Description
6 day class
Exploring the Drawloom – 2022
Joanne Hall, well known weaving teacher and the former owner of Glimakra USA, will be teaching Exploring the Drawloom at Homestead Fiber Crafts on Monday, April 25 – Saturday, April 30. Joanne has taught numerous drawloom, tapestry and Swedish weaving classes in the U.S. and Sweden. She has published several weaving books with her latest drawloom book, “Weaving with Long Eye Heddles” is about to be published. We will be using this updated book in our class and it will be included in your materials fee.
In this week-long class, four drawlooms will be set up, each with a different threading. Working in pairs and as a group, you will learn to thread and tie up a point threading, straight draw, half units and single units.
In addition to these four drawlooms, there will be four additional looms threaded to weave drawloom techniques with half heddle rods and treadled drawloom fashion providing many opportunities for exploring drawloom weaving. For those not familiar with weaving using half heddle rods, this is a way that weavers weave a sample before warping the drawloom. Each loom is set up with different weaves that all have limitless design options when woven on a drawloom.
After threading the drawlooms, you will weave samples in round robin fashion on these eight looms.
This is a six-day class with the option of making it five days. If you choose not to do the sixth day you will have participated in learning the threading of the drawlooms and will be able to weave about three days and possibly six of the eight samples. If you stay for the sixth day, you will be able to weave a sample on all eight looms.
When using a drawloom you have the option of setting up your ground shafts in several different weave structures. These options are threaded on four, five, six and eight shafts. So, in addition to these eight looms, you will also have the opportunity to weave small, quick and easy to weave samples of these weave structures on four additional looms set up for this purpose, time permitting. You will then have a record of the different ground shaft weaves available.
When this class is finished, we are going to have the looms available the following week for any further weaving you’d like to do. You can sign up for any of these looms on the days you want to come. It will be $100 for half day sessions plus materials. This will also be advertised to others. This is arranged as we do our other weaving program, “Weaving Extravaganza”.
Prerequisite: Previous weaving experience and must be able to completely dress a loom.
Class limit: 8
April 25-30 (Monday-Saturday) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
You can either do the 6-day class for $1,200 or the 5-day class for $1,000.
The price includes lunch.
Materials fee figured at the end of the class.
If you’d like to register for this class, please call the Fiber Craft Shop at 254-300-2436.
Let them know if you want to do a 5-day class or a 6-day class.
Please Note: Pictures below are examples of the weave structure. Each loom will have instructions and patterns for weaving a sample.
1. Drawloom – Single Unit
Single unit is used to make a non-symmetrical pattern across the whole width of the warp. An example is to weave a scenery across your piece. The warp is 8/2 cotton.
2. Drawloom – Point Draw
Point draw is for symmetrical patterns, you can also do more intricate symmetrical patterns with fewer draw pulleys. The warp is 6/2 Swedish wool on 4 ground shafts and 10 pattern shafts.
3. Drawloom – Straight Draw
Straight draw is most commonly used for non-symmetrical patterns. This loom will be set up with 16/2 cotton on 6 ground shafts and 24 pattern shafts plus 10 pattern shafts for a more complex border option.
4. Drawloom – ½ Unit Straight Draw
This loom will be set up to weave ½ units instead of whole units. It will be on 6 ground shafts with 48 pattern shafts and a simple border. The warp will be 16/2 cotton.
5. Damask with Half Heddle Rods
This loom will be set up to weave damask with the design happening using half heddle rods. It can be done on the drawloom but if you don’t have one, you can see how to do it on a regular shaft loom. The warp is 22/2 cottolin.
6. Summer and Winter with Half Heddle Rods
Joanne Hall shares in her book, Introduction to Drawloom Weaving, “American weavers became familiar with the summer and winter weave with the publication in 1928 of Mary Atwater’s book, The Shuttle-Craft Book of American Handweaving. The four-shaft summer and winter draft has two pattern blocks. As you add an additional block, you need to add one shaft and two treadles. I like to weave summer and winter patterns on my Myrehed drawloom. The drawloom eliminates the need for so many treadles. The warp is 16/2 cotton.
7. Smalandsvav with Half Heddle
Smalandsvav is another Swedish weave that can also be done on the drawloom. In this class it will be on a traditional loom to see what you can do even without a drawloom. We will use half heddle rods to create our pattern. The warp is 16/2 cotton.
8. Lace with Half Heddle Rods
Lace woven on the drawloom makes beautiful baby blankets, table runners or even curtains. The warp is 8/2 cotton.
All our classes close 24 hours before the class date with the exception of classes that start on Monday, which will close the Friday before. If there’s a class that closed early that you’d like to attend, please call us at 254-754-9620 to check for availability.
Note: Since our workshops are specifically designed for adults, an individual must be 18 years old to enroll in a class. All students should wear practical work clothes and shoes. For your safety, we ask that you do not wear shorts or sandals to a class you are attending.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.