All classes are two and a half days, and held in the first floor classrooms at Plassmann Hall on the SJU campus. Complete supply lists will be sent to students after confirmation of class list.
Weaving 101- Mission Possible: Try Weaving and Complete a Scarf or Two
Jan Hewitt Towsley
Accomplish two new goals! Participants will learn the basics of loom weaving (How does that yarn get onto a loom? And how does it become fabric?) while completing one scarf in class and the second at home. This is a chance for students to bring a loom and receive instructions and help with setting it up. A questionnaire will be sent to the students to customize each person’s projects. Students will select from a variety of cotton warp yarn colors prior to the class so that the instructor can prepare customized warps. (Students may also bring their own weaving yarns.)
Don’t have a loom? Many local guilds have equipment rental, or the instructor has some table looms available to rent during the workshop .The instructor will contact you to find out about your loom availability and warp color choice.
Warning: This may lead to the desire for more weaving projects and classes!
Level of experience: Beginners and up!
Materials fees: $30 for pre-prepared warps and weaving yarns
You’ve Got to be Warped to Weave
Neal Howard
Learn about silk (if you don’t know much). Learn to warp your loom front to back using multiple silk warps. Weave plain weave. Note: This class is more about learning the process rather than producing a finished piece. Neal will bring yarn and handwoven samples and share what she has learned from 30+ years of weaving silk professionally.
Level of experience required: Advanced beginner/ intermediate
Student Equipment Requirements:
- Bring your traveling loom, reed with dpi appropriate for the size of silk you want to use. Rigid heddle looms are welcome. A loom that can weave at least 10” wide and a 10 dent reed are required.
- Shuttles, bobbins, bobbin winder, scissors, blunt tapestry needle, enough of whatever you use to wind with your warp (sticks, paper?), crossholder(s) if you have them, note-taking stuff…you know, your weaving studio!
Materials fees: One of Neal’s Classic Kits ($72.00) is everything you need for this project with two hand-dyed silk warps (either 4/2 spun silk or bouclé) – a total of 90 ends and one commercially dyed rayon slub warp (10 ends), each 3 yards long. There are approximately 300 yards of rayon slub for the weft. The kit also includes a choice of 6 different stripe patterns. One kit is enough to weave one 10” x 72”scarf.
Neal will bring her inventory. Students may pre-select a color. (Students who want to bring their own silk warps may do so, but no guarantee of results.)
Boundweave and Krokbragd – The Weft Faced Twills
Tom Knisely
Students will make a Boundweave sampler, approximately 12’’ x 30” suitable for a table runner or wall hanging. The sampler will explore weaving on opposites, 3 and 4 color rotations and more. Then simply by changing the tie-up, we’ll explore Krokbragd. You’ll learn how to design Krokbragd on a 3-shaft point twill.
Level of experience required: Intermediate Weaver
Student Equipment Requirements:
- 4 shaft loom with weaving width of at least 15 inches. Table looms and floor looms are fine.
- 5 stick shuttles or ski shuttles
- scissors
- tape measure
- the usual weaving tools for your loom, t-pins, etc.
- notebook and pen for taking notes
- graph paper (4-5 squares to the inch) and colored pencils (you can share with friends)
- WARP – 8/4 carpet warp
- 5 COLORS of WEFT YARN– 3 ply rug yarn (like Brassard’s or Harrisville Highland’s)
OR Any worsted weight knitting yarn (can be wool or cotton or manmade fibers)
OR Sugar and Cream or Peaches and Cream Cotton yarn
Materials fees: $0
Landscapes and Identities: A Tapestry Workshop
Micala Sidore
We will view a variety of tapestry images each day. In each group of images, Micala will talk about what draws one’s attention in these pieces. These will operate like a trigger—a place to begin, to energize the weaver in exploring possibilities. For example, a single horizontal line from selvedge to selvedge on a narrow warp might become a landscape or a myriad of other possibilities. We’ll also look at weavers’ marks and create our own, including initials, a weaving tool, a particular technique, or a symbol that has personal meaning that the weaver can incorporate in future tapestries.
Level of experience required: Intermediate to experienced
Student Equipment Requirements: Warped loom (Archie Brennan style, Mirrex, or even a simple frame) with a warp no more than 3-4″ wide, probably a sett of 6 epi. Experienced weavers may double the warp so that they can weave 12 epi. Bring the yarns you wish to work with, especially if the yarns are a mixture of fine to thick.
Materials fees: $20
Ultimate Spinning
Cindy Koedoot Knisely
We’ll take an in-depth look at spinning wool: short, medium and long staples and how to set up your spinning wheel for each of these. Then we’ll advance to other protein fibers, camelids, mohair, silk, etc. After that, we will switch to plant fibers, including cotton, linen and hemp. We’ll work on combining fibers to get the most out of each fiber. What works best? We’ll look at prepping fiber with hand cards, wool combs, drum carders and even try a blending board.
You’ll learn how to adjust your wheel for the fiber and the yarn you want. Time will be spent on: fiber prep, spinning long draw and short draw, blending fibers, spinning woolen and worsted spun yarns, plying and finishing yarns. And we won’t forget to play along the way: color blending, art yarn, glitz…we’ll try anything and everything!
Level of experience required: Intermediate Spinner
Student Equipment Requirements:
-Spinning wheel in good working condition
-As many bobbins as you have for the wheel
-Spinning oil, threading hook, Niddy Noddy, and the usual spinning tools
-Notebook and pen for taking notes.
-A sense of adventure – Imagine all the possibilities
If you have them: wool cards, wool combs, drum carder, any fibers you’d like to share.
Materials fees: $ 40.00
Sewing to Update and Reuse Your Handmade Fabrics
Liz Spear
Find that beautiful handwoven jacket you made for yourself 10-20-30 years ago and reuse that beloved fabric. Maybe it was a tablecloth, or a couple of shawls you just don’t wear any more but still love the fabric. Start by carefully disassembling completely, then learn to cut and successfully sew the jacket, shirt or vest of your dreams. Not enough fabric? Stains to cut around? Pre-workshop suggestions/guidelines will help you think and plan and weave/felt/dye coordinating cloth and select a pattern appropriate for your fabric. Cutting, marking, seam finishes, pressing, buttons, piecing and possible linings will be demonstrated as you sew through the steps to construct/reconstruct your handmade fabrics with fit and stylistic flare into a garment you’ll be proud to wear.
Level of experience required: Comfort with your own sewing machine required – no beginners
Student Equipment Requirements:
- Personal project: handwoven/handmade fabric(s) to ReMake into garment, plus chosen pattern, tested & fitted;
- Supplies to make/finish project: thread, fusible interfacing, lining, buttons, trims, etc.
- Favorite sewing tools: scissors, large and small, newly sharpened; straight pins; marking pens/pencils; small ruler and tape measure; rotary cutter w/extra blade and cutting mat (if desired)
- Sewing machine w/extra needles and instruction booklet
- Serger (if desired) w/extra needles and instruction booklet
- Extension cord and/or power strip
- Note-taking supplies; camera etc.
Materials fees: $0; fusible interfacing is OPTIONAL PURCHASE
Exploring Needle Felting Techniques
Debbie Penley
In this class we will cover multiple techniques used in needle felting. We will tackle both 2D and sculptural needle felting, including using a wire-wrapping technique to incorporate wire armature, learning how to create texture including wrinkles, adding fur that looks realistic, and creating backdrops for framed pieces. We will also cover the basics of what makes a needle felt project complete (addressing firmness and loose fibers).
Level of experience required: Beginners to advanced
Student Equipment Requirements:
- Wool batts (Living Felt MC1 and DHG’s Bershaff are preferred), felting foam (at least 6 x 4 though larger is a plus)
- a variety of felting needles.
Debbie will have wool batts and other equipment available for purchase.
Materials fees: $25 for all supplies, but less if you supply your own or partial supplies