Our greeting when we reached the top!
How lucky I was to spend five days this past week,
July 22-26, 2017
at Tapestry Weaving Camp
with Rebecca Mezoff,
an amazing tapestry artist and teacher!
It was held at the Colorado State University,
Mountain Campus,
in Pingree Park.
(Elevation 9000 feet!!!!)
I left home at 4:00 am on a Saturday,
and returned at 2:00 am on Thursday morning.
It was so worth the travel journey to get there!
You see studying with my online teacher in person
has been on my bucket list for quite some time,
and the journey I walked before the workshop,
well ... let's just say I was having my doubts
as to whether I would actually get there!
But I did and it was a dream come true for me!
I bought a special woven journal for the experience
and began writing in it right away,
at a beautiful Starbucks in Fort Collins,
waiting for Rebecca to pick me up!
(By the time I returned home, the pages were
quite filled up with notes, sketches and things
I didn't want to forget!)
"Being a Tapestry Weaver is certainly a gift"
I just loved seeing this sign!
"Blue Spruce" cabin ... My home for the journey!
What a beautiful campus it was!
Our days were full for sure...
First day was traveling and settling in,
and getting my body adjusted to the high elevation.
We gathered after dinner at the lodge where our classroom would be,
getting to know each another,
sharing who we were, our tapestry journies
and what brought us to the retreat.
We were all so happy to be there at that moment.
The first thing we saw when we entered
the classroom were tables of yarns,
full of colors and arranged by weights,
different brands ...
what a feast for the eyes!
We were free to try whatever we wanted,
it was a candy store for weavers!
Yarn Yarn Yarn!
We settled into our places for the duration
and began class the next morning!
Each morning we woke early,
and breakfast was served at 7:00.
The walk to the dining hall was always
full of laughter and great conversation!
Of course, I had to stop along the way
to take a few photos!
Thanks to my rookie Carole for taking this photo in the Aspens!
Each day we had time to weave,
Rebecca gave incredible lectures and slide shows,
Rebecca gave demos of weaving techniques,
we laughed, encouraged each other, shared our work,
shared resources and ideas.
Then there were times you could hear a pin drop it was so quiet,
as we were all working hard on our tapestries.
There was no cell service, limited wi-fi and no email.
"The out of touch" was a refreshing lesson to learn.
Here is a pic collage of each full day I was there,
you can see glimpses of my experiences each day
that I created for my Instagram:
(I didn't get to post till I came down off the mountain)
Final Day!
On the second full day we hiked up to Denny's Point,
and I must say it kicked my butt,
but it was so worth it!
We took time to stop, enjoy the beauty,
drink water, take pictures
until we reached the top!
We were constantly on the search
for our next tapestry inspiration.
There is so much beauty around us,
if only we will see!
Ready to head UP!
Tapestry Hikers here we go!
The view from the top
Just sit here for awhile, rest your weary self!
Another view from the top
Small treasures everywhere!
So I guess you can see I was thrilled with
each and every moment of my Tapestry Camp.
Rebecca put so much effort into
making it such a great learning experience for us,
and we learned from her, soaking up all of her knowledge.
She never held back and shared freely;
how I appreciate that in a teacher.
If you ever get the chance to take a workshop from her,
GO FOR IT!
You can also learn from her with her online courses,
and just invite her into your home,
anytime you like!
A Demo of Eccentric Weave (my favorite)
My view for the slide lectures
Rebecca wearing the Tapestry Cuff I brought to her!
So much to say,
So much I experienced,
and I will never forget the awesome time I had.
Now I am home and remembering it all,
trying to put it into words just doesn't do it justice!
Whether it was taking my loom outside to weave,
or finding a quiet moment to spin,
gathering with an amazing group of weavers,
spending time with Rebecca,
creating a tiny little tapestry,
that took hours to create,
it was all so worth it!
My 8" Mirrix Lani came with me on the plane
My color gradation work and some pick and pick in between
My Tapestry family for five days ... how I miss them!
Spinning with a view and finches everywhere
I only know I left a small piece of my creative heart
in Colorado!
Thank you Rebecca for having the gift of teaching,
the knowledge to share,
and a heart as big as can be!
My heart was full!
Thanks for sticking with me,
I know this was a long post,
there was just so much to share!
Hoping your summer vacations are wonderful too!
Till next time . . .
Love more, Rest your soul
and find time to be creative,
Somehow!
Donna Lee
