(2019) Pebble Weaving with Tablets Meets Fabric

Pebble Weaving with Tablets Meets Fabric

Learn to incorporate a tablet woven band into your weaving with Inge Dam

Instructor: Inge Dam

Dates offered 2019: July 16–19

In this workshop you’ll learn how to add a tablet band into a piece of fabric. We’ll use tablets to make pebble weave and learn how to design patterns for the technique. Pebble weave can be used to weave animals, symbols, or flowers, and makes a delightful accent to a piece of fabric. We’ll make a tablet warp and learn how to arrange the tablet warp within the fabric warp that has been wound on the loom ahead of time. You’ll learn how two warps can be woven together using only one shuttle, how to avoid tension problems between the two warps, and how to accommodate the difference in take up of the two weaves.

tapestry sample

For this workshop there will be two warps in the loom. One of the warps will be the fabric warp, and the other will be the tablet warp. Floor looms will be beamed and threaded in advance of class. Students will sley and tie on to the front beam. The tablet warp will be made in class and put on the loom during class.

Supply list

Tablets:

  • 32 tablets
  • If you have your own tablets already, please bring them. If not, they will be available for sale at Vävstuga.

Clamps:

  • 2 medium-size (2–3 inch) C clamps for winding the tablet warp around.
  • If you have your own clamps already, please bring them. If not, we will have them for your use.

Yarn:

  • 8/2 Bockens cotton in three colors (included in materials fee).
  • One of the colors is for the fabric warp and weft and the other two colors are for the tablet warp. The tablet warp colors should be strong colors with high contrast.
  • Please let Vävstuga staff know your color choices at least 1 month prior to class.
Inge Dam

Award-winning fiber artist Inge Dam has been weaving for 31 years and in 1992 completed an in-depth study for Ontario Handweavers and Spinners to become a Master Weaver. The subject of the study was Iron Age Textiles from Northern Europe (the Iron Age was from 500 B.C. to A.D. 800). In the course of her study, she became interested in tablet (card) weaving.

In excavations of Iron Age sites in Northern Europe, particularly in peat bogs and graves, ancient textiles have been found with tablet woven borders. Through the inspiration of these textiles, Inge now incorporates tablet weaving into her fabrics by weaving the tablet borders and bands simultaneously with the fabric on the loom. From her fabrics she creates shawls, jackets, and coats. She also makes unique bags from her leftover handwoven fabrics.

In 2013 Inge published the book Tablet-Woven Accents for Designer Fabrics: Contemporary Uses for Ancient Techniques. She has traveled throughout the US and Canada and enjoys sharing these techniques through workshops and seminars.

Check out Inge’s spectacular galleries on her website. Here are a few teasers:

Location: Water Street Studio

Prerequisites: Participants should know how to weave plain weave and 4-shaft straight twill.

Max enrollment: 12 (minimum 6)

Course fee: $800 (includes all instruction and studio time, course handouts, lunch Tue–Fri, dinner Thu)

Materials fee: $20

Room & board: $375 (includes 4 nights’ lodging, 4 breakfasts, 2 dinners)

For more detail: See also costs & logistics, food & accommodations

Days offered: Four-day session, Tue–Fri

Schedule: Studio open 9:00–6:00, instruction time 9:00–12:30 and 1:30–6:00. On Friday instruction ends at noon, and checkout must be completed by 3:00.

Scroll to Top