Ben is an Eagle Scout!

We are so PROUD of Ben’s accomplishment of Eagle Scout Rank!  Last night was the culmination of over a decade of scouting in his young life (at age 17).  To listen to him describe his experiences in scouting, what he has learned and why he wants to continue being both a youth participant and a leader confirms that the many meetings, weekend trips, and hours of time doing scouting activities  inspired him in many ways:

Citizenship  – yes, he will go on to study government and public policy
Fitness - his daily conditioning workout
Character – his love of helping people through direct service, respect he shows for all people, his determination to always do his best and his outgoing and inviting nature
…and much more!

Scouting will continue to be a huge part of our life as Kevin moves toward his Life Rank and eventual Eagle Rank (hopefully next fall!).  Larry and I continue to advise our Venture Crew with its conservation and history emphasis, and I help our Council promote more Venture Crews and activities in our area for teens and young adults ages 14-21.

I encourage all families to consider Scouting as an activity for their children of all ages…it is a different experience from being a sports team player, a club member, a musician, an academic high achiever…and can be done along with all of those things…our sons are proof!

Congratulations Ben!

I recommend this book for ANYONE WHO WARPS A LOOM.  Yes, the title says tapestry but it far exceeds those boundaries.  Every page is dominated by pictures and illustrations clearly showing how to warp using many methods..107 pages explaining techniques with visual confirmation right there…AWESOME!  Chapter 13 devotes 18 pages to warping a floor loom beginning at the warping board, continuing to using raddles and lease sticks, beaming the warp, threading it and finally tying it to the front apron.  So even floor loom weavers will find this book informative.

Warping is sometimes my obstacle to starting a new weaving project of any type but this book guides you gently through the process and clearly shows the steps, corrections and hints.  I now the feel the urge to set this book by my loom and warp my naked loom for its next project.

For $35 plus shipping, this book should find its way onto every weaver’s shelf.  I am certain that Guilds will find “So Warped” a valuable resource for its members.  You can order your book by visiting the website of Fine Fiber Press & Studio.

Thanks Kathe and Pat for a superb reference book on warping!

This year, they brought tears to my eyes when I opened the envelope containing their gift.  Knowing how focused I am on volunteering and doing things for others, they gave me a KIVA gift certificate.  We have talked about KIVA at our house, the online site where you can give micro-loans as low as $25 to people in developing countries so they can improve their own lives by expanding or starting their own business.  To date, I had not become a lender and they wanted me to be able to reach out to others in this special way.

Excited I perused the KIVA website looking for the person to support.  I wanted to make my first loan to someone who felt connected to me.  Under the Arts category, I found Laura in Peru who needs to buy fabric and leather to make more purses…textiles fit nicely into our weaving interest so I clicked through the screens to make the loan…SO EASY!  And it’s a loan…she’ll repay it over 10 months and then I’ll take that same money and invest in someone else.  What a great way to help others that are so far away!

I probed the KIVA website a bit more and found that you can belong to a group and they track all the loans given by the members of the group – it’s just a way to gather statistics but a neat way to see how a group of people can make such a big impact.  Of course, I immediately established a group called “Fireside Aloomni and Friends“.  I figured I would be talking about KIVA here and to my friends so I might as well give everyone a group they could join if they decide to become a KIVA lender.  So, if you are so inclined, please join our group if you checkout KIVA and become involved!

Then I searched for a second loan to finish using the value of my Gift Certificate.  I  found a picture of Mario in Paraguay standing beside the saw he uses in his sawmill.  As a woodworker, my husband values safety and the saw in the picture would not pass his test…no blade guard or other safety features.  I definitely wanted to help Mario so he could increase sales and hopefully be able to spend money to maintain his equipment so it’s safe and efficient.  Second loan complete…and it is shown as the first loan to the Fireside Aloomni and Friends group. YEAH!

I feel empowered to be helping others through KIVA but my heart is warmed even more by the thoughtfulness of my sons and their knowing my heart so well! (of course guided by my husband!)  May all mothers be blessed with families that surround them with such love!

While we do not anticipate ever adding computer-capability to Fireside Looms, we do appreciate the contribution that computer-controlled looms make to the creativity and art of weaving. Please join us in supporting Margarita’s project by pledging your donation at Kickstarter by May 2nd. If she does not obtain pledges to complete her funding by May 2nd, she will receive none of the pledges made to date…with 77% of her funding now pledged and only 56 hours to go, she needs everyone’s support. You can donate any amount $1-$1,000…so consider even a small donation to support this project.

We see many Fireside Loom owners in the list of donors so far…THANKS!  We are proud to be part of a weaving community that supports both tradition and new technology in the world of weaving tools!

Lesniak Family @ Convergence 2008

Looking at the picture all four of us have changed, especially with the growth spurts and maturity gained by our sons during the past 2 years.  But the picture tells the heart of our Fireside story…it’s a family business that needs all 4 of us.  Even as very young teens, our sons were active decision-makers when we decided to pursue our “own” business – it would affect them immensely and we needed their help, cooperation and support.  So our approach to the loom business needed to reflect who we are.

After attending a couple of shows in 2008, it was time to schedule for 2009.  Reviewing our calendar revealed that our open weekends did not match any show dates.  Why?  Our sons’ involvement in school and community activities kept us busy…already juggling multiple events each weekend, shows just didn’t fit.  In our business plan, we expected this…but now it was truly a reality.  We admired Gary and Rachel (original owners of Fireside) for their cross-country trips lasting months at a time to visit conferences, sheep and wools, and guilds across the US, but for now we could not do the same.

We needed to rely on our website, the good word of mouth by Fireside Loom Owners (aloomni) and brief guild presentations to remain present in the Weaving Community.  And when the time is right, travel to spend weekends among the awesome weavers and fiber artists around the world. 

We had hoped that Convergence 2010 in Albuquerque New Mexico would be our next stop…NOT this year.  Both our sons, Ben and Kevin, have the honor of attending the National Boy Scout Jamboree in AP Hill Virginia from July 25 to August 4, celebrating 100 years of Scouting in the US.  Notice the dates…yes they overlap with Convergence and without a way to be in both the Southwest and Northeast US on Sunday, July 25 – we were forced to choose.  Family comes first! 

We will miss seeing many of you at Convergence, but please remember that we remain committed to building custom looms and weaving accessories.  Our strength is our ability to work across phone lines, internet connections and with the cooperation of Fireside Loom owners all over the US to continue supporting existing Fireside Looms, giving you the opportunity to see a Fireside Loom in person and keeping the tradition of handmade custom looms alive in our workshop.