Weaving in Beauty

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Emily Malone isnt sure what Pam Root's next weaving move should be...	Emily moves in to help, but Pam's wondering what she was thinking then she signed up for this....	All's well that weaves well, and with Emily's help, Pam decision is looking very wise!

Tempe, AZ The day after our visit to HGA’s Convergence 2010 ended, Jennie Slick and I started a week long class in Window Rock.  What lunatic schedules these class marathons?  Me, that’s who.  It seemed to make sense last year when I put it on the calendar, and thanks to a great group of students, it turned out to be another wonderful week of weaving on the Navajo Nation.  Our students came from as far away as Australia for this session.  We had our share of beautiful rainy weather that we dodged pretty successfully by taking our field trips in the morning and watching the weather reports.  We even made it into Canyon de Chelly on the last day before the weather closed the tours there down for a couple of weeks.

The Spider Rock Girls came by for a visit and so did Gilbert Begay, Nathan Harry, Herman and Lula Brown,  and the wonderful and encouraging members of the Navajo community who came through the classroom with stories about the ways that weaving has been part of their lives and still is.  You can see the impromptu consultation that Spider Rock Girl Emily Malone did with class member Pam Root in the triptych of pictures above.   Pam finished that rug by the end of the week, too.   Of course, there may be some magic in the yarn that we get at R.B. Burnham and Co.!

We had a wonderful visit with Mark Winter and Linda Larouche at the Toadlena Trading Post and with Shirley Brown at Two Grey Hills.  By the time that we all said good-bye on Sunday, two weavings had been completed, multiple weavings had been purchased (along with no small amount of jewelry) and we were reveling in the spirit of a class that to the Navajo way of thinking will go on as long as there is anyone to remember it.  You can see our class picture below, and you can click here to view the full picture gallery of 38 pictures.

Our July, 2011 class. From row from left are Mary Walker, Pam Anderson, Patricia Whitney, Pam Root and Jennie Slick. Back row from left, Teri Taylor (and Rowdy), Paula Pavlovic, Ana Pavlovic, Bonnie Rangel and Linda Marie Golier

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker

Five years ago, Liz Munk, Jennie Slick and I decided that we wanted to add to the materials available to help people learn to weave the Navajo way.  In particular, we wanted to provide a more detailed look at every phase of the warping process and add to the documentation on turned joins and diagonal lines.  We figured we’d be done in a year.  We got the warping portion done pretty quickly and it was well received.  Then, I decided to leave Corporate America and concentrate on Weaving in Beauty as a company; the book languished and it might still be in that condition if it weren’t for our friends at Convergence 2010 and Weaving in Beauty student Mike Barnette.  I’ll explain.

Jennie, Rose Dedman, Morris Muskett and I are doing a Boot Camp class for Convergence 2010 that will total 12 hours.  It’s long enough to find out what Navajo weaving is all about, but students will hopefully want more information and support.  The screws turned on my thumbs as I told myself that if the book were done, I’d feel better about the resources we were able provide.  Then Mike Barnette asked me if I’d ever thought of doing a class online.  I had, but once again, I knew that students would need media to support them at a distance and I also came to the nauseating realization that they’d also probably benefit from video, a nice augmentation to the book but a humbling check on what you really look like.  I tried to get Julia Roberts interested in the video part, but she can’t weave so I bought new glasses that looked better in my web cam and started working on getting the book finished.   It took six more months to get the book into final form.  We’re still building up the video library.

‘Atł’óhí Binaltsoos (The Weaver’s Book)  is 112 pages with over 140 picture illustrations, most of them in color.  It’s in 8.5″x11″ format with a spiral binding that keeps it flat while you’re trying to figure out what’s on the pages.  We made the font a 12 point Times Roman that early readers have found easy on the eyes.   The book contains instructions for accessing the growing library of video support that accompanies the book.    The book is priced at $35 and the first 100 copies will be back from the printer on July 2nd.  You can pre-order a copy from the Weaving in Beauty Mercantile or you can use this link. We will  have copies available for sale at our booth at Convergence 2010 (booth 722) and if you see me around town, I might have some in the car.  We’ll be glad to autograph your copy, but Jennie and I live 250 miles apart, so it may take me a few days to add her signature.  You can also purchase the book in PDF form for download at $18 and you’ll avoid postage, customs and waiting by the mail box.   The PDF has print privileges, so you can get your own hard copy if you want to do that.   Expect to pay about $25 to $30 for good color copies if you take the download option.  I have a copy downloaded to my Motorola Droid and I access it with Beam Reader.   I can’t say I’d recommend it as your only copy, but it is nice to refer to.

I would like to maintain a supply of books for Navajo weavers and students who cannot afford them.  Please contact me if you would like to help with this effort.

You can see a sampling of the pages in the image flow slide show below.  Click on any image to see it in a larger size.

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Liz, Jennie and I would be glad to get your feedback on the book and we’re starting work on another volume that will deal with more advanced techniques, hopefully available in less than five years!

Thank you Convergence, Mike Barnette and all of our students for encouraging us to get this project moved forward.

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker

Weaver and silversmith Morris Muskett is offering classes in Navajo and allied weaving techniques.

Albuquerque, NM Master weaver and silversmith Morris Musket is beginning to offer classes in Navajo and other indigenous weaving techniques.  He is currently working with one private student and will work with you to arrange classes in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe area.  He’s also willing to do combined class/tour events and will travel to your area by arrangement.

Morris is extremely knowledgeable in the history and breadth of Navajo techniques and incorporates ideas and influences from other creative traditions into his very original work.  He is a wonderful ambassador for and interpreter of the Navajo culture and his willingness to teach creates a powerful new opportunity for students to both expand and deepen their weaving experience.   You can read more about Morris’ thoughts on teaching at his web site and you can contact him for more information on the curriculum that he’s developing. Pssst, he’s offering you the chance to meet Noel Bennett and Ramona Sakiestewa!

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker

Our May 2009 class learns about current weaving trends from trader Bill Malone at Shush Yaz in Gallup.

I have just posted our class schedule for next year.  Once again, we will have three sessions of our popular weaving class and tour.  The dates for those classes are

• May 2-9, 2010
• July 26-August 1, 2010
• October 2-9, 2010

You can find more information and a link to enroll on the class page.

We will also offer our Advanced Weaving Seminar (aka Camp Weave-Alot) August 2-7, 2010 (Monday-Saturday).  This class is an opportunity for concentrated study of advanced topics with two master weavers, Jennie Slick and Liz Munk.

Our class on Navajo vegetal dyeing, Natural Dyes the Navajo Way, will run August 2-4, 2010  (Monday afternoon-Wednesday evening).  This class can be combined with the Advanced Seminar for those interested.

Jennie Slick and I will also be teaching our Navajo Weaving Boot Camp workshop at the Handweaver’s Guild of America’s Convergence 2010 conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The conference is scheduled to run from July 18-25, 2010, but the Boot Camp schedule is not yet final.  I’ll update you when it is.  Please let me know if you’re interested in attending and I’ll work with the HGA to expedite that.

I am also working on developing a new class with the Spider Rock Girls.  Tentiatively called the Spider Rock Girls Boarding School, it will be based in Chinle and part of the weaving time will be spent at Spider Rock.  Look for details on this class in the next few weeks, but it will be more expensive than our current classes because of the logistics involved in getting people and looms in and out of the canyon and the expense of accommodations in Chinle.   If you are interested in the class, please contact me and I’ll keep you updated as we progress with the planning.

2010 will be our 13th year of teaching weaving the Navajo way and our classes have grown from one per year to five plus.  Ahé’hee’  (thank you from the bottom of our hearts) for your participation and support.

Our May 2009 Weaving in Beauty Class: first row, from left, Linda Fasel, Mary Mathiowetz, instructor Jennie Slick, Barbara Nicodemus. Back row from left: Libby McKee, Karen Mittleider, Marcia Krickhahn, Deb Fjetland

Window Rock, AZ I know it’s late, but I had to share pictures of three rugs that were finished today by our students (the class picture is above).  Sisters Mary Mathiowetz and Deb Fjetland finished their pieces earlier this evening and you can see them below with Jennie Slick.  Deb is a first time weaver and Mary is a student of the late Belle Rosing.

Deb Fjetland (left) and Mary Mathiowetz (right) with weaving instructor Jennie Slick and their completed projects.

Hot off the loom!  Another piece was finished.   You can see it below.

Another finished rug!

I’ll sign off until tomorrow and I’ll be working on a gallery of pictures for your perusal over the next few days.  Another student will be finishing her piece in the morning and the others will be completed at home.  We’ll be closing this class session tomorrow, but in the Navajo tradition the spirit of the class will continue as long as there is anyone to remember it.

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker

Lula Brown came by today with her miniature loom.

Window Rock, AZ Lula and Herman Brown came by this morning to show us one of the small looms that they use to produce the Navajo miniatures that they’re famous for.  The small Tree of Life rug on the loom has an astounding 60 birds.  Lula also brought some of her newly finished rugs to show the students.   Below you can see her showing some of her pieces to Karen Mittleider.

Lula Brown shows some of her miniature rugs to Karen Mittleider.

This afternoon, the Generations rug exhibit opened at the Navajo Nation Museum, a short walk from our classroom.  Mark Winter has spent 20 years documenting the families of weavers in the Two Grey Hills Toadlena area, and he has assembled groups of representative weavings from all of them.  Mark addressed the group gathered for the opening, and his love and respect for the textiles and the weavers who produce them was obvious.  You can see one of the many exhibit panels below.  The exhibit features over 350 examples of Two Grey Hills weaving and will be at the museum for the next few months.

A panel at the Navajo Nation Museum's Generations exhibit.

This evening, the Spider Rock Girls came by to visit and have dinner with the class. Several of the students have purchased rugs from the girls this week, and it was fun to us learn more about how they go about producing their unique designs and how weaving fits into their lives.  One of them, LaVera,is about to graduate as a certified nursing assistant and will be combining her weaving with caring for elderly Navajo nursing home residents in Chinle, Arizona.   You can see LaVera below at the center of the picture.  That’s little sister Alyssa hugging her.  Larissa is at the left.  They’re talking with class participant Karen Mittleider.

Spider Rock Girls Larissa, Alyssa and LaVera Blake discuss weaving with Karen Mittleider

Several of our students are in the finishing stages of their weaving projects.  One of them, Barbara Nicodemus is working on the graphically striking piece below.   It’s a hit with many of our visitors.  Some of the students may finish their pieces tomorow and others hope to be done by Saturday.

Barbara Nicodemus nears completion of her weaving project.

We’re off to Canyon de Chelly tomorrow morning early, so it’s off to bed for me!

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker