a chance to touch base with customers , do some educating about what I do, and it is a fun day out of the studio. It's so easy for us artists to become so isolated from the world when we are working in our studios. We become self-absorbed and the world can easily pass us by. I look forward to connecting with those who are curious about my work and how it is made. I also look forward to introducing weaving and the world of textiles to maybe just that one person who would like to learn more! The world can always use another weaver in more ways than one!



If you live near Plymouth, come visit me on Saturday, chat, and try your hand at weaving.

Beginning a New Season

I can't believe it's September! Fall was certainly in the air this weekend as I did a show at Mad River Valley in VT. Even though it is early for fall foliage season, there was definitely a chill in the air. It was so refreshing. The scenery was beautiful with tents set up in the valley, music playing, and people enjoying themselves during the last vestiges of summer.









The show was fun to do. I met lots of wonderful people and even had some good sales. Yea!!! Many of my customers came from PA and NJ. They too were enjoying the last care free weekend of the summer or is it the beginning of a beautiful season full of promise and newness?




The show was a fund raiser for the Valley Players, a small theater group in Waitsfield, VT. We stayed at the home of the Play Director and the view from the third floor bedroom was to die for! Thank you so much for your hospitality, Alex and Bill. Thanks also to Laura, the Craft Show Manager, who found lodging for us and also provided a lovely dinner Saturday night. Bob, your cooking was excellent!


My booth was next to a potter from Canada, Deirdre Wilson. Her pottery was thrown so thin that it looked like porcelain. Of course that was a disaster as, you guessed it, we came home with 2 lovely pottery pieces!!!! (A mug for my new studio and a beautiful serving bowl for our dining pleasure!)



My husband Jeff was my wonderful "Roadie" for the show. Here he is helping to get the tent secure.

















Hope you all have had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend and are looking forward to all the new possibilities the fall season has to offer. Maybe I'll see you at my next show. Check my website, http://www.judyconnorjones.com/ for locations and details.

NEWS

Well, I'm back from the NEWS conference and am mulling over all the wonderful things I saw that inspired me. So much to do, so little time! That definitely could be my mantra both at the conference and now after the conference. It was fast paced trying to see all the exhibits, going to class, eating, shopping in the vendor hall, chatting with other weavers, and attending the evening lectures and fun events. The treasure hunt at WEBS yarns was a blast! And the chocolate that was served was to die for!!!!!

I had a wonderful time meeting old friends, staying up till after midnight talking, and also getting to know some new friends. Mary Alice and I became fast friends at the salad bar when we couldn't reach across to the other side to get the item we wanted. The buddy system works great in these instances!

Do I look a little exhausted here? This was the last day of the conference and this is one of my dear friends who I haven't seen since we left NJ 2 years ago. We had a lot of catching up to do.

It's been a long time since I stayed in a dormitory room. Does it look a little monkish?


The room was not too bad but it was across the hall from the elevator and the bathroom. Convenient for me but why were those woman up at 5 am taking their showers for the day! It's not often that I see that time of morning. I have to wonder what kind of person is functioning and ready to go at 5am?!!!!!! I am definitely a later riser! To make it to class by 8:30 was a stretch! My brain doesn't wake up until 10am . And with out my cup of tea, it's all over!

On the more serious side, I took a 2 day class with Jackie Abrams who makes baskets out of paper. They are bias plaiting technique. I have admired her work for years and felt very lucky to take a class with her. Her work is exhibited in shows like the Philadelphia Museum Fine Craft Show.

That's Jackie with 2 of her baskets.
Here is my meager attempt at the technique.

This is a pillow basket.

Here are the beginnings of a cylinder basket.












My mind is spinning with new ideas. I bought some beautiful yarns from HABU yarns and I am anxious to use them. I also am designing in my mind new pieces of cloth and new garments. I only hope that I get to make them before the ideas dissipate.

Weekend Inspiration

I am getting ready to go to the NEWS conference. NEWS is the New England Weavers' Seminar. It is held every other year and is put on by the weaving guilds in the New England area. It will be 4 days of workshops, lectures, exhibits, networking, meeting other weavers, spinners, and dyers, and of course the "shop till you drop" vendor hall! Yahooo00000!

I look forward to these events because it is always a wonderful source of inspiration to me to see what others are doing and to be a part of the great exchange of information that takes place. I am always amazed at the number of weavers, spinners, and dyers that are out there and we all converge for this long weekend. It is also a time to connect with friends I've met over the years and do not often see. We get caught up on each other's lives and what we are weaving now.

Discussions of warp and weft, loom brands, number of shafts, drafts, ends per inch will go on all weekend. It's like a secret coded language will be spoken! And I love every minute of it!!!

Hopefully I will have pictures to post when I get back.

I can't believe it's July!

I can't believe it's July! The summer is almost half over and I feel like I am just beginning to enjoy it. I haven't been to the beach as much as I would like and I am just beginning to enjoy our back yard and deck after planting all the flowers.

I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July. We had a 4th celebration on the 3rd! The painting crew who helped me with the studio came and had a cook out and then we all went to the beach to see the bonfires and fireworks.

We initiated our new fire pit by cooking s'mores. Yum!!!!!! Remember those from camping days?!






We had a lot of fun and it was nice to share this with everyone.



It's been a busy week here as we also had friends from PA come and visit. We all went to a Chinese Red Egg and Ginger Party for the baby of mutual friends. Our children played together when we lived in PA years ago. It was a great reunion but I have to say seeing them all grown up and some with children of their own brought back memories of raising them. They are now close to the age that we were when they played together. Do I feel old!!!!!!! OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!


Here they are all grown up!!!

The party was fun. The food was great! And seeing old friends was even better!!!

Guild Day

Today was the Cranberry Country Weaver's Guild picnic. This is a wonderful group of weavers, spinners, and dyers who live anywhere from south of Boston to Cape Cod. We even have one member who comes from Rhode Island. We are a small group as guilds go but have a wonderful time together learning, sharing, and eating (!) together.

The last meeting of the year is always a picnic and sale. Everyone brings a dish to share and we meet at a member's home and share stories, weaving tales, and our lives. There are always lots of goodies (yarns, books, periodicals, used equipment) to buy that can be added to our already over abundant stash! There is no contest here. We are all going to die with more yarn than we can ever use! But we are happy!!!

I am thankful for this group. They keep me grounded in the joy and love of just being a weaver.

They are my source of inspiration and they are all my mentors.