And here we go again. While taping/cutting these samples this morning I started thinking about how there are a long list of things about my job that aren’t my fav things to be doing. Taping/cutting samples is one of them. But, like standing at the steam press for several hours, I do it because it is necessary.
What makes these less than enjoyable jobs bearable is that I have decided that they are necessary. It is my choice to do these things because I feel that my product would be less than it could be if I didn’t.
There is a certain amount of ego involved in this. I would feel embarrassed if I did not make the effort to properly (in my view) wet finish my cloth. I want to ‘make it right’. (If you are a fan of Mike Holmes, you’ll recognize the phrase.)
When I was planning Magic in the Water I decided that the publication just had to have the before and after samples so that people could see and feel the difference that wet finishing made to the woven web. Taping the ‘before’ sample was necessary to keep these fragile swatches in reasonable condition for examination. With these subsequent publications, I feel I must continue in that tradition to further educate people in the value and necessity to wet finish.
However, with Doug ‘retiring’ at the end of this month, you can bet that taping/cutting samples – not to mention stapling them to the card stock – may very well get put on the ‘honey do’ list!
As far as I’m concerned I will not be ‘retiring’ any time soon. As I’ve mentioned previously, when you are doing what you love to do, why would you ‘retire’? 🙂 Since we are dependent upon the income from the studio even with Doug working, he has agreed to take on more studio work. Might as well take advantage of Mr. Perfectionist and get him to help with the bits that aren’t my favourite activity. Not to mention that he can’t weave, nor do either of us want him to! Designing and creating the cloth is my job. Doing the finishing and selling it will become more of his.
Currently reading Death Qualified by Kate Wilhelm