Cara Gilbert Learns Chilkat Weaving From Marsha Hotch
Weaving
I work in an office that is several hundred feet from my father’s childhood home. I gaze at the same ocean, the same mountains, that my father, grandmother, great-grandmother gazed upon before me. I can hear the echo of their laughter, of their heartache as it calls...
Circle of Life
As the tide ebbs and flows, I am taken back to a time when my father was small. I can almost see him and Jeff David as small boys out on their little raft on the big ocean. I can see my grandmother and Cecilia (Jeff’s mother) standing on the beach, heart in throats,...
Braids
My life is currently in flux. Too many things, all at once. Moving, packing, getting our house ready to sell (and yes, it is taking us a while. I never knew one had to grieve a place, but it was our first real home as a married couple. Not a rental our home. It has...
Juneau Visit
Gwen and I visited Juneau and attended a weaver’s conference. We both had a blast. It was wonderful to be with other weavers and see what they were working on. Gwen and I hadn’t planned on setting up a table, but we ended up setting up a table and working on our warp....
Rovings, Dye Jobs and Just Keep Spinning
In addition to giving Gwen and I the gift of Chilkat Weaving, Marsha is also giving us a gift of learning our first piece on Mountain Goat Wool. It is very rare, in this day and time, to make a robe out of Mountain Goat Wool. Most robes today are made from merino...
Voice of the Grandmothers
I can still remember my Great-Grandmother and her hands reaching out to me to come to her. I always thought that memory was of her reaching out to give me a hug. But during our discussions about the Grandmothers and the Chilkat Blankets, I have come to realize that my...
Community of Gathering
As I am currently living in Juneau Marsha, Gwen and I have met several times over zoom. Marsha, Gwen and I felt it was important to learn the “behind the scenes” of making a Chilkat Robe. Gwen and I want to know what it means to gather the materials, spin the warp,...