In case you missed our festive postcard in the mail…
| Seasonal Celebration! |
|---|
| We welcome all to try their hand at weaving December 10-14, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. The looms will be dressed in holiday finery in the tradition of Plus, a PARTY! |
Details: Come celebrate the season with us and weave Christmas napkins or runners. All of our looms will be decked out with festive warps and ready to go. Little or no experience is necessary and ample instruction will be given. Swedish cookies and cakes will come out at mid-morning and mid-afternoon coffee times. Entrance is free for Vävstuga Club members, $5/day for non-members; materials charged by the piece. Contact us to plan weaving time, or just take your chances and stop by.
November 2007
We are sorry to say that starting in 2008, our equipment and yarn prices will need to go up, due to increased costs as well as the dropping dollar. We encourage you to stock up in these next two months. If you have been considering a loom, now would be a good time to get one!
Our trip to the Glimakra loom factory in Sweden a few weeks ago was a tremendous success. We packed a lot into our three days including a visit with the makers of Texsolv as well as a look at the factory. We also visited Karin Myrehed who makes the drawloom attachments.
“Fashion” is the name of Glimakra’s charming new little red loom. We had the opportunity to examine the first prototype and consult with the makers. We will be receiving two of them here at Vävstuga in a few weeks to try out and put on display. The weaving width of this loom is 70 cm (27.5 inches) and it is a fraction of the price of the 70 cm Ideal. We will post photographs on our website as soon as the loom comes in. You can see one in person at the Swedish Yuletide celebration in Boston on December 8.
Is anyone interested in a large Belgian loom from the 1700s? Call 978-263-7972 and ask for Gun.
Our mini-movie of the month shows an easy way to remove extra shafts from the loom without removing the heddles.
Come weave with us at our special Christmas week from December 10-14. This is a unique opportunity to come try out our Glimakra looms and experience our Vävstuga.
October 2007
The 2008 Vävkalender is in! Reserve yours while the supply lasts.
Our doors will be open for the Fiber Twist weekend October 27-28.
There has been one change in the 2008 class schedule. Our Vävstuga Basics class will be held September 15-19, which is one week later than the original schedule specified. This will allow us to attend the Svenska Vävrådet weaving conference in Sweden.
Two new looms are going into production this Fall at the Glimakra factory. We will show you pictures as soon as they are available. Let us know of your interest so we order enough of them.
- A smaller economy style floor loom (depth of Ideal but narrower widths and very attractive price)
- Victoria folding table loom that comes with 4, 8 or 16 shafts
Our mini-movie of the month is about quickly reattaching a warp after cutting, which is something we do on a regular basis here at Vävstuga. This saves time and yarn if you need to cut off your project before you finish your warp.
We do still have some slots in our Swedish Heirlooms class November 26-30.
Becky and Susanna will be taking a trip to Sweden towards the end of October to spend some time at the Glimakra loom factory. Stay tuned!
September 2007
You will find more options for first-timers to Vävstuga in our 2008 class schedule.
We are pleased to be offering two new classes this year:
- Weaver’s Choice: a class open to all levels, catering to individual interests
- The Swedish Rag Rug: Make a rug in two days, whether you have woven before or not!
Here is a listing of our 2008 class schedule for easy reference:
- Vävstuga Basics: February 25-29, March 24-28, August 18-22, September
8-1215-19 - Weaver’s Choice: January 21-25, June 2-6, September 29-October 3
- The Swedish Rag Rug May 5-6, September 22-23
- Swedish Rug Techniques: April 14-18, April 21-22
- Traditional Swedish Linens: August 4-8
- Swedish Heirlooms: May 12-16, May 19-20
- Drawlooms and Their Kin: November 3-7, November 10-11
Or… the same information by date:
- January 21-25 Weaver’s Choice
- February 25-29 Vävstuga Basics
- March 24-28 Vävstuga Basics
- April 14-18 Swedish Rug Techniques
- April 21-22 Swedish Rug Techniques
- May 5-6 The Swedish Rag Rug
- May 12-16 Swedish Heirlooms
- May 19-20 Swedish Heirlooms
- June 2-6 Weaver’s Choice
- August 4-8 Traditional Swedish Linens
- August 18-22 Vävstuga Basics
- September
8-1215-19 Vävstuga Basics - September 22-23 The Swedish Rag Rug
- September 29-October 3 Weaver’s Choice
- November 3-7 Drawlooms and Their Kin
- November 10-11 Drawlooms and Their Kin
Vävstuga Club days will be held Wed.- Sat., 9-5 PM the week after every week-long class.
Twisting fringe on a rag rug is the mini-movie for this month, to give you a taste of our new two-day rug class offering for 2008.
We just got a new shipment of warping trapezes in stock, as well as steady loom feet and large shaft safety pins, for those of you who have been waiting for them.
Our Vävstuga Club members joined us recently for a delightful evening of planning future projects, followed by a scrumptious evening tea time at our dining table decked in its new damask tablecloth.
August 2007
We are putting together our schedule for next year. If you have any particular requests, this would be a good time to let us know. One goal for next year is to make more of the classes available for newcomers to Vävstuga. Some classes may focus more on setting up the loom and general technique at various levels, and other classes may include less setup time and more weaving time. Please let us know what you think about this idea.
The Fiber Twist, October 27 and 28, is an event to put on your calendar. This weekend fiber event includes a central marketplace as well as the opportunity to take tours of various local farms, schools, etc.
Our newly established bed and breakfast will be available for those who would like to come from “away.” Vavstuga Club precedes that week — a good opportunity for a fall “getaway.”
Our mini-movie offering for this month is a demonstration on winding a butterfly shuttle. We are right in the middle of a rug class while I am writing this, and we are making lots of butterfly shuttles used for rölakan, rya and flossa techniques. Students are enjoying using our specially made flossa bars.
We very much enjoyed attending NEWS last month. We took an Ideal Loom as well as a Standard Loom, and lots of shelves full of yarns and books. We were delighted to see so many former students at our booth. Thank you all!
July 2007
We are planning and preparing our booth for NEWS (New England Weavers Seminar). We will have two Glimakra looms on display as well as lots of yarns, books and equipment. There will be loom dressing demos as well as a chance for the public to experience threading and weaving on these looms. Come check our booth early for the details.
Our September Basics session is full, but we have had some cancellations in our August 20-24 Basics class, so let us know if this is of interest to you or your friends.
Our Linens class is coming right up so we are offering a glimpse of what we will be up to in this month’s mini-movie about hackling flax.
We have now opened Vävstuga Bed & Breakfast, a guest house in our upstairs space. Shelburne Falls can be a charming place to stay even when you are not taking a class with us. Our details will be up soon.
June 2007
The following new yarns are now listed in the store, along with a little bit of information about Bockens and Borgs, who manufacture some of the finest weaving materials to be found.
- Tuna yarn (wool yarn for blankets from Borgs)
- Mopp yarn
- String yarn in three sizes
- 2/2 cotton (good blanket weight)
- 24/2 cotton
- 30/2 cotton
Our mini-movie this month features an aluminum beam protector. It can protect the front or back beams from getting grooves caused by beam cords. It can also protect a delicate warp from a rough beam.
We had a very enthusiastic and supportive crowd the weekend of our open house. The looms were in action, the music was heartwarming and the food was beautiful and delicious.
May 2007
We are pleased to announce the addition of Borgs Tuna, String and Mopp yarns to our store as well as several colors of 24/2 cotton and 30/2 cotton. We have currently in stock over 100 colors of the Tuna, which is some of the best blanket wool to be found. We also have some stock of other Borgs yarns as well; feel free to inquire. [Look for full listings of these in our online store later this month.]
Our mini-movie of the month demonstrates proper removal of unused heddles from a shaft for storage.
Open House! .:. Saturday, May 19, 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. .:. Sunday, May 20, 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
If you have not received an invite in the mail for this grand event please let us know and we will send you one. The new store and teaching facility is absolutely beautiful and we welcome you to come and see it. We will have traditional Swedish fiddle music live both days as well as Swedish style snacks. Come meet our special guests from Sweden who own the Glimakra loom factory!
April 2007
Susie will be in the store this Wednesday thru Saturday, April 4-7, 2 p.m.-5 p.m. to conduct our first week of business for walk-in customers. Becky will be in the store the second week of April at those same regular hours. We welcome you to come and see us if you are close by or passing through.
The mini-movie for this month shows steady loom feet.
The last dumpster got removed from the premises today! Our newly renovated building gets more beautiful every day. We are eager to share it with all of you.
March 2007
Our store will officially open to the public on Wednesday, April 4.
Our spring hours will be Wed-Sat 2:00-5:00 and by appointment. We hope you will come and see the new store. If you want to make a trip of it you could consider spending the night in one of our cozy rooms upstairs.
We had our first class in the new school room last week and it was absolutely heavenly! We are looking forward to many wonderful times here and encourage you all to come see us and spread the word.
| Open House! |
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| We are delighted to announce May 19-20 as the dates of our Open House! Come see our new Glimakra-filled classroom, our store overflowing with Swedish yarns and equipment, our beautiful glassed-in porch dining area, as well as our resident quarters upstairs. We are overjoyed that new owners of the Glimakra loom factory in Sweden are planning to attend our Open House. They are eager to meet and speak with Swedish weaving enthusiasts from the USA. Let’s not disappoint them! The doors will open Saturday at 5:00 p.m. This grand event will end Sunday at 5 p.m. Don’t miss this fun-filled weekend of weaving, shopping, Swedish music, refreshments and great people! |
[update 3/25/07]
This month’s mini-movie demonstrates using shaft safety pins and folding up the shafts.
February 2007
The new building that will house our store and classes and students is coming along beautifully. We will be a bit harder to get ahold of than usual this month due to our move, which will take place the third week of February. Do contact us if you would like to sign up for a class. We will get back to you as soon as we can.
Have a look at Börja Väv (Begin to Weave), just arrived in the bookstore. It is in Swedish but has an English supplement. This is a charming book.
The mini-movie this month shows how to make your own Vävstuga Tie-Up cords out of Texsolv cord!
January 2007
Welcome to Vävstuga LLC, Swedish Weaving and Folk Arts! The new business has now officially started, although it will still be several weeks before we can actually move into the new location. The flooring has gone down and will be sanded soon. I will still be conducting business at home for now, but under the new name.
As promised in previous months, the two new rag rug books are finally in stock. Älskade Trasmattor: Att väva som förr is very traditional in colors and patterns. Favourite Rag Rugs is more on the contemporary and innovative side. The 2007 weaving calendar is also in the store now that we are in the new year!
Both of my videos are now available on DVD.
The mini-movie this month demonstrates how to handle a brand new bundle of heddles without creating a tangled mess!
We may be closed for a few weeks in February to make our transition. I recommend you plan ahead and make your purchases in January to avoid any disappointments. We look forward to serving you better than ever in our new location!
[update 1/11/07]
| Our Grand Opening will be sometime in April or May, exact date yet to be announced. Those of you who have written the February open house down on your calendars should remove it from your calendars. A recent discussion with our builder has put some reality into the situation. |