Lake Trail Studio Handwovens Tour

At the end of last month, we discovered the  Huffhines Art Trails Festival and met Richard and Gloria Gatti.  It was such a treat and they invited us to tour their studio today.  Ya'll know I am not one to turn an opportunity like that down so after a quick breakfast at home, we are on the road up to Double Oak.  They are part of the Artist's Studio Tour that is taking place in the Cross Timbers area and I have my fingers cross that if we get there right when it starts, we will have some time without crowds around.  It works and ours is the lone car in the driveway.  Let's go learn about weaving.

The entrance to the studio is at the back of the house where a wonderful garden and greenhouse occupy space on the property.  Oooooh, I wish.  As we walk up to the door, many of their products are displayed for sale.  It is those dish towels that I am really after.  I have wanted one every since Huffhines.

Oh my ----- what a fun space.

 Richard meets us at the door and starts right in telling us about the various looms that are in the room and goes into detail on the one he is working on.  That's right -- they BOTH weave.  He works an eight-pedal treadle loom, while Gloria uses the rest of them.  He has just completed loading the threads for a new Christmas dish towel that will have a limited run of about 42 towels.  The pattern is fun and I can't wait to see them when they are finished.  Ooops, I went too fast.  Loading the threads takes a full day or more.  I can see why --- wow.

He is a wealth of information and although my mind is a haze with all the mechanics of it, Mister has grasped it entirely.  Not only that --- he seems enthralled by it, asking questions so advanced that I don't even understand what he is asking.  I'll stick to the fibers and he can handle mechanics just like we do with my vintage sewing machines.

A little bit of information on each type of loom is given and some are super portable.  Look at these wonderful threads entering into the loom.  There are eyes in each of the metal heddles and one thread must go through it's own heddle.

As the threads come through to the front, they must pass through the reed, which is kind of like a vertical strainer.  This keeps each thread separate and easy to see as well as being the part of the loom that moves the threads down into place and pushes them tightly together.

Another type of loom, this one has the mechanism that determines which threads are used each pass on the top instead of the side.

When you don't quite load enough threads the first go round and have to add a few more. 

This is the loom they had with them at the festival.  It is super portable and easy to use to explain a bit about weaving.

With the mechanics lesson about finished, Gloria comes in to explain how the computerized loom works.  Where Richard has to use his feet to lift the various harnessed (that hold the heddles --- yes, it's a lot to grasp), here the machine operates that part according to a program, but she still has to power it and throw the shuttle.  Watch how she does that in this video.  Oh yeah, the shuttle is the thread that does that actual weaving.

At this point, others have arrived and Richard is speaking with them.  Gloria calls us aside and says that "Since we are so interested, I'll give you the back tour too."  Yes!!!  As we pass through the kitchen, we meet Wendy.  She is a student of Gloria's and has just started on her new little loom.  Oh, my sweet Mister's eyes light up.  I think he wants one --- badly.

 This is a small, all hand powered loom that can do scarves, coasters, place-mats, table runners, etc.

Hmmm -- I wonder how long before one of these will make appearance in our home.  The next thing I hear is Gloria telling him that she'd be happy to work with him if he wants one --she'll even help him locate a used one for a good price.  A few cookies later and we continue with the "back" tour while others come and go out in the studio.

Into the "brain" of the operation we go.  Gloria's office.  In here there are some examples of her artistic weaving and OH GOODNESS.  How wonderful is this?  I thought the other stuff was magnificent, but these are definitely the work of a master artist.  This is ALL woven in.

And I screwed up the picture here as it is out of focus but I am sharing it anyway.  I love the 3D look this has but it is all flat.  Very cool.

Her desk is covered with catalogs of her past designs and projects that she uses to remake something that is not part of a limited edition.  I can't even tell you how long I could have stayed and browsed through these, but as it was, she left me in here.  Such wonder.

As we are leaving --- two items catch my eye --- one a unique iron and the other --- well I have no idea what it does but they are both too busy to ask right now.

 It's time to go but I still need that towel.  I go back inside to pay for it while Mister talks some more with Richard (everyone else has left again).  As Gloria and I finish the transaction, we join the guys in the studio once again.  They ask if we are touring any other places today and we say that, yes, we are off to Barbara Hartman's next.  Their eyes light up and we are asked if we will deliver something for them but we need to go straight there because it needs to be refrigerated.  Absolutely -- we'd be happy to.  Soon we have a hunk of wonderful goat cheese, handmade by Richard, and are out the door with my dishtowel as well.  This has been a great time and I cannot thank them enough for the wonderful time spent here --- a couple of hours, in fact.  Wow.

 It's as though we have made new friends.  Ones who love fiber as much as I do.  Keeping in touch is a requirement.  Thank you both for the incredible sharing of your talent with us today.  We have definitely been inspired and enriched.

Onto Barbara's we go - with cheese in hand.