Builds on the techniques taught in Vävstuga Basics and has a similar format.
Instructor: Becky Ashenden
Dates offered 2023:Aug 14–18, Aug 21–25
Check our Calendar if you’re curious about other classes held concurrently.
An in-depth study of several classic weave structures commonly found in traditional Swedish handwoven textiles makes this class the logical next step after Vävstuga Basics. Students will go home with a greatly enhanced feeling of confidence in all aspects of their weaving, as well as gaining new experience with a wide variety of our beautiful cotton, linen, and wool yarns, and even weaving on a drawloom.
5 packed days, 5 projects
Tablecloth in tow linen – Your warp will be wound ahead in your color choices, and you will start by pre-sleying on a loom to yourself, followed by a basic loom dressing review.
Monksbelt runner – Two pattern blocks on a plain weave linen ground, set up and ready to go using wool or linen weft
Rosepath bag or belt – Ornate patterning with so many color possibilities. Loom will be set up and ready. Blanket wool on a linen warp.
8-shaft twill – Explore multiple treadling variations. Loom will be set up and ready. Cotton and linen.
Sword damask – Learn the magic of weaving damask blocks with only 4 shafts
Mon
Setup day
In this five-day class, each student spends the first day dressing their own loom, starting with pre-sleying a pre-wound warp in their chosen colors.
Topics include:
- Pre-sley review
- Beaming using a trapeze, special tips for linen
- Comfort while threading the heddles and sleying the reed
- Efficiency and accuracy of the Vävstuga tie-up system in review
- Weaving sword damask
Tue–Thu
Weaving days
Once students get comfortable weaving on their linen tablecloth, we start to rotate onto the other projects.
Topics include:
- Handling multiple shuttles
- Weaving on a single ply linen warp
- Gaining confidence with multiple treadles and blocks
- Noting the differences between tie-up systems
- Review of using a temple
- Weaving on a drawloom
ALL WEEK
Classroom learning
A review of drafting as it relates to all of our projects, and other valuable information that can’t fit in our Basics week.
Classroom topics include:
- Record-keeping, in the form of a detailed project sheet for each of our five projects
- Drafting of monksbelt, rosepath, twill and satin structures
- Drafting with blocks
- Yarn sample cards, with multitudinous woven pieces to show how each of our many yarns are used
- Hemming your linens
- Sett theory, including a very detailed sett chart
- Pre-sley calculation
tow tablecloths
tablecloth closeup
monksbelt
monksbelt closeup
rosepath
rosepath closeup
8-shaft twill
twill variant
design classes
yarn samples
hemming
sett theory
drafting
design classes
Register now
Prerequisites: Vävstuga Basics (Why does everyone need Basics?)
Max enrollment: 4
Course fee: $950 (includes all instruction and studio time, course handouts, lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Thu)
Materials fee: $100
Days offered: Five-day session, Monday–Friday
Schedule: Instruction time 9:00–noon and 1:30–4:00. Exceptions: on the last day, instruction ends at noon, and checkout must be completed by 3:00. Once a session begins, the Barn studio is available at all hours.