Judith Mirus

Greetings of the New Year to everyone!

The Fall season was a productive one–with the creation of several new weavings, and the acquisition of a second loom for my “studio” at home.

After talking with a number of weavers at the Santa Fe Indian Market in August, I was inspired to try a new pattern (for me), and designed a piece that featured a “lightning” border with a nice centerpiece. The piece won a blue ribbon at the end of semester show.

I entered a long floor runner in the Taos County Fair, and won a blue ribbon for it. That was nice. And, in September, I entered two pieces in the Taos Open, just to see what that larger venue felt like. I didn’t win any prizes, but sold both pieces, so that was good!

Now, it’s back to work on new pieces on the two looms at home, and I’m also planning to make another Saltillo in my “projects” class at Northern New Mexico College Fiber Arts program. People ask me why I still take classes, saying “haven’t you learned how to weave yet?”, but the camaraderie of other weavers is fun, and Karen Martinez, the teacher, is a master weaver who is a walking fountain of knowledge about patterns, designs, technical skills, etc. Compared to Karen’s lifetime of weaving, my four years’ experience doesn’t seem like much! But, I love it.

Please check out my other new pieces on this website in the gallery or sub-sections, and let me know if you feel like purchasing an existing piece, or would like to request something made especially for you.

Until next time,

Judith

Hello again:

It’s been a few months since I wrote a “monthly” newsletter, so there is much to tell!

Over the summer, I did quite a bit of weaving, mostly on small pieces (”ruglets”) and weaving samples which I applied to canvas/denim bags. This gave me the opportunity to explore different colors, sizes and relationships of various design elements. Some of these may be viewed in the sections of this web site.

September brought a new burst of weaving energy, and I embarked upon my first adventure with the Vallero star (actually many Vallero stars on one piece), and also was thrilled at the outcome of a multi-colored piece that used 12 colors against a black background. These two creations are pictured in the Larger Design section.

The biggest news at the moment is my undertaking of a large floor rug, finished dimensions of which will be 60″by 60″. It is the biggest piece I have attempted, and I’m getting my exercise reaching from side to side. Commissioned by someone who is giving it to herself for a Christmas present–what a good idea!

I always enjoy doing commissions. Besides the promise of a sale at the end, there is a real thrill to be weaving something especially for a particular person. I invite you readers to participate in this thrill. I usually create an original design based on a brief conversation with the person regarding preferred colors, size needed, and general design thoughts. I then present a draft drawing and, if possible, yarn samples to the client, along with a price estimate, and if all looks like a go, then I “just do it”! One client said I could quote him as saying, “it turned out even better than we imagined!”

Well, I guess it’s off to weaving–wonderful pastime. I’ll try to keep the website updated more faithfully in the future.

Judith