Taking a Summer Hiatus

Him and Me Always!

Here it is July and it's already three quarters over!

I honestly don't even know where it went!

It has certainly been a summer of adjustment and sorrow

after losing my precious father-n-law.

As you know, I pride myself on living the creative life,

however, not much creativity has been happening

around my studio lately.

I miss just playing around with my paints and yarns.

I can't even tell you the last time I art journaled

or just read a book.

All is good!

I will be headed to Colorado in just a few days

to a Tapestry Weaving Workshop

with my online teacher and mentor

Rebecca Mezoff

and I am super excited!

I will be staying at the

Colorado State University

Mountain Campus

and soaking up as much

inspiration as I can.

I can't imagine five days

of beautiful mountains, fellowship with weavers,

hiking, sketching and tapestry weaving for days

UNINTERUPTED

Pinch me now please!

I am sure I will have lots

to tell you about later.

For now I am taking

a blogging hiatus ...

time to restore the writing soul,

rest my heart

and

refresh my spirit.

See you again soon,

I'm anxious to see all the good that comes from 

stepping away

and listening to my heart.

Donna Lee

Living the Woven Life

Threads are a part of my daily life

I have just finished a one year position

as part of the Mirrix Looms

Social Marketing team.

I must say it was quite an honor to work

with Claudia and Elena.
An extroidinary Mother and Daughter team.

I learned a lot about marketing,

social media and how to even use a new

blog software called Hubspot.

Everything in life is a learning experience,

is it not?

I wanted my last blog post for them

to be one that was heartfelt.

I believe I accomplished that ...

I entitled the post

"Living the Woven Life"

and I spoke about how it is to be

a Tapestry Weaver today,

what it involves

and how it is to live a life

creatively each and every day.
How to slow down and
truly enjoy the weaving process.
For me, it is a gift to have returned
to this art form, and I am grateful.

Rather than state it all here

I would love for you to visit their site

and read it,

even if you aren't a Tapestry Weaver,

I do believe you will enjoy the read

and apply the thoughts to other parts of your life.

You can find the post HERE . . .

My handwoven pouch giveaway 

I wanted to do something special for Mirrix Looms

and I created this handwoven pouch necklace

and wrote two blog posts about how it was

designed, created and woven.

At the end of this month,

a lucky winner will get this pouch,

full of love and inspiration tucked inside.

In a previous blog post of mine,

I wrote about the joy of giving to others ...

you can read HERE ...

It's certainly been a heartfelt week for my family and I.

I lost my precious Father n Law,

who suffered from ALS with strength and dignity.

 Emotions are flying right now,

and trying to put into words how I feel can't be done.

How important it is to live your life well,

to be content with where you are at this moment,

to treat others with consideration, love and respect.

I promise you can't go wrong if you do.

I am hoping that your week is filled with good things,

and happiness finds you at every corner.

Donna Lee

Creating something for someone else

My finished woven pouch

I have been working on this Handwoven Pouch

for a few months as a fun blog post/giveaway

for Mirrix Looms.

I have had the pleasure of being a part

of their Social Marketing Team this past year,

and I wanted to finish my commitment with a fun weaving project.

A year flew by and I enjoyed being a part of the

Mirrix Team immensely.

I had such a fun time working on it,

and as I was creating the piece,

I was learning new weaving techniques along the way.

Tapestry Weaving is all about learning

and growing in this art form.

From the beginning design and planning stage, 

to choosing the correct sett and fibers,

learning to fix and reason out my mistakes along the way, 

visualizing a finished product,

and learning to take some weaving shortcuts.

Weaving, Learning and Taking Notes

I have learned so much from being a Tapestry Weaver,

so any time that I can spend at my looms

is a wonderful thing!

I am a Seeker,

always looking for ways to learn something new,

experience new things

and share my knowledge along the way.

Tapestry Weaving is a gift to the soul,

a quiet path taken with myself.

Adding some Rya knots to the front flap

As I finished the project I had designed,

I wanted to do something for Mirrix Looms,

as a way of saying thanks for the past year.

Thanks for choosing me among all the applicants,

for trusting my written word on their Blog each month,

and for supporting my efforts.

I decided to give the pouch away to one lucky winner!

Claudia and Elena (Mother and Daughter team of Mirrix)

 were thrilled with the idea!

So they decided during the month of June,

to give a discount for Spencer Treadle sales,

and at the end of the month,

they would draw a name of one PERSON who had purchased

a treadle during the month of June ...

honestly I can't wait to see who wins!

Sometimes we need to give to others,

Pay it forward ... It just feels right!

That's what I wanted to do with this fun project!

So inside I tucked a message ...

"Weave Tapestry"

I included a pink quartz stone ...

extending a gift of calmness and clarity.

There was a lot of love tucked inside.

Small treasures inside

I learned a lot from this project:

*How wonderful it is to design something

from start to finish

*To work out design ideas on my own

*I know I love weaving fine settings

with beautiful silk threads

*How good it is to share your work with others

*Sharing your knowledge, weaving and talents

with others is a good thing.

*Creating something for someone else feels down right awesome

I look forward to the end of June,

may the recipient love the pouch when they receive it,

as much as I loved creating it.

When you are given the chance to share,

please do it!

Giving is a good thing;

not for the recipient but for YOU!

Growth comes when we extend ourselves,

give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Donna Lee

What has my attention lately!

A treasure found while visiting Edenton, NC

Well I certainly let a whole week go by without posting!

I told myself in January I would try to post

regularly, every Wednesday on my blog.

I made to March 29th, 2017!

One thing I have learned for sure,
is that life is full of unpredictable moments!
Moments that take your breath away,
Moments that occupy your time in ways you never dreamed of,
Moments that just fly by.
Moments that keep you from accomplishing
all that you want and need to!

I have been weaving a lot lately,
I am currently weaving on my beloved Mirrix loom
and creating a Tapestry Woven Pouch Necklace.
I am blogging from start to finish
for the Mirrix Loom Blog,
this project is amazing
and the hand painted silks are beautiful
to work with,
I am having a wonderful and creative time.
The first post is posted on the Mirrix Loom Blog,
you can follow my journey HERE . . .

Currently on my Mirrix

Adding in some Beads

I have been reading a lot of blog posts
about building your own pipe loom,
either from copper or galvanized pipe!
The weaving community is so generous
and always sharing knowledge with each other,
for that I am truly grateful!

My weaving mentor, teacher and friend
Rebecca Mezoff
wrote a great post HERE ...
So I went to the hardware store
and bought what I needed ...
if you want to know exactly what to buy,
HERE is the link that Tommye Scanlin so generously shared!
I actually bought the pipe pieces about a month ago,
and have just gotten around to building it on my day off today!

I thought it was going to be overwhelming,
but opening the pipe pieces
actually took longer than building the loom itself!!!
Cleaning the scanner price tags
took longer than building the loom!

So here is the finished product!

Tightened up with my hubby's strong hands

and a really good wrench!!!

My finished loom

So I immediately wanted to get a warp on the loom,

I used my 12/6 cotton seine

sett at 8 ends per inch

I plan on weaving a small tapestry diary

and getting used to the loom.

I am totally in love with Washi Tape,

so I marked off inch and half inch increments on my tape

and then added it to the loom.

Setting at 8 ends per inch

So as you can see Tapestry has gotten

a lot of my attention lately,

and I think that is a good thing.

In order to do anything well, we must spend time with it.

Sometimes I spread myself too thing,

doing way too many things.

This morning was quiet, the birds were singing,

the breeze was blowing through the window

and I was weaving before work.

Thoughts often come to me while weaving,

this morning in honor of National Poetry Month,

I wrote a poem on Tapestry!

It was a very good morning indeed!

Poem Writing while Weaving

May your week be filled with

love, creativity, happiness and joy!

Thanks for being here

Donna Lee

Progression

What is currently on my floor loom

Every moment I enter my studio,

my loom Welcomes me ...

I sometimes run in for a paintbrush,

a quick sketch,

look for a certain book or journal,

and I wish I had more time

to sit and weave ... just weave more!

I have been weaving on my Mirrix loom

and my Hokett looms for smaller projects,

but I haven't spent a lot of time

on my larger floor loom.

I have owned it almost a year now

and I'm not getting very far!

I created this current weaving project 

almost seven months ago,

and I ask myself "Where has the time has gone?"

I created a watercolor cartoon,

(from a watercolor original of mine)

set up the warp

and my weaving is slowly

working itself up the warp.

Progress has been so slow it sometimes disturbs me.

How I admire current day

tapestry weavers that accomplish so much!

I now realize they devote their time to their art,

not spread out their time in so many different avenues!

In order to do something well we must spend quality time

devoted to it ... learning, experimenting and discovering.

My Original Watercolor

inspired from Jeanne Carbonetti

When we are allowing ourselves growth and progress with our passions,

we must first realize how important it is

to devote time to our art or endeavors.

I don't want to spread myself too thin

in an already full life.

Tapestry weaving is important to me,

I have been distracted with knitting,

sketching, playing, 

working, needlework and writing . . .

all wonderful pursuits for sure.

Yet each pursuit has pulled me away

from my Tapestry Weaving,

what I truly love the most.

I do realize that in order to show progression

in my Tapestry Weaving,

I need to devote more solid time with it.

Progression in our work 

comes when we concentrate;

when we devote time to a certain thing,

when we set aside moments to grow.

My current work

I find myself saying yes yes yes to what I am writing

and agreeing with every word I have written here.

When we are passionate about something,

whatever it is for you and for me,

we must devote time to it.

I want to grow in my knowledge of weaving,

I want to see progression in this beautiful work

I currentlyhave on my loom.

I don't want to waste any more time.

So I ask you my friend ... 

What is it that you need to show more progression in your life?

Are you spending quality time doing what you love and need to do?

Are you spreading yourself too thin

and not getting much done anywhere in your life?

I think it is a question we have to ask ourselves

from time to time for sure.

Spring is a season of new beginnings,

at least it is for me.

My new beginning is carving out time

to just sit and weave,

quietly and meditatively in my studio,

my private and very special place.

My loom is calling me,

what is calling to you?

I know I am going to love this when it's finished

Donna Lee

Celebrating Life

Breakfast in the Cabin

This past weekend I celebrated my 40th Anniversary!

January 15, 1977 I married my surfer boy

and we have been together ever since!

Yes there are always bumps along the way,

but ours have been pretty easy bumps!

We traveled to the Blue Ridge Mountains,

I wanted to stay in a cabin near the mountains,

and my hubby made all the plans.

We stayed at Steele's Tavern Manor

and it was everything we wanted and more!

Our cabin was situated on a beautiful pond,

with cows in the background,

beautiful blue herons

and a peaceful path to walk.

 Our beautiful home for three days

 It's just about the simple things that thrill me!

 Our cottage by the Pond

 Josie enjoyed our Anniversary trip too!

 Hearing the sounds of MOO in the mornings across the pond

We traveled into the town of Lexington,

with its quaint shops and rich history!

We ate delicious food

and visited nearby attractions for the day!

What a charming town!

You know I had to hit every gallery

and art shop there was!

 The buildings were so charming!

We entered the Blue Ridge Parkway,

but it was such a cloudy day we couldn't see anything,

it was a bit disappointing but we made the best of it!

We even decided to turn around,

(mountains, fog and me aren't a good combination)

It was a bit scary to say the least!

 Here we go!

There was so much inspiration around us,

we made the best of a rainy misty day!

I was totally intrigued by this stone wall,

it will become a tapestry for sure!

 Tapestry and Color Inspiration

 Geese by the waterfall

 Jimmy and Josie (my two J & J's)

I carried my Hokett Loom with me for

some tapestry weaving,

and the surroundings outside were so peaceful

and relaxing, I enjoyed having my loom with me

early mornings.

Tapestry weaving is such a quiet art,

I fall more in love with it each and every day!

Weaving by the pond

I believe we must celebrate life in every way 

that we can.

Celebrate the monumental steps in your journey,

celebrate even the small daily wins!

Make the most of the time you are given,

each and every day.

There is so much goodness out there,

if only you will see!

I am truly grateful that I have a

passionate heart.

I have been through some tough stuff during

this lifetime,

but each time I came out on the other side,

stronger, wiser and willing to lead others,

from my own experiences.

Life is all about what you make of it.

Early morning coffee and quiet

So make the best of where you are in your life

at this very moment, 

enjoy the simplicities

that this life can also give to you

and please . . .

don't waste a minute of it. 

I challenge you to celebrate your life,

with all it's complexities

and joys that come with it.

We can learn so much about ourselves

when we get away,

slow down and listen.

I think that is going to be my theme for this new year.

I had a beautiful getaway

and now we are back home and digging into routine once more.

It was truly awesome to get away,

alone and together!

May your week be full of good stuff!

Donna Lee

Grateful for Snow Storms

I baked a Homemade Applesauce Raisin Cake 

Virginia Beach had its first snow storm for 2017

They called it Blizzard Helena

We got about 8 - 10" of snow

and for Virginia Beach

that is pretty amazing!

I was in the house for four days,

didn't drive or go anywhere . . .

I must say it was like heaven.

How blessed I was to slow myself down,
and have more time than I knew what to do with!

So thank you Miss Snowstorm

for giving me the gift of rest.

You always think you have more time than you think,

and oh the many projects you will get done while house bound.

I did a lot at first;
then just gave into the easy feeling of doing whatever I wanted!
It was pretty magical for sure.

I cleaned closets and cabinets,

re-organized my make up,
baked yummy foods,
took lots of naps (yes I did!)

threw away unwanted "stuff"
and so much more.

I even started a new stitching project,
A needlework case by Beth Twist,
I love her work a lot!
She is coming to Tidewater in April 2017,
to teach her first stitching retreat for
Dyeing to Stitch
(my favorite needlework store here in VB)
and I want to complete this before her workshop!

My newest project

I began a new Tapestry on my

Hokett Loom I got for Christmas.
Twining was my first layer,
it takes some patience to get it right!
Tapestry Weaving is definitely not an art
to dive into if you don't have the patience
to slow your little self down!

The warping process is so important

I was inspired from a watercolor card

I purchased in the Outer Banks

by the amazing Chris Haltigan,

I love her work!
I had the privilege years ago to have
a private painting lesson with her,
she is amazingly gifted.

My tapestry inspiration

Anything can be inspiration for a Tapestry Weaving,

I had found mine!

I am taking the Little Looms class 

by Rebecca Mezoff,

so this would be my class project.

I matched my wools using

18/2 wool from Weavers Bazaar,

made my warp sett at 12 pi

and began the process.
I am excited to see the outcome of this piece.

Just beginning to weave

I decided that I wanted to challenge myself and

 weave a mini tapestry,

one a month for the year of 2017,

(my own version of a Weaving Diary)

I would like to create small tapestries,
each the same size . . .

that was inspired by something I saw

on my daily journey.

I would like to journal about each project, or write a poem 

and at the end of the year,

have some pretty sweet little tapestries to keep!

Let's see if I can do it!
It will be a true discipline for sure!
I was inspired by my own Tapestry teacher Rebecca
who wove a tapestry "a day"
while she was an Artist in Residence
this past year,
WOW her work was amazing.
You can catch it here if you would like to see her work ...

I had an idea many years ago that I would

write 100 poems, one a day for a 100 days,

and use my own photography to go along with the poem,

I did it, published the book for myself

and created a blog while doing so,

you can still find it here!

So my friends, I can definitely

create a small work of tapestry art each month,

right??????

My word for the new year is DEEPEN,
so I decided to remind myself of that
while playing in the snow . . .
that is a totally serious word to live up to this year!

Playing in the snow

I found this sweet twig in my front yard,
slowing being tossed about by the snow and wind,
but not getting buried by the snow.
It was a sweet reminder for me ...
There is beauty everywhere, if only you will look for it.
It wasn't getting buried by circumstances, only standing strong!

My photo moment during storm

So here is to the rest of your week!
May it be filled with moments of rest,
love, discovery and happiness.
Me and My girl Josie wish you all the best!

Just us Wynn girls playing after the storm

Until next time,
Donna Lee

The Way We View Life . . .

The view from here

Life is such a beautiful thing!

Filled with love, family, incredible experiences,

hurts and disappointments,

resentments, broken relationships,

lessons learned, wishes granted,

broken promises, goals attained,

beautiful friendships,

blessing after blessing,

meaningful conversations

and so much more!

I've merely touched the surface

I have learned that it truly is

all about how we perceive what is right in front of us,

how we see things,

how we absorb what is happening

and how we react to things.

No two people view life with the same way.

Each of us carries a different perspective or point of view.

How many times have you seen something

so beautifully and someone you know

sees it as a negative or bother?

Standing right in front of me ... my friend chose not to see!

As a Tapestry Weaver,

I am constantly taught to slow myself down,

to think "what if" as I'm at the loom.

I try to see my weaving from a close perspective.

Perhaps that is why I view life the way I do.

I love viewing the world around me,

my eyes are truly WIDE open.

Everything becomes a photographic moment for me!

I love taking image after image,

because I know somewhere or somehow

they will show up again and be used in a blog post

or a card or something!

So I leave you with this thought ...

I would love for you to look at your own life

with a total open heart.

Look at the wonderful possibility,

don't see the negative hinderances.

See the beauty in all things

when if at all possible.

See the beauty of that last little rose bud,

still thriving and blooming;

rather than the empty thorns and dried up leaves

that are present on the same bush!

It's all there I promise you!

Especially with the significance of this day

for our nation, September 11th.

Here we are 15 years later,

each American still healing in there own way.

There are so many lessons we have learned as a nation

after all this time.

Each of us carrying our own perspectives.

May we truly never forget this day in history, NEVER!

May your week be filled with joy,

your days filled with promise and  possibility,

and your heart be free to love!

Donna Lee

A Happy Little Woven Piece

In my last post a few weeks ago, 

I was just beginning to work on a 

small tapestry face.

It was a project I had wanted to try

for such a long time.

I had recently finished weaving

my Eccentric Woven Eyeglass Case

and my sweet Mirrix Loom was sitting empty

and ready for a new warp!

I had just added the Spencer Treadle

(an electric foot pedal)

to my 22" Zach Mirrix Loom,

and I was eager to give it a try.

I put on a small 3" wide warp,

sketched a small face

(inspired by my sweet friend Mindy Lacefield)

you can find her online class on painting faces

right here

Instead of using paints, I was going to create with fiber!
(I even used some of my handspun yarn for her hair)

Each morning before work

I sat at the loom and wove a little before my day began,

sometimes a coffee and scone helped me along!

Boy did I learn many lessons during this tiny

weaving project ...  I didn't think something so

small could teach me so much!

It's definitely not as easy as it seems

I had to learn to adjust to an electric pedal for sure

Even with a small cartoon behind, the design might change

Tapestry continues to kick my butt

I am learning and growing stronger as a Tapestry Artist

I love this weaving process so much

Mirrix Looms are amazing for sure

I made some mistakes, but I also learned how to correct them

I am inspired by other Tapestry Weavers

that make this look so easy

So meet my little "Ruthie"

dedicated to the amazing

Ruth Collier Manning

who inspires me with her weaving,

her gentleness and her wonderful faces.

She makes it all seem so effortless!

One day I will have the pleasure of

taking one of her classes in person!!!

I'm kinda in love with her!

I wonder what my next little person will look like,

can't wait to start another one!

Have a great rest of your summer ...

I'll return after Labor Day with a more regular blog posting.

I told myself I would return to my big tapestry the beginning of fall,

and I have to put a new warp on my Mirrix to keep working

on my online class with the amazing Rebecca Mezoff!

Summer time is meant to have no rules and no deadlines!

It has been a special time of being with family, my puppy,

taking the time to rest the soul,

rejuvenate my spirit,

and prepare for the fall!

I did all that and more!

Donna Lee

Tapestry Artist

(well ... Learning and Discovering Tapestry Artist!)