Only in L.A..

Where can one find some blue socks made from skimmed, dried and bioengineered milk. Impossible you say. No way! Well let me tell you at the Los Angeles Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising you can find just those socks. They also have a skein of Dungeness Crab fiber (like spider silk) and recycled cassette tapes spun into a mini dress. How cool is that? Unfortunately these items are not for sale, but they are in the library there along with 15,000 other items. Fortunately this is open to the public by appointment. You can even have one of their staffers wrap you in a woven banana leaf.
reference LA Magazine.

Inspirtation from Spring

I have been loving this warm spring weather that has finally arrived here in Eugene. The daffodils are blooming in the front of the shop and our native plants along the side of the building are sprouting beautiful buds. The currant plant has lovely flowers on it too. Inside the shop people are also budding with wonderful ideas. Two blossoming students are doing doubleweave for the first time. They have painted their warps with bright colors and are warped up and ready to start weaving. Other students have been learning layering color in dying and resist dying on fabric. Each persons work is so unique. I marvel at their ideas. I know the sunshine shining in through the windows illuminates all the colorful fibers on the shelves. If you are short of ideas of what to do for your next project, come on in and walk around, and browse through the books. I think you will find you will go away prepared to create.

Happy Birthday Boss

It is a wonderful day here at the Textile Center. Today is Suzie's Birthday and hopefully she is having a fun day. Marilyn is here teaching her Layering on Cloth class. The students are so enthusiastic and I am really looking forward to seeing their finished work. Every class is another layer on the fabric and no two are alike. We did a bit of rearranging here at the store. Hopefully this will make it easier for you to find the right size fiber for your project. I love moving things around as it refreshes my mind of yarn that I have not seen for a bit, and gives me new ideas for a project. We received a large shipment of 5/2 mercerized cotton in various colors. I have already picked out two colors for my next doubleweave project.

Felting demonstration

I have been so busy around the shop lately putting 5/2 mercerized cotton on the shelves. We got a shipment of so many beautiful colors. Now is the time to find the one you want to weave that perfect project. We also have a lot of 10/2 mercerized and unmercerized cotton in natural colors use. It would be wonderful to dye first in a group of colors and then weave them up. I am excited because I am going to felt some cute little animals, (bunnies, sheep and chicks) for my grandsons. I got the plans from Wool Pets, a wonderful step by step book we have here in the shop. If you are looking to learn a new felting technique come by ETC on Saturday at 1pm and join in on the free demonstration using Art Felt Paper. It is easy and fun, and no physical work involved. Hope to see you here.

Blog Reader Rewards

We wanted to have our blog readers to get a reward. If you print this out and bring it in you can get a 10% discount on one item in the store. You can also call in with an order let us know you have read our blog. 541-688-1565. This offer will be good till April 15th

Check out our products on http://www.eugenetextilecenter.com. If you see something on line you like call us and order.

We also have much more in our store.

Thank you for supporting us.

The Eugene Textile Center Crew

Spring Editions

We received the Spring editions of Handwoven and Fiber Arts magazines yesterday. I was so pleased and surprised to see and article in Fiber Arts by Janis Thompson. Janis is the owner of Dye Lots here in Eugene. We proudly carry and sell her wonderfully dyed fiber here. Recently she has added to her reportoie a line of naturally dyed fiber batt blends and yarns. I hope you come by and purchase the magazine and read about this wonderfully creative person and get a glimpse into her creative process.
This issue of Handwoven is full of diverse projects from rep weave to ply split brainding, overshot and color forecast. It is a must have issue.
Don't forget our Spinner's Tea is this Saturday from 1 - 3pm.

Have a Happy St. Patricks Day tomorrow!

Thank you Doramay/unannounced sale

There is a republication of a much loved book from Doramay Keasbey now in our store. It is called Designing with Blocks for Handweaving. Over the years Doramay had received many requests to reprint this book. After much hard work and editing on her part it is now again available to you the handweaver.
By the way, Doramay will be speaking about weaving with blocks at the next Eugene Weavers Guild meeting, which is held here at ETC on the fourth Monday of the month., 10am-12pm. She will also be giving a small workshop after the meeting for only $5 per person. If you are interested in attending, and are not a guild member, please call in advance and reserve a spot.
Also only to be advertised here in the blog, we have 10/2 unmercerized cotton for only $8/lb. You would be lucky to find any fiber so nice, so inexpensively priced. It is a limited supply, so hurry in.