Drawloom ABC
Explore the mystique of a drawloom in an intimate group of 3 students.
Focus on 1 loom for the week — optional additional days give you more time to finish.
Instructors: Amy Blair & Becky Ashenden
Dates offered 2024: Apr 22–26, Apr 29 – May 3, Sep 9–13, Nov 18–22
Are you curious about how drawlooms work? Are you thinking about adding one to your personal studio? Do you want to learn more about the drawloom you already have? Then Drawloom ABC is the class for you! Join us for five days of hands-on drawloom fun. Our three drawlooms are already warped and (almost) ready to go, leaving students lots of time to plan and weave their masterpieces. Learn to create your own designs; delve into basic loom mechanics; and overcome common beginners’ challenges. In the studio, Amy provides students with full-time support: answering questions, offering suggestions, and making sure the looms operate at their best. In the classroom, Becky offers daily instruction, discussing details of woven structures and design considerations with loads of examples drawn from her amazing personal collection. Students leave with at least one original piece and the confidence to embark on their own drawloom journey.
Choose A, B, or C for your primary project
- Single unit drawloom
- Opphämta or shaft draw
- Shaft draw damask
(Project choice is first come, first served)
A – Single unit drawloom
Anything you draw on graph paper can translate into a stunning woven picture in damask. The single unit is the simplest of drawlooms.
One draw cord controls each unit of structure in the weave, giving you the opportunity to create free-form designs.
This warp will be beamed, threaded, and tied up before you get here. Your first day will be split between setting up the single unit draw cords on the loom and designing your masterpiece, using our extensive library of patterns to combine as you like.
Details
- 80 units
- 22/2 cottolin warp, doubled, chestnut (2018)
- 6 shaft satin
- 6 treadles
- Width: 48 cm [80 cm Ideal]
B – Opphämta on the shaft drawloom
Watch repeated float patterns grow across the warp on a plain weave ground, using the shaft drawloom’s delightful little pull handles to raise the pattern shafts.
You’ll choose a pattern from our ample collection and/or learn how to design your own patterns.
This warp will be completely set up before you get here. You’ll join our student on loom C during day 1 to gain experience setting up the draw shafts.
Details
- 359 units
- 16/2 cotton warp, brass (104)
- 4 shafts
- 2 treadles (+ 4 optional rosepath treadles)
- Width: 60 cm [80 cm loom]
C – Shaft draw damask
Produce pleasing and unique designs by weaving this 8 shaft satin damask with pattern shafts. Incorporating a border adds to the fun. With the 10–40 pattern shafts arranged in a point or points, you can create a multitude of beautiful symmetrical patterns. If the units are in a straight arrangement, non-symmetrical patterning is possible.
This warp will be beamed, threaded and tied up before you get here. Your first day will be split between setting up the draw shafts on loom and designing your masterpiece, using our extensive library of patterns to combine as you like. You will be joined by our student from loom B to set up the pattern shafts.
After a piece is woven, we may encourage you to collect all of the pattern heddles on one bar again, and re-divide them with a different pattern threading.
Pattern threading possibilities include straight, pointed, or block designs. Change the pattern threading midway through your weaving to unlock more possibilities.
Experienced drawloom weavers may want to try out the “Combination” system, which combines single unit patterning with the shaft draw system.
Details
- 85 units
- 8/2 cotton warp, charcoal (7502)
- 8 shaft satin
- 8 treadles
- Width: 49 cm [100 cm Standard]
Register now
Amy Blair is a drawloom weaver with a passionate enthusiasm for loom mechanics, weave structures, and complex designs. She is delighted to be leading this year’s Drawloom ABC class.
Amy’s studio, Duelling Rabbits Handweaving, has a website with an entertaining project gallery, and a YouTube channel uniquely devoted to the how and why of drawlooms.
Prerequisites: Ample weaving experience
Max enrollment: 3
Location: Farmhouse
Course fee: $975 (includes all instruction and studio time, lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Thu)
Materials fee: $40 per meter woven
Days offered: Five-day session, Mon–Fri
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 noon.