New Mexico or Bust!

Organ Mountains from Steve and Leslie home

This winter we went west escape the snow and ice. We went to California to pick up our trailer and visit with family and friends. We drove to Benicia CA and spent a week with family then headed south with our small, small trailer to enjoy some sunshine. We found lots of sunshine and hot weather. We visited with family and friends along the way through southern CA, Arizona and New Mexico. All this was an attempt to search for a spot that we might like to spend more time during the cold month of March in the U.P. 

I also searched for weaving exhibits, yarn stores and weaving guilds in many of the towns we traveled to. But I have to say that it was not easy finding them in CA and AZ, Although we did not go into the big cities. I did visit with a member of the Bisbee AZ weavers guild in the Old YWCA. The door was open so I went in to check out their studio. 

When we got to New Mexico, things changed. We visited Silver City, New Mexico and found a number of shops with hand woven items for sale at very reasonable prices and a lovely Yada Yada yarn shop.

their pool and patio

 

The next day we visited our guild members Leslie Toombs and Steve Robertson, who recently moved to Las Cruses NM. We had a great time with Leslie and Steve they showed us all the highlights of Las Cruses including all the fiber attractions they have found. As well as all the great restaurants!

Leslie and Steve live in the hills outside of Las Cruses in a lovely home.

Some of the highlights of our visit were attending the local weaving guild meeting, which had a very informative program that day on Ergonomics for the Fiber Artist this was presented by a member of the guild and weaver Juliana Durret, OTR, CHT.



'Morning Star'



We also learned that Leslie has just had a Tapestry accepted at a show that was going up the next week “Morning Star” by Leslie Toombs, which will be in the show "Monumental" at the West End Art Depot in Las Cruces from May 1-29.  Monumental is a celebration of the recent designation of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks as a National Monument. Leslie told us “Unfortunately I am going to miss the exhibit opening as I'll be up in Albuquerque for my tapestry workshop with Elizabeth Buckley "Weaving Illusory Space".  I couldn't resist that title! “



Leslie at Gallery with her tapestry



Beaded Horse first side

After a great Mexican Lunch we toured a building which had an incredible beaded horse in the lobby, along with some fiber work by local youth and adults.  It was recently featured on Sunday Morning it is the building which had the Cat Library in the Lobby. This really interested Bob more than the beaded horse. 

beaded horse information

Beaded Horse second side

Paper horse by students

They also had an exhibit of recycled art by local students.

recycle exhibit

   

My favorite stop was ‘Tres Manos Weaving of New Mexico, Inc.’ at www.tresmanosweaving.org

Tres Manos Studio

Tres Manos shop

one of many garments for sale

This is a teaching and working studio non-profit organization that helps low income people of southern New Mexico increase their family income through free weaving training and sales of beautiful hand woven scarves and shawls, Jackets and home accessories.  I saw a few that I should have taken home!

They also had a few looms for sale and one was actually a donation from the James Koehler Studio. The other impressive loom was a Fireside Loom with a bench on rollers to aide in weaving on this very wide loom.

These are some travel interest stories that I hope you will enjoy reading. I would like to post more of these from various members of our guild who would be willing to write up a short description and send pictures to me to share with you… How about it Buellwood guild members? Share your travel experiences with us.