Today I am grateful for tomatoes - homegrown, right out of the garden tomatoes. You know what I'm talking about - the ripe juicy flavor that only comes out of the ground, not from the store. I remember being a little girl working in my mother's garden. We had picked the vegetables for the day and as we were going in the house, I asked her if I could eat a tomato, right then, like an apple. She gave me one and I bit into it. Juice squirted out and ran down my arm, but I didn't care. It tasted so good, and I was hooked. Even as a little child, I loved tomatoes.
Recently I had the opportunity to share my studio space with 13 little girls age 8-11 from out church. They meet every other week to learn a new skill or do a service project. On this evening they had come to learn about weaving. We all crowded around the loom and I showed them how it worked - stepping on the treadles, throwing the weft, beating the yarn in. They were enthralled. Then they all tried on shawls and became fashion models.
When we had finished with my loom, their leaders pulled out potholder looms for them to use. We moved into the dining room and spread out all over the tables and floor. Each girl picked out different color combinations. ( Except the twins. Even though they were working separately and had not even looked at what the other was doing, the colors were the same. ) Some were very conscious of color and pattern, carefully placing each looper in just the right order. Others took a more spontaneous approach, mixing and matching with abandon. All turned out beautifully.
It was so much fun to teach them to weave and to see their excitement at learning. Their leaders and I helped them get started and then they just took off. Most of them understood the under-over concept and got the mechanics down pretty quickly. Some used the hooks that came with the looms, and some preferred their fingers. I brought out some potholders that my daughter made many years ago when she was their age. (I still use them.) They loved the fact that they would be able to make something truly useful.
All too soon it was time for them to go home. About half of them finished their potholders. The rest took them home to finish. I heard that some made many more at home. It made me so happy to share something I love so much with them. I hope some of them continue weaving in the future.
Two weeks later the doorbell rang and there were the girls with a pile of thank you cards. They were made with construction paper, lots of glitter and love. I cherish them. And I will remember them for a long, long time. I still have glitter on the carpet no matter how many times it is vacuumed.
Recently I had the opportunity to share my studio space with 13 little girls age 8-11 from out church. They meet every other week to learn a new skill or do a service project. On this evening they had come to learn about weaving. We all crowded around the loom and I showed them how it worked - stepping on the treadles, throwing the weft, beating the yarn in. They were enthralled. Then they all tried on shawls and became fashion models.
When we had finished with my loom, their leaders pulled out potholder looms for them to use. We moved into the dining room and spread out all over the tables and floor. Each girl picked out different color combinations. ( Except the twins. Even though they were working separately and had not even looked at what the other was doing, the colors were the same. ) Some were very conscious of color and pattern, carefully placing each looper in just the right order. Others took a more spontaneous approach, mixing and matching with abandon. All turned out beautifully.
It was so much fun to teach them to weave and to see their excitement at learning. Their leaders and I helped them get started and then they just took off. Most of them understood the under-over concept and got the mechanics down pretty quickly. Some used the hooks that came with the looms, and some preferred their fingers. I brought out some potholders that my daughter made many years ago when she was their age. (I still use them.) They loved the fact that they would be able to make something truly useful.
All too soon it was time for them to go home. About half of them finished their potholders. The rest took them home to finish. I heard that some made many more at home. It made me so happy to share something I love so much with them. I hope some of them continue weaving in the future.
Two weeks later the doorbell rang and there were the girls with a pile of thank you cards. They were made with construction paper, lots of glitter and love. I cherish them. And I will remember them for a long, long time. I still have glitter on the carpet no matter how many times it is vacuumed.
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