The Whole Field • Volume 5 • No. 11 • New Moon • June 15, 2026
Meraki (Photos 1 & 2) • Acrylic paint & hand dyeing on muslin cotton, stitching • 7' x 12'
Aliferous • Milk paint on old Wood Chair, community hand-woven textile
Community Weaving (on handmade stand loom) • Painted and dyed fabrics, textile scraps
Dawn Leach • 2026
Some time ago, someone gave me a tip. “A good gig”, they revealed—“window screen repair.” They reckoned it a chance to work with your hands, and not too stressful. While screen repair is a relatively simple task, folks are willing to pay to have it done correctly. That part certainly made sense to me. I had taken a quick stab at fixing some of our own window screens last summer. I pulled what was left of the existing mesh, cut new screen to size, and zipped them in with the spline and roller as I thought made the most sense. When I stepped back to admire the result, I was let down by the loosey-goosey screenwork, and it declined from there. The regular undulating buzz of mosquito wings at night didn’t exactly sing praises. The time, the money, and the energy I had invested, while somewhat minimal, felt as if they hadn’t achieved anything. Messing around with more of the frayed and holey window screens at our place seemed like an uphill trudge. I put it off. Maybe I’d let it become someone else’s headache.
Fast forward one year. The discomfort of the heat that our closed-window home held, especially as it grew muggier, began to outweigh my hesitation to take on the menial task, and I gave it another go. This time, considering my previous humbling, I heeded someone else’s instructions rather than my intuition. I watched a video tutorial, slowly, and worked it out step by step. Before long, I had replaced a sliding door-sized screen. And not just replaced, but replaced correctly. I sensed positive traction, and the rest of our windows beckoned—I could do so much more...
The Warp — Ideas and Inspiration
|| 1 || In less than two weeks, a lengthy table is set to fill Bellaire's Broad Street as the Bellaire Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce hold a Long Table gathering. If all of the seats are filled, more than a tenth of the population of the town will share a meal and conversation. I'd heard of similar gatherings (here's a look at what I think is the original,) and look forward to seeing what unfolds locally.
I'm also picking up on a positive association. The Long Table is the name of the ongoing online platform for anyone who's been part of a school called HOME'scourses. Their current five-week series, facilitated by Dougald Hine and Anna Björkman, entitled Regrowing a Living Culture: A Bit More Practice, is underway now. If the language of the offerings is compelling, I'd say keep an eye out for future iterations. I participated two years ago, and am thankful for the unique experience, despite (or perhaps heightened by?) the 4:15am session times.
|| 2 || Speaking of happenings, a "weirdly hilarious" play is on the move—one that Crosshatch, and Brad Kik especially, had a role in. You can read about Jen Sperry Steinorth's A Spell for Algorhythmix play, itself an adaptation of her poetry collection Boys Behind Glass, and how it came about in Ease the Heavy: Pick Up a Story.
The Weft — News and Events
We’re heartened by a wide-range of expressions of resilient communities and gatherings. Here’s a smattering of regional events and happenings that reflect that diversity, collected for your consideration. Choose your own adventure!
|| 1 || Botanical Journaling Workshop. Saturday, June 27th, 1-4pm, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire. A guided wildflower walk by Grass River crew, followed by watercolor instruction from Elizabeth Manning and the opportunity to take a hike and begin your own botanical journaling practice. Find more information, and registration, here.
|| 2 || Livestock Show and Tell Tours - Monday, July 13th, 6-8pm (Misty Acres Farm, Benzonia) and Monday, July 20th, 6-8pm (Danu Hof Farm, Mancelona). Crosshatch is hosting two summer farmer meet-ups focused on sharing knowledge and building connections between small scale livestock producers. Folks aspiring to raise farm animals are welcome also. Join us at either event or both to learn, connect, and relax a little amongst good company. Find more about the learning tour gatherings, and register, at the links above.
|| 3 || The Traverse City Dance Project Summer Tour visits Bellaire. July 26th, 6:30-9pm, at the Short's Brewing Company Beer Garden. Featuring seven professional dancers from across the country, multiple premieres, live music from the Charlie Millard Band, and more. Find more details here.
|| 4 || From Pasture to Plate: Learn to Process Your Own Chicken—Sunday, August 16th, 10am-3pm, Danu Hof Farm, Mancelona. "This experience is about more than just learning a skill — it's about getting to know where your food comes from, supporting a farm that's doing things the right way, and feeling more confident and connected in the kitchen and beyond." Click here for more info and registration.
|| 5 || Earthcraft Skillshare 2026: "Pulse of the People"—July 9-12th, Scotts, MI. Hands-on ancestral skills workshops, traditional music and dancing, keynote presentations, and more. Find the schedule, more info, and tickets, here.
|| 6 || Little Traverse Bay Beekepers Guild. Tuesday, June 16th, 6-8pm. Bear Creek Township Hall, in Petoskey. Mid Season Management to Prepare for Winter with Dr. Adam Ingrao. Find more on the event, and other upcoming bee gatherings, here.
|| 7 || Mark your Calendars! The 2026 Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference is coming to downtown Bellaire, Oct. 4th-6th. Find more on the theme, Culture Keepers, and the conference here.
|| 8 || Happenings at The Alluvion Between Now and the Next Whole Field include: Big Fun + DJ Ras Marco, Zuz, Claudia Schmidt, Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet feat Elvin Sharp & Jeff Haas, Vic Landa's Musical Birthday Bash, and Funky Uncle.
Find more information at thealluvion.org.
sponsored by:
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