My dad used to say that to make your life feel longer, you need to vary what you do. As in, if you do the same thing over and over, pretty soon it becomes a blur. As a weaver, I take comfort in repetition at the loom, but I try to remember his words in other parts of my life.
Many of you already know that this is my last issue as editor of Handwoven. I took the job seven years ago thinking it would be a fun and interesting challenge, and I was right. I have had seven years of getting to know a wonderful group of people both at the company and through emails and telephone calls. I’m not sure that my weaving has improved, but my appreciation for all types of weaving has. I’ve also learned how a magazine is put together, the difference between copyediting and proofreading (!), and how to conduct myself at a photo shoot. I’m moving on, not because I don’t love this job but because I feel like there are other things in my life still left to try. Parting is bittersweet.
Shelia O’Hara’s Tessellating Triangles Towels are stunning!
Ending with an issue I’m enthralled with makes it easier. In the first year of my tenure as editor, someone suggested the idea of an issue based on flying, and this is it. The 11 projects include towels, a scarf, and a runner—all honoring butterflies; a coverlet based on airplanes; and a poncho with a paper-airplane motif. Of course, birds were also a hot topic and showed up in four projects. Regarding time flying, two projects use special warping methods that save time. Online, subscribers will find three fun projects as part of this issue: a gauzy float-in-the-breeze curtain, towels based on a Handwoven tablecloth from 1987, and, believe it or not, a flying pig.
Samantha Haring was inspired by nature’s colors for her Monarch Scarf.
Finally, of course, I want to say thank you. Thank you for not noticing or pretending not to notice my many missteps, for telling me when you did and offering advice, and for your support of me and Handwoven. I am forever grateful.
Weave well,
Susan
The Spring 2024 issue of Handwoven is available here.
Susan E. Horton is the former editor of Handwoven.