Garden Club Whirligigs

~ Garden Club Whirligigs ~

The latest whirligig workshop consisted of members of the Woodinville Garden Club and we had been planning this for over a year.  I knew that they would be excited and ready to go.

And it was very true....whenever someone pre paints objects for their whirligig I know that they've been thinking and planning for a while.  Love the color!

Hustling and bustling in the studio!

Here, Cindy and I are discussing the proportions on her gig.

Adding a second hub created more height and distance between wind catchers.

They were a fun but very focused group, which is the perfect combination of both maker and whirligig.

A great whirligig needs to focus the wind's energy and be fun to look at.

I always like it when a parent and their child sign up for a workshop.  That's quality time and a great memory.

Dangling items from wire is a technique that has been utilized a few times over the years, but placing a copper tub at top and drilling random holes in the side walls to create a leaky tub effect was a workshop first. 

So many tiny little screws and washers.

Sometimes things happen in an unplanned way.  Like not being able to use a particular object because it was made of stainless steel and having to substitute a different item.  In this case the unplanned red tin added a color element to the whirligig.  I like it!


Thanks Woodinville Whirligig Team!
And a special thanks to Rebecca Love for volunteering and being the photographer that captured all these nice pictures.

Recent whirligig workshop creations

~ Whirligig Creations at Hutch ~

I know that I always say that the last workshop was the greatest to date and the truth is they are all fantastic .  The whirligigs pictured above were made in the July workshop.  I'm always excited about the "stuff" that everyone brings to create their personal wind statement.  Often the funner the item the bigger the challenge but the challenge is fun and thrilling when we make it work.  These folks were into it big time.  Two of them had already planned and prepped many of the components that went on their gigs.  LOVE IT!!!

I also love getting emails from workshoppers after the class is over with questions about new gigs they are now working on.  To think that hutch may be spreading the joy of whirligigs throughout the land puts a big smile on my mug.  If any of my former workshoppers would send me a picture of themselves standing by there whirligig wherever it ended up being installed I would love to create a blog page called "As The Gig Spins".  

The next whirligig workshop is scheduled for Saturday, September 24th.   The October workshop date will be posted soon.

"Keeping them spinning."

~ Keeping them spinning ~

"Maintaining the old gigs at Hutch"

There are a few whirligigs (five I think) that have been on our front fence at Hutch for over 20 years.  Even though they were very well crafted they are still subjected to the elements all year round and in our climate that means a great deal of rain and wind.  They are mostly made of  light metals that even though they are partially painted will rust.  Screws will loosen and parts will fall off.   Fortunately these are easy fixes. As I watch them spin in the wind I notice if one is not keeping up I bring it in to the shop and examine it more closely.  This one pictured here is an old timer I call the "Everything Gig" and was moving slowly, so I brought it inside for a check up.  It was missing a couple of small windcatchers that I easily replaced with new ones but the problem was not as simple as that.  It was internal. I took the hub apart, cleaned the bearings and repacked it with a generous amount of grease but it still wasn't moving smoothly.  There comes a point when the metal that the ball bearings are in contact with gets rough and pitted and at that point there isn't much you can do.  It will still move, but will need a stronger wind.  The older I get the more I can relate.  One old whirligig to another.

Spin on!

Another Whirl

"Another Whirl"

A little less than a year ago I constructed this whirligig using a few old metal toys. I suspended the toys below using bicycle spokes that I collect when removing hubs from rims.  After putting it outside on our fence and watching the upper course of cans struggle to rotate in a good wind I realized that there was just too much weight on the perimeter.  I brought the whirligig into the studio a little while ago and I've been slowly redesigning it.  I just finished and put it out to spin this morning.

The new design is horizontal which fits the space under our sign better and I moved the lower toys to a separate hub and rim making it a double rotating gig.  I also spruced it up with a bit of paint.  I can't wait for the next really breezy day to see it fly like the wind.  It is for sale.  Give me a ring #360-466-2303 

DIY Whirligig Plans

"DIY Whirligig"

For those of you that haven't yet had the opportunity to visit hutch studio in La Conner, you may not know that the fence lining our front yard is constructed out of found objects (washboards, croquet balls, rakes, rocking horses, etc...).  The posts of this extraordinary fence are topped by "whirligigs", which are whimsical handmade objects that spin and move in the wind. Hutch studio whirligigs are all made by repurposing old "stuff" that collects in our garages, basements, and sheds. These objects exemplify the creative spirit of hutch studio and I'm pretty sure the #1 most photographed thing in town. They are just so fun to watch spin on breezy day and it's almost like they charge the sidewalk with a creative electricity.  Most of these gigs are for sale (there's a catalog with prices inside the shop).  We also offer monthly workshops on how to build whirligigs.  I am so crazy excited to finally be offering the plans and instructions on how to make your very own whirligig just like the ones here at hutch studio.

Included in this package is a technical drawing (blueprint) of the whirligig pictured on the front label, extensive materials list of every tool, object, and lock washer, and finally step by step list of written instructions.  *If you or someone you know loves a fun construction project and can handle a power drill this is the gig for you.  This fun and special idea sells for $14.  It is available both in the studio or at our blog shop.  To order by phone call 360-466-2303.