Sampling of Class Descriptions
My presentations and workshops include a personally designed, detailed
pdf booklet with text, illustrations and exercises that we'll practice in class.
I encourage questions and dialogue throughout a session.
Follow-up questions and emails are welcome after class is over.
For all on-the-loom and weave-along workshops, a draft is provided with thorough instructions for dressing and prepping your loom prior to the sessions.
Required Looms:
Workshops are ideal for both Table Looms and Jack Looms.
Not suitable for Countermarche Looms.
Ideal for Weaving Guilds and Weaving Study Groups
Choose What Works for Your Organization
Presentation
Interactive Presentation on Zoom or In-Person
Length: Two to Three Hours
Suitable for Any Size Weaving Guilds or
Small to Large Weaving Study Groups
Zoom Workshop with Weave-Along Time
Interactive Presentation on Zoom
Weave-Along time runs concurrent with topic discussion.
Draft provided in advance with thorough instructions for dressing
and prepping loom prior to Workshop.
Length: Two to Three Day Session
Maximum of 16 Attendees
In Person Workshop on Loom
Interactive On-Site Presentation
Draft provided in advance with thorough instructions for dressing
and prepping loom prior to Workshop.
Length: Two to Three Day Session
Maximum of 16 Attendees
Blending and Turning a Draft
Follow along as I guide you through blending two four shaft drafts into one 8 shaft draft where either structure can appear on the cloth as you weave. Sound complicated?
No worries. I will take you step-by-step through the process. After blending the two weave structures, we'll turn our draft to weave both structures to appear side-by-side on the cloth. I will take the mystery of why we blend and turn drafts to weave unique cloth.
Recommended Level
Adventurous Advanced Beginner, Intermediate Weaver and Beyond. Appropriate for those weaving on an 8 shaft loom.
Introduction to Summer and Winter Fundamentals
This class is perfect for those who have limited or no experience weaving Summer and Winter. We’ll focus on using 4 shafts to learn the necessary essentials for understanding this structure’s unique threading, tie up and treadling rules. Included in this session: the four ‘styles/fashions’ used in S/W, profile drafts and block weaves, pattern vs. background, tied unit weaves, skeleton tie ups, and polychrome. Each student will weave a gamp implementing all of these essential elements for a full foundation necessary for weaving 8 Shaft Summer and Winter.
Requirements
4 Shaft Floor or Table Loom. Students must be able to read and understand weaving drafts, as well as having prior weaving experience on a 4 Shaft Loom.
Recommended Level
Adventurous Advanced Beginner, Intermediate Weaver
and Beyond.
Designing on 8 Shaft Summer and Winter
Prerequisite: Introduction to Summer and Winter Fundamentals (or Equivalent)
This class is a game changer for weavers wanting to design their own cloth in Summer and Winter. We’ll dig deep into why Summer and Winter is both a Block Weave AND a Unit Weave, making it the perfect weave structure for creating unique designs with up to six blocks. We’ll discuss Block Weaves and Profile Drafting and how these fundamentals work for all block weave structures. Students will weave a gamp with their own creations, including a portion of the gamp woven in polychrome.
Requirements
8 Shaft Floor or Table Loom. Note that a table loom is ideal for endless treadling combinations and for weaving polychrome with multiple blocks of color.
Recommended Level
Ideal for Intermediate Weaver and Beyond who want to create their own designs! Students MUST have prior experience and are comfortable weaving Summer and Winter, are familiar with its unique ‘styles/fashions’ and its treadling sequence.
Understanding Profile Drafts and Block Weaves
How often have you asked, “I understand how to weave it, but how did you come up with those tie-ups?” The concept of block weaves and profile drafting mystifies weavers of all levels of weaving experience. Yet, by understanding the basic principles, a weaver has the power to create a profile draft and translate it into cloth using a block weave structure, thereby designing and weaving a unique design! We’ll start by analyzing a generic profile to understand how to break it down into a thread-by-thread draft with treadling and tie ups. We will discuss the major differences between block weaves vs. block weaves that are unit weaves, using Overshot, Summer and Winter, and Bronson Lace as our examples. Each structure will be translated into a thread-by-thread draft using one profile.
Recommended Level
Adventurous Advanced Beginner,
Intermediate Weaver and Beyond
Understanding Profile Drafts and Block Weaves Using Bronson Lace
I often hear “I understand how to weave it, but how did you arrive at those tie ups?" In this workshop, we will spend time unlocking the mystery! Understanding block weaves and profile drafting makes all the difference for designing your own cloth. Using Bronson Lace as our foundation structure, we’ll discuss what constitutes a block weave, and why some structures are block weaves AND unit weaves. We’ll develop various profiles to weave as Bronson Lace and discuss other block weave structures that can be woven using the same profile. Through our workshop discussions, you will learn to translate a profile draft into a thread-by-thread draft, designing your own designs and tie ups in no time! By the end of class, you will have woven a beautiful gamp take home.
I will provide a draft for threading our Bronson Lace gamp in advance. Have it threaded and prepped your loom prior to class so that you are ready to weave. Once you understand how to design your own patterns, the weaving and designing will be up to you.
Your designs will astound you!
Requirements
8 Shaft Floor or Table Loom.
Recommended Level
Intermediate Weaver and Beyond. Understanding Bronson Lace is helpful, but not necessary.
Overshot Fundamentals and Beyond
Overshot is often the first block weave that attracts newer weavers who are familiar with plain weave and twill basics. Overshot’s exquisite design possibilities, using four shafts to create four pattern blocks, make it an attractive and complex structure for weavers of all levels. Starting with the basics, we’ll examine Overshot’s threading, tie up and treadling rules. We’ll turn an Overshot profile draft into a thread-by-thread draft and learn about Star and Rose variations that change the look of your Overshot cloth. We’ll examine how any twill draft can translate easily into an Overshot draft. Weaving 8 shaft Overshot and Overshot as Doubleweave will also be a topic we'll discuss. From fundamentals to designing a name draft, this class will enlighten and excite weavers interested in understanding and designing this charming structure.
Requirements
4 Shaft Floor or Table Loom.
Recommended Level
Advanced Beginner and Beyond
Designing Huck Lace on 8 Shafts
It's easy to design Huck Texture and Huck Lace! After all, it is simply alternating those plain weave tabby picks, adding or subtracting along the way, to make those beautiful horizontal and vertical floats. We’ll start by reviewing the fundamentals of four shaft Huck/Huck Lace through the threading, tie ups and treadling and add on as we transition into designing with six blocks on 8 shafts. Huck Lace’s unique plus/minus shorthand template makes it easy to decide where to place plain weave, weft floats, warp floats, and the combination of all three on the cloth. We’ll design and draft an eight shaft Huck Lace pattern and discuss design fundamentals for turning threading into multiple treadling options.
Recommended Level
Advanced Beginner and Beyond comfortable with using an
8 shaft loom
Designing a Two Block Turned Twill
Everyone loves a two block turned twill! They look complex but take a closer look and you’ll see that the turned twill offers multiple design opportunities using eight shafts. We’ll begin with the twill circle to understand twill basics and work our way into twill ratios using eight shafts to arrive at the warped and weft faced two block turned twill. We’ll examine various tie ups for the two block twill, as well as several design options incorporating color variations.
Recommended Level
Advanced Beginner and Beyond comfortable with using an
8 shaft loom.
