About Vävstuga Swedish Weaving and Folk Arts
Becky Ashenden and Susanna Robbins established Vävstuga Swedish Weaving and Folk Arts in January 2007 in order to continue what Becky's Väv Stuga provided for over a decade. The new storefront with regular hours has increased availability of yarns and weaving equipment. The expanded class offerings include not only five-day classes but now two-day classes as well. The establishment of the Vävstuga Club brings the Swedish tradition of social weaving to our doorstep.
About Becky Ashenden
In 1981, at the age of 21, I left the United States and went to Sweden to study weaving. I was lucky to attend a well known craft school, Sätergläntan Hemslöjdens Gård, which is located 125 miles north of Stockholm. This school was started in 1922 and still teaches a wide range of traditional Swedish crafts including weaving.
I fell in love with weaving and found myself at home with the traditional methods used in Sweden. I am most grateful that I was able to learn my weaving skills in a country that has a rich traditional heritage.
My experience in Sweden inspired me to become a professional weaver and for the next thirteen years I earned my living in the United States as a production weaver, selling my wares at national juried shows such as the Crafts at the Castle in Boston and the WBAI Crafts Show in New York. In 1993 I reduced production weaving and began to teach classes out of my weaving studio, Becky's Väv Stuga, in Shelburne, Massachusetts. My students speak for themselves in these student testimonials.
When I am not teaching, I am working on a series of publishing projects for my own imprint Vävstuga Press, including translating weaving books from Swedish to English and republishing Swedish weaving books that have gone out of print.
I'm also active as a professional musician in a variety of folk music traditions from Swedish to Balkan to Cape Breton, playing a variety of instruments including piano, accordion, and fiddle. You're invited anytime to a dance or concert with my contradance band The Moving Violations or any of my Balkan bands including Xopo.
About Susanna Robbins
I was introduced to Scandinavian handcrafts as a young child while living for a short time in Denmark. I became Becky's apprentice during her time of production weaving, and then opened my own studio, Textile Arts, in Shelburne Falls. For six years I have produced and sold my own work there, as well as creations by Becky and other weavers, related books, goods and materials. I also repair sewing machines, specializing in older Viking Husquvarnas and Berninas.
The building next door to my studio, which I also own, sustained a major fire in 2005. This disaster provided an unexpected opportunity for a collaboration with Becky, and a rebuilding inspired by the concept of a Scandinavian folk school.