I took a weaving class in which everyone was supplied with a simple 11″ x 7.5″ wooden loom. It reminded me of the potholder looms I used as a kid, and I wanted to see, just for fun, what it could produce, using only scrap materials that I already owned. I started this project on February 7, 2020, blissfully unaware of what the next 100 days would bring. What began as a playful experiment unexpectedly became a chronicle of a historic global crisis, and the most challenging, disheartening, and bizarre period of my life. Most days, I felt speechless and powerless. This tiny loom gave me an outlet for expressing my sorrow, frustration, and outrage. Those 100 days came to an end, but as of this writing the world is still reeling. Some day in the future I will look back on this time and these weavings will remind me what we all went through. I am looking forward to having that perspective.
Day 1. Plastic frozen bagel bag (smelling faintly of cinnamon), stockings with a huge run, plastic fork, tissue box, string, handmade fabric beads.
Day 2. Plastic bag, twine, dryer lint, paper bag handles, metallic cord.
Day 3. Chopstick, shopping bag handles, ribbons, twine, yarn.
Day 4. Twine, ribbon, fabric scraps, mysterious fuzzy thing of unknown provenance.
Day 5. Ribbon, socks, yarn ends from @fab_scrap, embroidery thread, hand-dyed silk scraps, silver earring found today on the sidewalk. Probably not silver? Silver-colored.
Day 6. Plastic bag from Ollie’s takeout, pom poms.
Day 7. Thread from @fab_scrap, buttons. I spent from 1-6 pm today gallery-sitting with my dear friend @10zeroart (for the Textile Study Group of NY show “The Gold Standard of Textile and Fiber Art,” at the Westbeth Gallery through Feb. 23, which is amazing and everyone should see it!) I decided to do my daily weaving while I was there, and added a button every time a person walked in. So this is my record of a cold, rainy afternoon spent with excellent company and wonderful art.
Day 8. Happy Valentine’s Day! Twine, ribbon, plastic jewelry, beads, twine.
Day 9. Have a Nice Day. Twine, plastic bags, yarn ends, metallic cord, embroidery thread. Very happy to use up that light blue: when I acquired it, it had been precut into 15” lengths and I didn’t think I’d ever find a use for it.
Day 10. Assorted pajama pants drawstrings, twine.
Day 11. Neckties, necktie interfacing, tails of 2 chocolate mice, twine.
Day 12. Rubber bands, twine. I think I have invented a new, not entirely pleasant texture.
Day 13. Fabric scraps, swatches, bubble wrap, twine, chopstick.
Day 14. Yarn from @fab_scrap and @alyfiberartist, shoelace, ribbon, tassel cord, twine.
Day 15. Socks, twine.
Day 16. Yarn, cord, fuzzy thing. I recently watched an interview with Sheila Hicks, in which she said something like: sometimes the weft just doesn’t feel like going back and forth in a line. This is one of those days.
Day 17. Ribbon, Tieks shoebox flower, sequin cord. 2 things about this one: 1) I went to see SIX, which was amazing and made me want to use sparkly stuff; and 2) I’m very tired.
Day 18. Fabric strips, twine, pearls (faux).
Day 19. “Pure Goodness”
Twine, mandarin orange bag, yarn.
This one’s slightly thinner than the others—ran out of twine.
Day 20. Fabric scraps, lace, metallic cord, yarn, handmade fabric beads.
Day 21. Yarn, ribbon, child’s bead bracelet, lace, embroidery thread. I’m new at weaving, and it’s different from other processes that I’ve tried in that it progresses in one direction, meaning that it’s more difficult, if not impossible, to change what you’ve done. Like words or deeds that you can’t take back.
Day 22. “Bared Teeth”
Zippers, thread.
Day 23. “Peaceful Easy Weaving”
Yarn, mesh, fabric scraps, bead bracelet, roving, ribbon. All donated by @alyfiberartist —❤️ Sometimes I actually do have an idea or plan when I start one of these, but that quickly goes off the rails. In the end, they are never, ever what I had in mind.
Day 24. Embroidery floss, beads.
Day 25 = 25% done!
When your friend who is a wonderful painter sends you a bag of scraps, they will most likely have paint on them! Yay! String, waxed thread, rubber mat bits, paint, cord. All from @renagdiana
Day 26. Shoelace, elastic cut off fitted sheet, ribbon, thread.
Day 27. “Wallflower”
Twine, beaded lace (thank you @mammarago!), child’s headband, ribbon, pajama bottom drawstring, yarn. I actually found the “dancing tapestry” pretty annoying. So I decided to make a non-dancing one.
Day 28. “Today You Saved”
Thread, CVS receipt, shopping bag handle.
Day 29. “Facade”
Yarn ends, twine.
Day 30. “Net”
Plastic mesh, plastic fish, piece of rubber, spool, button, twine.
Day 31. “Unraveling”
Silk strips, twine.
Day 32. “Fissure”
Yarn from my mom, chopstick from my lunch with @riverjrb
My parents’ town has a “swap table” at the dump where residents leave unwanted but useable stuff for other residents to pick up for free. My parents acquire a lot of their furniture there, as well as dishes, clothing, coffee table books, bottles of wine, and, apparently, prescription meds. And—yarn! My mom is not a knitter, but the yarn is free so she picks it up. The whole swap table thing has always made me a little nervous, but I’m compulsively washing my hands these days anyway so I’m going for it.
Btw I’m on a train, and this photo was taken on my tray table. The train is practically empty.
Day 33. “Caution”
Caution tape found on the sidewalk (not to worry, I washed it, and my hands), swap table yarn, hospital sock, yarn and chopstick from @riverjrb.
Day 34. “Chapter 3”
I have recently reconnected with some childhood friends, which has been a very special thing for me. We had lost touch for a while, and I said to one of them that I have missed a chapter of their lives. She said, “This is Chapter Three.” All the yarn in this piece is from her.
Day 35. “O, What a Tangled Web”
Yarn.
Day 36. “Gray Area”
Swap table yarn.
Day 37. “The Bright Side”
My friend @alyfiberartist gave me a Clover pompom maker a while ago. I know someone’s going to say, you can make pompoms with 2 cardboard circles. I KNOW THAT. But as unnecessary plastic gadgets go, it’s pretty fun to use, and my friend gave it to me so I will TREASURE IT ALWAYS. She also gave me all the other components of today’s weaving. She is wonderful. And the pompoms have a frazzled look that makes me happy.
Day 38. "Nest"
Grasses and twigs found in the yard, twine.
Day 39. “Potholder: Nostalgia for a 1960s/70s Childhood”
Swap table yarn.
Recently, someone asked me how I learned to weave. I was a little taken aback. Apart from the relative straightforwardness of the under-over-under-over concept, I guess I assumed everyone had woven at least one potholder in their childhood.
When my mom gave me this fuzzy rainbow yarn from the swap table I immediately loved it because how could you not? But I resisted using it, because I was afraid it would be impossible to make something with fuzzy rainbow yarn that looked artsy rather than like a potholder from the 70s. Today I thought, who am I to be so snobby about potholders? 🌈
Day 40. “Fine Lines”
Beads, wire, yarn.
A friend gave me these teeny tiny beads, and I didn’t know what to do with them because they’re so small I couldn’t fit any needle through them. Then another friend gave me this fine wire, which does go through the beads, so I thought I’d use them for this piece. About halfway through I did wonder whose idea it was to make beads this tiny, and what insane masochist then thought she’d thread them onto wire.
Day 41. “Buttonhole”
Fabric scraps, yarn.
Fully embracing the potholder look today. Honestly it feels good to make something potentially useful. One thing that the photo doesn’t convey: the weaving is satisfying to the touch, substantial.
Day 42. “in Just-“
Central Park is starting to bloom, everyone!
Yarn.
Day 43. I had a friendly-looking ball of red yarn, and I meant to make something cheerful, but this is what I ended up with. Titles?
Yarn.
Day 44. “Obsolete Forms of Connection”
Old cables, string.
Day 45. “Momentito”
Tulip petals, thread.
Find something beautiful.
Day 46. “Negative Space”
Hand-dyed cashmere (thank you @pattirobinsonart), thread.
Day 47. “Double Yellow Line”
Yarn, plastic mesh, thread.
Day 48. “Thinking about icebergs”
Yarn from @fab_scrap, swap table yarn, thread.
Day 49.
Central Park is intensely beautiful today. Please, everyone, limit your time outside and respect the 6 feet of distance, so that the parks can stay open.
Ribbon, lace, yarn, cord, thread.
Day 50. “Plus Ça Change”
Forsythia, string.
I am halfway through this 100 day project. When I started it, needless to say, we lived in a different world. 100 days is always an interesting period of time, but never like these 100 days will prove to be.
I am glad that I have this project. It gives me a sense of purpose every day, something creative to think about, and helps distinguish one day from the next.
Day 51. “Ohmigod”
Ribbon, thread.
The ribbon stash speaks.
Day 51. “Ohmigod”
Ribbon, thread.
The ribbon stash speaks.
Day 53. “Zoom: or, Good Friends Come In Small Boxes”
Yarn, thread.
Day 53. “Zoom: or, Good Friends Come In Small Boxes”
Yarn, thread.
Day 55. “Ha ha”
Swap table yarn, thread.
Turns out laughter is not the best medicine—still, it can’t hurt. Happy April, everyone! Find something funny.
Day 56. “Relic”
No-longer-reusable Fresh Direct bag, thread.
Day 57. “Epicenter”
Thread, cord, ribbon, yarn.
Not feeling very original or clever today. I ❤️ NY.
Day 58. “WTF”
Yarn, old shirt, thread.
Day 59. “Stick Through Thick and Thin”
Old T-shirt, metallic cord, yarn, thread, sticks.
Day 60. “Sunset (From Inside)”
Yarn, thread, sequin.
Day 61. “Purveyors of Happiness”
Various scraps, ribbons, etc from @alyfiberartist.
I’ve never been more grateful for my friends. @alyfiberartist, here’s an amulet for YOU.
Day 62. “How Is This Night Different ...?”
Strips cut from an old t-shirt, thread.
Day 63. “Gesture”
Cotton glove, fabric strips, thread.
I’m interested in what will become of the handshake. What is your reaction to the thought of an extended hand?
Day 64. “Sorry, . . .”
Strips of t-shirt, yarn, thread.
I know it’s a little hard to tell what this is meant to be. Give me your best guess as to what it is, and what the 3 words should be after”sorry”.
Day 65. “One Day at a Time”
Flowers, thread.
Day 66. “New York State on PAAS”
Fabric strips, thread.
Day 67. “Hold it Together”
Duct tape, thread.
Day 68. “Tightly Wound”
Ribbon, string
Day 69. “The Remains of the Day”
Used coffee filter, orange peel, English muffin bag, plastic bread bag thing, sun chip bag, champagne bottle label, thread.
It smells nice, anyway. At the moment.
Did an online workshop with @wegather last night. While I always make a point of using found/discarded stuff in my work, it made me want to dig deeper (into the trash)! Thanks @wegather and @fab_scrap . Really grateful for these online opportunities to stay connected and inspired right now ❤️
Day 70. “Thought Process/Entropy”
Yarn from the swap table.
Day 71. “Stay the Course”
NYC Marathon Finisher heatsheet, thread.
Day 72. “Hair”
Old bedsheet, thread.
Day 73. “Day of the Dandelion”
Dandelions, thread.
Dandelions seem to be benefiting from the lockdown. My high school science teacher, Ouida Bailey, used to say: “A weed is just a flower nobody loves.” They’re cheerful, bright, hardy, and very persistent.
Day 74. “Tyromancy”
Fabric strips, thread.
Tyromancy: the practice of predicting the future with cheese. Hey why not.
Day 75. “Evidence of the Passage of Time”
New Yorker magazine, plastic bag from toilet paper rolls, thread.
3/4 of the way through this project.
Day 76. “Twon’t”
Fabric strips, thread.
I was going to call it “Twill” because I used twill weave today. However, I’m in a very negative mood.
Happy Earth Day btw. Did you know that manufacturing denim is terrible for the environment? Goodbye denim shirt, not to be replaced.
I intend to be in a better mood tomorrow. ❤️
Day 77. “Disinfected”
Old rubber gloves, used window cleaning cloth.
Day 78. “!!!: Just When I Thought Nothing Could Stun Me”
Fabric strips, thread.
Day 79. “Mutiny on the Bounty”
Plastic Bounty wrapping, thread.
Day 80. “Monochromatic, Uneven, With Ragged Edges, Knots, and Bumps”
T-shirt strips.
Day 81. “A Walk in the Park”
Yarn, thread.
Day 82. “Gratitude”
Fabric scraps, thread.
Tried to watch the Blue Angels flyover tribute to frontline workers, but all I saw was blue sky and some clouds. Which was enough.
I’m very grateful.
Thank you.
Day 83. “Weight”
Stick, stone, thread.
Day 84. “The Light at the End of the Tunnel”
T-shirt strips, thread.
You have to look hard. Sometimes I think I see one, and sometimes I don’t. I considered not putting one in at all, but decided that would just be too bleak. And there must be one—right?—even if we can’t see it?
Day 85. “The Month of No You May Not”
Azalea blossoms, thread.
Name that tune. Happy May 1 🌸
Day 86. “Comfort”
Tea bags, thread.
Day 87. “Plumbing the Depths”
Twigs, clock weight, thread.
Cuomo said we’re in uncharted waters. I think that calls for a raft.
He also said that when In uncharted waters sailors did their best to gather information. Hence the plumb line.
Day 88. “Measures of Control”
Barrettes, thread.
Day 89. “With a Little Help From My Friends”
Envelopes, thread.
Many friends have helped me through this in many ways, but special thanks today to @mixdmediamashup and @pattirobinsonart for sending me mail in beautiful hand-decorated envelopes so that all I had to do was cut them in strips. On day 89 of a 100-day project (and day ? of Coronavirus) that was a real lifesaver ❤️
Day 90. “One Way”
Yarn, t-shirt strips, thread.
Day 91. “p = m/V”
Buttons, thread.
I learned high school physics from a man named Fred Scott, nicknamed “Dead Fred” for his singular lack of charisma. I remember him fondly.
Can’t type the letter rho on insta. (As a total aside, Isaac Mizrahi did a little talk about buttons: that I love. Google “Mizrahi buttons.” One thing he says is that although buttons have been around for some 5,000 years, the buttonhole was not invented until thousands of years later. It was not until the invention of the buttonhole that buttons became useful. For some reason I love this.)
Day 92. “Getting a Bit Old”
Daffodils, dandelion, chives, thread.
Day 93. “DisMay”
Flowers, leaves, snow, yarn.
Day 94. “Facts”
Baking ingredient packaging, thread.
Thank you @joanna_handelman, thoughtful friend and baker extraordinaire ❤️😄
Day 95. “All Dressed Up And ...”
Ribbon, costume jewelry, fabric strips, metallic cord.
Day 96. “Excelsior”
Yarn, fabric strips, cord, thread.
Day 97. “Wishes”
Dandelions, thread.
Day 97.5.
Posting this again, because the dandelions fuzzed up! More wishes for all.
Day 98. “Untitled Anxious Red Weaving”
Yarn, thread.
Homage to @rashidjohnson and his Untitled Anxious Red Drawings online exhibition at @hauserwirth. There’s a wonderful short video of him making one that you should watch.
Day 99. “Plans”
Thread.
I actually had a well-thought-out idea for the penultimate weaving. I was going to make a tightly-woven piece with one tiny slit in it, and I was going to call it “Opening.” In addition to starting out with this clear intention, the other thing that was different about my process this morning was that I’d bought some new thread—the first and only material I’ve purchased since this project began. I excitedly opened the skein—such a treat!—and instantaneously created a huge snarl. I spent some time trying to untangle it, but gave up because I was getting frustrated and upset at this unforeseen disruption of my careful, very reasonable plan and wanted to cry and/or throw something. I decided instead to surrender and use it as it was. In the end, it seems eminently appropriate. And more visually interesting. So there you have it.
Day 💯. “Now What?”
Yarn, wooden loom.
I made it to the end.
This is the loom I used to make all the weavings. It’s quite small, only 7.5”x 11.5”. (Thank you to @textileartscenter and @aliciascardetta). We have been through a lot together. I started this project on February 7, completely unaware of what the next 100 days would bring. It’s strange to look back on the early pieces now, they seem like they were made by a different person on a different planet with a different project in mind, but they help me remember what I was thinking. I’m glad I had this daily ritual. It has helped me a great deal.
