Nagymama

My grandmother is very important to me. She has always been a strong female figure in my life, and I attribute many of my own personal strengths to her influence growing up. I didn't mean to get all sappy with this - I meant to write about some recent textile inspiration. But I can't start talking about textile inspiration without talking about my grandmother. They go hand in hand.

I've always been aware of how crafty my grandmother is, constantly sewing herself a new dress or knitting Mike or I a new scarf. She's extremely sharp and I've often made dates with her to learn a new skill, as she possesses many. Before I took on the contract of doom, I was regularly visiting for cooking lessons. With all my new free time, I recently asked if she would be interested in teaching me how to use one of her looms. I'm feeling inspired with all the textile talent from The Beehive lately, and also realizing that a loom is not something that everyone grows up with.

I remember visiting her as a child and she would teach my siblings and I how to weave her fabric scraps on makeshift cardboard looms. Or she would show us how to weave bookmarks using just our fingers and some yarn. I watched in awe as she worked on her floor loom - a monstrous piece of machinery that sat in her basement. As a kid, I took this knowledge for granted. Now, I can't gobble it up fast enough. Why are we all not weaving our own rugs?

She got rid of her floor loom when she downsized to an apartment a couple of years ago. How my heart now aches at the thought of the loss of that instrument. But she has about half a dozen other looms of various sizes still in her possession. We decided to work on a table loom of hers. We measured and wound some of our thread on a shuttle, and then measured and threaded more through the heddle. We didn't start any big projects. But I got an introduction, and she gave me the loom to take home and use.

Another device to teach me patience and voluntary simplicity. I'm all over that. I'm incredibly thankful that these skills are available to be shared with me. It's important to pass down information from generation to generation. It's how humans have always done things.

I can't get over how beautiful this unfinished piece was. My grandma took a weaving course at Mohawk College in the 1970's, and was given this backstrap loom by the teacher, who acquired it while traveling through South America learning how to weave with the locals. My grandma may or may not have used the term "hippie" while describing her. You tie one end of a backstrap loom to a tree, or any other sturdy object, and the other around end loops around your back. Then you are the device which keeps it weighted and the threads taut. You can easily travel with it, rolling it all up and then strapping it across your back. We made plans to finish this piece together on her balcony this summer.

My grandma's love of textiles is evident in her home. Everywhere you look, there is another embroidered, hooked or felted piece. They are usually in the traditional Hungarian floral motif, which I have a definite soft spot for. Some of these pieces were made by my great grandmother - her mother. I asked if she was taught to weave by her mother, and she replied no, that she was self-taught, as her mother was an embroiderer. But she became interested as a child in Hungary. They had a housemaid who would work on a loom in her room, weaving rugs for extra income. My grandma said she would listen to the clack of the wooden handloom as she fell asleep.

My grandparents and father immigrated to Hamilton in 1956 and during the heyday of folk art in the 1970's my grandma would often have textiles in group exhibitions in the Art Gallery of Hamilton or other local galleries. I didn't know about this until I visited. I was reminded once again that she is a pretty cool lady.

This is a rag rug that she wove years ago. It was made on the same table loom that she gave me to take home. I'm pretty excited to see what I come up with. I can't get rag rugs out of my head after seeing this incredible one from lulou & ada. I think it's a pretty good project to start with.

And being as smart of a cookie as my grandma is, she got the internet a mere two months ago, and on her own, found my blog. That's pretty amazing in itself. Hi Grandma! Thank you for fostering my creativity. I love you.