November 2023 Newsletter

​Greetings, fiber friends!

I write this letter as the rhythm of the rain and the sounds of migrating birds fill my ears. We just finished a week of gloriously sunny (though quite nippy) weather, probably the last stretch of such days for a while. I am inspired by the riot of color around me and the rapid pace of change. There is a flurry of activity preparing for upcoming winter weather and celebrations.

There is a seasonal and cyclical rhythm to our creativity and making. For some of us, this lines up with the seasons in nature - the warm sunny weather beckons us outside to garden and hike/boat/play and we return to our looms/wheels/needles during the colder/darker months when it's cozy and bright inside. Others weave throughout the year and are perhaps tuned into different cycles - holiday gifting and sales, entry deadlines, availability of materials. And some follow a more spontaneous flow, exploring different things as their interests take them.

Although I work on textile projects year-round, I do find my activities are connected to the weather. This year in particular I feel a bit like the animals stockpiling food for the winter, gathering my supplies so that I will have (creative) sustenance to carry me through the grey months ahead. I'm focused on botanical printing right now because the leaves are at their peak and they're about to be gone. So there's an urgency to not only print as much as I can but to preserve as much as possible so that I can continue to print during the winter.
Exhausting sometimes, yet I know it's just a moment and the next part of the cycle will be quieter. (Well, once I get through making things for the gifting season ahead). At least that's what I tell myself, as I think about the new things I want to try during the 'quiet' time of the year while I snuggle on the couch with the dogs and handwork in my lap.

Enjoy the vibrancy of Autumn! Our next meeting is November 18th at our new meeting location (see info below), I hope we see you there!

​
LeslieAnn Bestor
​​

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To see details about our upcoming meetings and events please click here.
To see who our board members are please click here.
To browse through our "Resources" page please click here.

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