Whether you are new to weaving or longing to build on your foundational skills, there is a place for you here. In this hybrid class you will have ample opportunity to develop your skills as a weaver, regardless of experience. For the new weaver, you’ll have an opportunity to weave in rotation on several fully warped looms to develop your familiarity with the motions and touch involved in creating beautiful cloth.

In addition to weaving time, new weavers will learn to plan a project, make a warp, and dress a loom, hopefully having time to weave on that loom before the end of the course. Those with prior experience—“Next Step” weavers—will plan, make a warp, dress their loom and see their project through to completion, all with Lausanne’s support as needed. Since we most often learn by observing, in this hybrid class everyone benefits.

Class time will include occasional assignments, discussion of weekly handouts, and instructor presentations on topics that will further your understanding of the vast world of weaving. Next Step students are encouraged to keep a weaving journal and to provide a project plan prior to beginning their warp. For those who are ready, time will be spent reading and creating weaving drafts, both with pen and graph paper, and by an introduction to using a weaving draft program if desired.

Class time is supplemented by several Open Studio opportunities per week. Students accomplish more weaving and enjoy the benefits of practice if they are able to attend one or more of these.

Whether you are new to weaving, have former experience, or are fresh from one of Lausanne’s weaving classes here at the Craft School, you will find inspiration and room to grow and connect with other weavers.

Limited to 8

Tapestry weaving dates back thousands of years and is a woven art form that conjures many images in peoples’ minds. It is a medium that allows the weaver to create shape, design, texture and symbol using yarn. In this course, students will learn fundamental skills required for taking their tapestry weaving ideas to the next level.

We will use a simple frame loom that students will learn to warp themselves. Also covered are: weaving vocabulary, some tapestry yarns and tapestry weaving tools. Students will create samplers that will include most if not all of the following elements: horizontal and vertical lines, spots, and shapes like squares, rectangles and triangles, outlining, color gradations, and some finishing techniques.

This will be a hands-on class with a specific set of skills taught in each class that participants can experiment with and develop for the remainder of class.

Note: no class on April 22

Materials included, loom and tools available for use during course of class. 

The Further Explorations course is an opportunity to expand your skills and try something new with an experienced mentor to guide you through any tricky spots. Try a new structure, a new fiber, or finer yarns. Or explore the design possibilities of an 8-shaft loom. And enjoy the camaraderie of fellow fiber enthusiasts as you weave. This course is designed to meet you where you are on your weaving journey and to expand your ability to more effortlessly achieve the results you want.

This is a project oriented course, with each student selecting their own project to weave. The instructor is available to consult on project selection at any point in your decision process. Please feel free to reach out to fiber@shelburnecraftschool.org to be put in touch with your instructor.

The course is primarily hands-on with each student warping and weaving their own individual project. The instructor will be available for one-on-one assistance and will offer tips for greater ease and efficiency of weaving. In addition, weekly instructor presentations will focus on gaining a greater understanding of weave structures and their possibilities.

This spring, the weekly presentations will focus on understanding lace weaves. Lace weaves bend the rectilinear grid of weaving and the results can be either airy or textural. We will look at two common lace weave structures: Huck and Atwater-Bronson. We will also consider the influence of materials and color on lace weave projects. Projects that relate to the lace weave theme are encouraged, but not required. In addition to Huck (huck spot, huck lace, huck-a-back) and Atwater-Bronson (spot or lace), possibilities include canvas weave (a form of huck with doubled threads) and Swedish lace. Lace weaves make lovely scarves, shawls, table linens, baby blankets, and curtains. If you would like to see some specific project examples for inspiration, please contact fiber@shelburnecraftschool.org.

In addition to class times, students are encouraged to attend one or more of the Open Studios offered throughout the week in order to have plenty of weaving time. Please see the bottom of this description for the Open Studio schedule. If you are interested in a wider or 8-shaft loom, early registration is encouraged to ensure your choice of loom.

Note that there is no gap week in the schedule this spring for warp winding. Please plan to consult with the instructor about your project plans, acquire your yarns, and wind your warp before the first class.

Pre-requisites:

Next Steps course or the equivalent experience. Students should be familiar with the steps of warping a loom and able to weave following a draft.

Materials:

Students will supply their own yarns. If you would like to buy yarn from the studio, please write to fiber@shelburnecraftschool.org. The studio has a wide range of yarns available for purchase at reasonable prices.

NOTE: no class May 7

Row after row, or round after round, participants will use color, texture and material to represent people, memories and specific key events or milestones that have impacted and shaped the course of their lives.

Like an individual time capsule, the weaver will create a piece of organic art that represents facets of their unique lived experience. Making meaning and metabolizing loves and losses, heartaches and triumphs through the medium of weaving is part of the process.

No weaving experience is necessary.

** If you must miss the first class, please wait for another opportunity to register.**

This class is for those aged 60 and above.

NOTE: no class April 22

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

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

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!

So often when newer and even more experienced weavers consider starting a new project, they must gear themselves up to begin the process of planning and winding a warp, dressing a loom and sampling. These are the things that can feel daunting and laborious, and often deter weavers from doing what they love, which is to weave!

This class is a must for any weaver that has to push themselves to start a new project because of the intensive preparation required for most any project. Lausanne, with her decades of experience with handweaving, has gathered tips, tricks, energy and time-saving techniques, and wisdom that will help any weaver transform the process of starting a weaving project from overwhelming to not just manageable, but fun!

Weavers can expect to learn:~ how to streamline the decision making process of warp planning~ various methods of making a warp and how to know which is preferable for any given project~ time saving tips and essential disciplines that save time when dressing the loom~ warping with multiple strands and how to use a paddle to warp with many strands at once~ threading techniques that offer greater speed and accuracy~ strategies for keeping handy notes and essential weaving records~ how to cultivate the habit of sampling before beginning a project for sett, shrinkage and desired hand~ use of a trapeze to make solo loom dressing a breeze~ ways to troubleshoot problems or mistakes that come up at the loom~ Motivated students will also be welcomed to weave their own projects if they have the time and interest during this 6-week course!

Any weaver who wants to be a more productive weaver and take on projects with increased ease and confidence will benefit from this class.