Weaving Workshops and Seminars

I travel to teach workshops and seminars for guilds and conferences. If your group is interested, I can send more detailed information on equipment, materials and schedules.

Weaving Workshops

Weaving Seminars

Weaves of Our Immigrant Grandmothers

In August, l999, the Jaques Art Center in Aitkin Minnesota had a weaving experience which included the stories of immigrant weavers and a glimpse into the world of weaving from a hundred years ago. We wove a table runner which was a copy of a table cloth woven nearly a hundred years ago by Grandma Selma Hyytinen. She settled in central Minnesota and was the Finnish grandmother of Cherie Holm, one of the workshop participants. The loom we wove it on was built by a Scandinavian immigrant about 1890, or perhaps earlier.

On Diane Fulton's Norwegian great grandmother's loom we wove a runner which was a copy of a coverlet woven by Arvid Strand's grandmother, Othea Strand. Othea was a Norwegian immigrant who settled and wove coverlets and rugs in northwestern Minnesota. We wove samples of wedding skirt fabrics of Anna Pers-dotter Larsson and Margaret Pearson Danielson, who were Swedish Immigrants who came from the same Swedish town. Many other weaves were studied and samples were woven. We also viewed a 100 year old rag rug which was woven over 100 feet long.

Here is a photo of me, holding woven samples from the workshop, with two of the immigrant looms in the background. Here is a photo of the 100+ foot long, 100 year old rag rug.

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WORKSHOPS

Beginning Weaving 1 - 5 days

This workshop can be designed to accommodate the group and their interests. If you have need for a specific topic or technique for beginners, ask for more information.

Swedish Weaving 2 - 5 days

For most of my weaving years I have been interested in Swedish weaving, first from my Swedish heritage, then from a workshop I took from Hans Krondahl, a Swedish art professor who weaves commission tapestries. My first trip to Sweden was in l985. Now after two more trips to Sweden, attending a weaving conference in Stockholm, taking weaving and language classes and meeting many Swedish weavers, I enjoy teaching Swedish weaving techniques. I include a variety of weaves, each one planned for a specific woven item, with weaving instructions.

This workshop is taught in either of two main categories of weaves: The Art Weaves: Bunden Rosengang (bound weave), Rolakan (tapestry), Dukagang and Krabba (laid-in weaves) and Munkabalt (monk's belt). The second category is the Drall weaves: Two block damask on 4, 6, 8 and 10 shafts, Halvdrall (two block pattern weave), Sjusprangsdrall (Swedish lace), Jamtlandsvav (crackle), Daldrall (overshot), Salldrall (M's & O's), and Kukkala (four block pattern weave).

Materials fee: about $15-20.00 depending on which techniques are chosen.

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Tapestry 1-3 days

This workshop is designed to help you develop your skills in tapestry, including craftsmanship while learning new techniques. Tapestry techniques are easy to learn when there is someone to help you. This workshop will include all you need to know to weave your first tapestry with or without a cartoon. Finishing and hanging instructions included. Longer workshops can include color blending, developing design ideas into cartoons and warping techniques. Materials fee: about $10-20.00

Four Shaft Tapestries 2 - 5 days

While in Sweden I visited the Stockholm tapestry workshop where the large tapestries are woven. This workshop draws on the techniques used there and the techniques learned from Hans Krondahl, a Swedish fiber artist. The most distinguishing characteristics of this weaving are the texture on the surface and the visible warp. Participants should already know some tapestry techniques, or an extra day or two can be added. Many possibilities will be presented for this very flexible approach to weaving. Materials fee: about $10-20.00

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Swedish Rag Rug Weaving 2 - 3 days

Rag rugs woven in Sweden have some distinctive characteristics. They seldom weave the hit and miss rugs often seen here. The designs are seldom busy and often carefully planned. There are some beautiful designs woven in plain weave with some tapestry and laid-in techniques. Also, there are rugs woven in many ways on a twill threading. Monk's belt, crackle, goose eye and rosepath are some of the common threaded patterns for rag rugs. Materials fee: about $5-20.00 for handouts and weaving materials

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Drawloom Weaving Workshop 2 - 5 days

This workshop is for those who would like to weave on a drawloom. Because the equipment is large, arrangements would need to be made to provide equipment. If someone in your area has one and there is a group interested, I can teach you how to set up the drawloom, put a warp on and tie up the treadles. With only a short demonstration of how to weave, you will be able to weave your name or any design you can draw on graph paper. The most common weave is damask, as it is very easy to weave. Opphamta can also be set up. Some experience with 4 shaft weaving is helpful. Materials Fee will vary.

Weaving Seminars (1 - 3 hours)

Warping for Easier Weaving

Perfect tension? No threading errors? Perfect tie-ups? No broken threads? Is this too much to ask? Some weavers have attained this level of proficiency in most of their weaving and actually enjoy warping their loom. If you have tension problems, loose selvages, broken threads, or other warping or weaving problems, perhaps there is something you can learn from this seminar. Sometimes just a few new ideas will be helpful, or maybe you have learned some methods that do not work for the kinds of weaving you do or the warps you use. If you have ever wished you could enjoy the warping process as you anticipate your weaving, this seminar is for you. Maximum 30 Materials Fee: $4.00 for handouts

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Making Your Loom Work for You

Clear sheds, easy treadling, great selvages, rhythm in your movements, no interruptions. Wouldn't that be nice? This seminar will explain in easy to understand vocabulary, the types of looms and loom features which weavers have available today. Plus I will explain how to make shed adjustments, tie ups, and use small equipment helpers and weaving techniques which all combine to make your weaving easier. Learn what different kinds of looms do best. Learn how you can adjust your loom or your weaving techniques to make your weaving easier and perhaps even improve your craftsmanship. Understanding how your loom works can make you and your loom sing. No Maximum Materials fee: $3.00

Tying Up a Countermarch Loom

Countermarch looms are not as common in the US as the other types of looms. Because there is an extra set of lamms to tie up and double the ties on the treadles, it can be confusing to even experienced weavers. But if you are given some instruction, it can be very easy to do. Maximum 30 Handouts $2.00

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Designing Warps for Weaving

From selecting yarns and threads and determining setts, to drafting and making the threading fit your warp. It can include methods for planning multicolor warps, making colors coordinate with threadings, planning and winding stripes and suggestions for color combinations. Plus there will be easy techniques for reducing all of the math you thought you needed to do. The seminar will start with handouts giving basic yarn and drafting information. There will be exercises to become familiar with counts in thread, winding stripes and blended warps, demonstrations for winding multi thread or mixed warps on a warping board or reel. Then there will be exercises for combining color plans with threading repeats. Maximum 30 Fee $2.00 for handouts and supplies

Drawloom Weaving

If you are interested in expanding the pattern capabilities of your four-shaft loom, this seminar will show you how. You can weave damask, opphamta, with designs you can draw on graph paper. By adding half heddle bars behind the shafts of your current loom, or using actual drawloom equipment you can begin to make complex designs for many kinds of weaving. You do not have to be an advanced weaver to understand this kind of weaving and you only need 4 or 5 shafts on your loom, and 4 or 5 treadles.

This seminar would interest weavers who want to have more opportunities for pattern or pictorial weaving. The pattern capabilities of a drawloom or an adaptation, which you can add to your loom, will captivate you completely. It is so stimulating to weave your own designs, which you simply make on graph paper. Drawlooms will be explained and examples of the weaving will be shown. All you need is an adventuresome spirit. No Maximum Handouts $3.00

Where and What I will be teaching next:

• Weaving classes in my Montana City studio are offered all year round.
• 2007 Workshops in the studio for individuals and small groups can be arranged any time. Contact me for dates that you would like to come. $60.00 including lunch, for a six hour studio class. ($30 half days) Please ask about opportunities for Room and Board and local places to stay. For more information on these classes and my workshops contact me email or 866-890-7314
• SPECIAL Drawloom Instruction by appointment... Select a time to come for a drawloom workshop. Only two or three weavers are scheduled at any time. I have a new combination drawloom with the convenience of handles and drawcords right above the beater at eye level. I also have a single unit drawloom with the drawcords at the same convenient location. They are set up for weaving opphamta and damask.

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2008 Classes

Schedule Doesn't Work? Give me a call...

• Introduction to countermarch looms, July 12,13,14, Fri to Sunday sign up by July 1 Learn to weave on, warp and tie up a countermarch loom. You will use a countermarch floor loom and learn why they are such nice looms. The class can be tailored to your skill level. More days can be added if you want a longer class.
• Drawloom Weaving July 17,18,19, 20 and 21 Thursday to Monday sign up by July 1 Two different types of drawlooms are set up for learning to weave both damask and pattern weaving. Warping the drawloom will be included.
• Introduction to countermarch looms, October 3,4,5,6 Friday to Monday sign up by Sept 29. Learn to weave on, warp and tie up a countermarch loom. You will use a countermarch floor loom and learn why they are such nice looms. The class can be tailored to your skill level. More days can be added if you want a longer class.
• Drawloom Weaving October 10, 11,12,13 Friday to Monday sign up by Sept 29 Two different types of drawlooms are set up for learning to weave both damask and pattern weaving. Warping the drawloom will be included.
• Beginning Tapestry Weaving October 18,19, Sat Sun sign up by Oct 10 . Learn to weave on a frame loom or a floor loom. Basic techniques will be woven in a sampler. The class can be designed to fit your skill level and days can be added.

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• COST OF CLASSES is $60 per day, $30 for half day. Includes most materials, use of looms and equipment and the full day includes lunch.

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Weaving classes in my Montana City studio are offered all year round.

Preliminary list of out of Montana visits

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Glimakra-USA... 844-890-7314 or 406-442-0354

update 1/08