One of my birthday presents this year was a dictaphone that I can put on a cord round my neck and take with me everywhere I go. What a brilliant present!! Thanks, Chris! I now have a way to save my thoughts as and when I think them, especially when out walking with Charlie. So often I have had thoughts and not had anything to write them down on and been wearing gloves and it was way too cold to take the gloves off! Now I can capture those fleeting thoughts wherever and whenever they flit into my head, before they float right on out again!!
It’s proved invaluable over the last couple of days. I was honoured to be asked to be the juror for Handweavers’ Guild of America’s yardage exhibition – an exhibit that is fought over, and the standard is incredibly high. This week the sample pieces arrived, and I have spent several hours at different times studying the samples, looking through them (holding them against the light), and studying them closely under a linen tester or miniature magnifying glass. That little dictaphone has been my constant support, there whenever I get a thought that I’d like to record so that I can give construtive critiques to each applicant and each entry. It’s one heck of a responsiility and I want to do the best job I possibly can. To me, whenever I enter a juried show, it’s important to know why something was accepted or rejected, so that I can take on board constructive comments and use them in the future to improve my presentation or weaving. I hope that the recipient will take them in the same way…. but who knows?
Also this week, I launched my first video on YouTube! I’m really proud of myself – the learning curve was extremely steep – but gratifyingly the video has attracted over 750 viewings in just 4 days! In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1Zzj9ZBYmQ
I shall be doing some more but first, I’d better get my head down and get back to juding, right after I’ve analysed some Mini car interiors fabric!!