Booklaunch for Sprang Unsprung

Monday September 12 at McNally Robinson Booksellers

Event advertising for the launch of Sprang Unsprung

The Bart House Band provided the music

Bart House Band musicians

They also accompanied the ‘Sprang Dance.
The event finished with book signing.

Book signing at the launch of Sprang Unsprung

Thanks so much to Chris Black for his excellent photography skills, some more photos.

The audience at the booklaunch

Booklaunch protocol is that the author does some speechifying. An activity seemed more appropriate.

So I instructed the crowd on the sprang dance.

sprang dance results

book signing at McNally Robinson booklaunch for Sprang Unsprung

all told it was a successful booklaunch

Sprang Unsprung, review

Reviews are beginning to come in from readers of Sprang Unsprung.
Of course friends are supportive. I’ve been holding my breath for comments from someone who has minimal weaving experience. Such a review came today from Helen:

I found it very easy to read, very clear, and very simply written. That being said, it carried an immense amount of information. Really, that is the perfect balance.

I followed along some of the activities. As I am not a weaver, I found having so many loose ends hard to just have active. All my issue, not yours. :). The instructions are just right for someone who has a basic knowledge of fibre arts in general who is looking to expand. It is a beautifully accessible book. Well done!

Take care,
Helen

Batoche

My husband needed to go for a bit of a road trip, get out of town. We drove west, to Batosch, Saskatchewan.

Carol at Batoche

Carol at visitor's center, Batoche

I was thrilled to hear that personnel there had learned to fingerweave from my book. They had several examples of work done by employees as well as visitors.

fingerwoven samples

They are working towards leg ties for the interpreters, and eventually sashes.
The Saskatchewan prairie is beautiful

Saskatchewan in August

My husband said I had to include a photo of me as a passenger in the car. It was a ten hour drive. He can’t expect me to just sit there.

Weaving away the hours in the car

I attach my weaving to the visor, and tension it under my feet.

Fan page

I now have a facebook Fan Page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carol-James-fingerweaver-sprang-artist/245302248842412
Whoo hoo!
Jennifer has so kindly sat with me and helped me figure this out!

Sprang is Here

The delivery man from Friesens Printing phoned this morning. My books were ready for delivery!

Boxes of books, Sprang Unsprung

Luckily I had help to assist in moving 2000 books from the truck to my living room.

Delivery of boxes of books

This afternoon I’ll be busy taking packages to the post office, all you who pre-ordered!
Keeping my fingers crossed that you’ll like what you see in Sprang Unsprung.

I should add some photos from my adventures in Grand Portage, Minnesota. We were greeted by a rainbow as we set up camp.

Setting up camp under the rainbow

I was impressed by the number of people wearing fingerwoven sashes. Michelle Delorme was proud to show me the sash made by her Québec mentor.

Michelle and her mentor's sash

I always learn new things. Another participant showed me her method for securing the weaving while riding in a car. She uses a pillow.

She secures her weaving to a pillow

Her weaving was very nice and tight. Kudos.

Amazing stories of how sashes call out to people to become weavers. And they have been able to create amazing pieces.

Beautiful beaded arrow sash

She told me the story of the first time she saw a fingerwoven sash, how it moved her, how fingerweaving has helped her re-connect with her French Quebecois heritage.

There were lots of other activities, lacross and twoball

Games at Grand Portage

The setting was really beautiful. I did take an evening to do a bit of hiking. The view was spectacular.

view of the Grand Portage National Monument from the top of the nearby hiking trail.

Back home, back at work, I’ve set to re-creating those little coin purses, such as the one found among Lord Nelsons things, and featured on the front cover of the book by Martyn Downer:

sprang coin purse

And for the ladies, pockets. This one is based on an image I found on-line from the Williamsburg site.

Silk sprang pocket