The Receiving Bowl is a sculpture brought to form by tugging, pulling, and adjusting certain threads of a woven piece. It is a project designed to invite the weaver to consider self-beliefs, personal narratives, and is an invitation to look at these themes with fresh eyes.

This is part 2 of a 4-part series that will include projects from Susan Barrett Merrill’s The Art of Weaving a Life. Bradie is a Weaving a Life leader having studied with Susan back in 2017.

Weaving the Receiving Bowl is a meaningful way to usher in spring, a time of new life, new ideas, and fresh energy to nurture ourselves with love and compassion.

Part 3 will be offered in later spring, and part 4 over the summer. They do not all need to be taken to enjoy their benefits.

No weaving experience necessary to enjoy this class.

Included

People have been spinning yarn on spinning wheels since the 11th century. It continues to be a wonderful way to dive into or more fully participate in the world of fiber art and craft.

In this workshop, students will learn how to prepare and handle fibers for spinning. Different fibers, like wool, alpaca and mohair will be available to spin. Controlling twist, plying, and other details of making yarn will be covered, especially the mechanics of a spinning wheel and how to keep it in perfect running order.

This class can be taken repeatedly, to practice and hone spinning skills.

Materials fee: $10 included in cost of class. Students are welcome to bring their own wheels and the school will have wheels available for use.

In this 4 week introductory class we will create a chair pad or pillow using the Oxford Punch Needle and colorful yarn! No experience is necessary! You can choose to create your own pillow or follow a pattern from an Oxford Punch Needle kit. In class we will explore various punch needle techniques along with options for finishing your piece.

Pictured: personal design example

The materials fee will include yarn and monks cloth. Tools, such as Oxford punch Needles and Frame are provided to use during the sessions with an option to buy at the end of class.

In this 4 week introductory class we will create a chair pad or pillow using the Oxford Punch Needle and colorful yarn! No experience is necessary! You can choose to create your own pillow or follow a pattern from an Oxford Punch Needle kit. In class we will explore various punch needle techniques along with options for finishing your piece.

Pictured: personal design example

The materials fee will include yarn and monks cloth. Tools, such as Oxford punch Needles and Frame are provided to use during the sessions with an option to buy at the end of class.

Once a weaver has learned the basics in tapestry weaving, it’s a natural next step to learn how to apply them to designs. Project planning, yarn choice, technique application… all of this and more will be covered in this class.

Each week a different weaving topic will be covered, and each student will have the opportunity to explore their weaving plans with the instructor and their group. In addition, small projects will be suggested for students to practice techniques that will take their weaving to a new level.

This is a class that can be taken as many times as one wants, as new issues and questions arise with any tapestry project a weaver takes on. There is also great camaraderie that forms amongst weavers as we expand into this art form.

Pre-requisite: Introductory to Tapestry Weaving or commensurate experience.

Materials needed for this class:

Tapestry loomPreferred warp yarnPreferred weft yarnWeaving tools

If you are building your supplies stash and would like some suggestions on what to purchase, please reach out to fiber@shelburnecraftschool.org

Borrowing from the studio is also an option depending on availability.

NOTE: no class May 25

Have you begun to crochet, but feel overwhelmed by the idea of making your own clothes? Then this will be a great class for you to banish the overwhelm and get started with wearables!

Through a combination of techniques taught in class, troubleshooting help, and independent projects, you will get to work on a garment project over the course of the class as well as practice skills that you can use to modify existing patterns and even design your own.

We will cover techniques like ribbing, collars, buttonholes and buttons, joining, shaping, and more. This class is for people who feel comfortable doing basic crochet stitches and want to grow their skills in a new area.

Come join us for this fun class and have something new and fun to wear!

Rigid Heddle Looms are known for their simplicity and portability. In this introductory workshop, students will learn the basics of weaving as well as several weaving techniques to achieve a variety of textures, looks and designs. Other skills learned will be:

* dressing a rigid heddle loom* preparing yarn for weaving* finishing techniques

The completed project will be a sampler showcasing the various techniques demonstrated which will give each weaver plenty of ideas and inspiration for their next project!

Come learn the marvelous art of wet felting while making a beautiful, one-of-a-kind birdhouse.

Students will learn how to make 3-D forms with wool, balloons, soap, water, and some elbow grease.

This will be a delightful way to spend a spring day at the craft school!

Please bring two bath towels you don’t mind getting wet along with a garbage bag to transport home.