Straw & Friends
Explore various natural plant materials as weft
Instructors: Becky Ashenden & Eva Gaultney
Dates offered 2026: Aug 17–21
Weaving with straw has a strong history, both in Sweden and around the world. These fabrics are surprisingly durable and washable, as well as pleasing to the eye and functional in many ways. Each student will have their own loom for a main project, in addition to the opportunity to weave smaller projects on shared looms. Our main weft material will be wheat straw grown here on our own property, but several other materials will be available to test out on smaller projects, such as rye, broom corn, and even iris or lily leaves.
Projects
A loom to yourself:
Your personal loom will be beamed ahead with 12/6 cotton rug warp. We will coach each student in designing their straw rug using a variety of colorful fabric rags for accent stripes or inlay patterns.
Looms to share:
- Rep, sparse and dense
- Twill
- Dalldräll
Materials
- Wheat straw
- Rye straw
- Broomcorn
- Iris leaves
- Daylily leaves
- 12/6 cotton rug warp
Schedule
Mon – We will start by threading heddles and planning your project. Straw preparation will begin in the afternoon.
Tue – Weaving will commence; the
designing process will continue as we go.
Wed – We will introduce the smaller
side projects and start weaving on them after a brief demo.
Thu – Continue weaving. Jenna will discuss sewing fabric edges and provide her sewing services for those who wish.
Fri – Cut off our projects and discuss various finishing methods.
Register now
Prerequisites: Vävstuga Basics (Why does everyone need Basics?)
Max enrollment: 4
Location: Barn studio
Course fee: $1100 (includes all instruction and studio time, course handouts, lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Thu)
Materials fee: $50
Days offered: Five-day session, Mon–Fri
Schedule: Instruction time 9:00–12:30 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.