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Teaching fiber arts to adults and children is a great way to encourage creativity in both myself and others. For the last 30 years I have been involved in education and presently teach adult workshops and classes in various weaving techniques in Michigan and surrounding states. I am an artist in residence, teaching fiber arts to elementary students, in a program with the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo: Making Arts Grow in Kalamazoo (MAGIK). In 2008 I became a visiting artist for the Kalamazoo Regional Education Service Agency, working with mentally and physically handicapped young adults.
Workshops I provide:
Rags: Beyond Plain Weave
| Workshop: | Curious about weaving with cloth strips, better known as rag weaving? Bored with just weaving plain weave? This workshop will explore the basics of weaving with cloth strips, both for rugs and a lighter -weight version for table linens and totes. Includes cutting the fabric, ways of joining the strips and how to calculate needed fabric. Discussion will include design, warp choices and setts. Using a round robin system, you will weave plain weave variations and sample other suitable weaves: monk’s belt, Ms and Os, double-faced twill, overshot, summer and winter, undulating twill and crackle. You will need to be able to warp a loom independently. Warps and sample wefts will be provided for a materials fee. |
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Beginning Tapestry Weaving
| Workshop: | Beginning Tapestry Weaving Tapestry weaving is a way of creating images with yarn. Basic techniques and design will be introduced by warping the teacher supplied copper-frame loom and weaving a sampler on it. Several warping styles will be demonstrated and used. Finishing, mounting, color choices and use of shading will be covered. Discussions will include designing and various ways of making a cartoon (or plan for the tapestry). No prior weaving experience is necessary. Fee includes all yarns for sampler and use of the frame loom. For an additional fee, looms may be purchased. |
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Weft-faced Rugs workshop
| Lecture: | Includes projected images, rugs and rug samples |
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| Workshop: | Beginning Weft-faced Rugs: Participants will come to the
workshop with looms (either table or floor looms) threaded in a
straight draw (1,2,3,4) with carpet warp. Samples will be woven in
plain weave, straight twill, broken twill, and krokbradt. Patterns will
be drawn on paper and then woven. Discussions will include choice of
yarns for warp and weft, how to get perfect edges, finishing
techniques, and how to plan designs specifically for rugs. Additional
looms, threaded in overshot and rosepath, will be available for weaving
samples. 2-day workshop will be able to cover all samples, if warp is in place before the class begins. Week-long class can include warping. Participants will also have time to weave a small finished rug in one of the weaves. |
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Cardweaving patterns on a floor loom workshop
| Lecture: | Includes projected images, samples, large-scale graphics, and a warped loom showing the technique. |
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| Workshop: | Learn to translate cardweaving patterns to four-harness point twill threadings in order to weave highly-patterned weft-faced cloth. Participants will also gain experience designing their own patterns on graph paper and weave them. Discussions will include tips for color choices and threading and beaming closely-sett yarns. (2-day) |
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Beginning tapestry weaving on a floor-loom workshop
| Lecture: | Includes projected images, a threaded loom to show the technique, and finished tapestries. |
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| Workshop: | Participants will come to the workshop with a loom threaded with carpet warp. Using wool yarns, participants will learn basic tapestry joins with added discussions of the advantages of using a floor loom to make the shed and keep good tension using the loom beater. Color choices and use of shading will be stressed. Discussions will include designing and various ways of making a cartoon (or plan for the tapestry). (2-3 days) |
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Contact for available dates and prices.