Off-Loom Weaving Workshop

Description

Whether you’re a seasoned weaver or a total beginner, these little creations are magical to do - and better yet, you can do it from your sofa!

Discover a new skill, meet like-minded people and enjoy the rewarding feeling of having made something beautiful from scratch.

In this workshop we'll put functionality and fashion aside for a moment to celebrate woven cloth, and the structures used to create it.

Twills, herringbones, dogtooth, hopsack - typically part of a functional product, a garment or home furnishing - now shown in a different setting, as artworks, to be displayed and admired as a painting or a sculpture would be.

We’ll take our time to learn about the history of the fabrics we are weaving, and why it's important to challenge the mentality around fast fashion.

Though first developed for its functionality, weaving has long been practiced as a form of expression, like many other artistic disciplines - but in today's fast paced fashion culture, we have started to think of textiles as 'disposable’ - and the craft of weaving is perceived as devalued.

Through these weavings, we’ll re-familiarise ourselves with the human input that goes into our clothing, and the skill, patience and craftsmanship of the makers.

These little woven studies are magical to do, and using a needle and thread is a great exercise for getting to grips with the basics of weaving without the complexity of the loom.

If you would like to purchase a materials kit, please get in touch with me well in advance of the workshop date.

If you'd prefer to gather your own materials, you will need:

- Three bases to weave around (I use A6 pieces of birch plywood, (postcard size) with 3mm thickness but you can use anything vaguely rectangular or square, just make sure its strong and won't bend. Tiles work well, old coasters, slate, some people have even used old books and record sleeves!)

- Double sided tape

- A needle (a regular sharp one will be fine, but I use a flat 'bodkin' needle)

- Yarn! You can use any yarn for this, though I would suggest starting with something on the thicker side. I will be demonstrating the first design using rug wool. Then I will move onto a regular knitting wool thickness, and then on to cotton embroidery floss (6 ply)

- Simulations of the woven structures to use as a guide (these will be sent out by email for you to print at home)

- Scissors (not your best fabric scissors, as we will be using these to cut tape)

- Pencil

- Ruler

A Zoom link will be sent to participants by email upon booking.

You will receive instruction manuals a week prior to the workshop, so that you can familiarise yourself with the method

A video recording of the workshop will be available afterwards, that you can look back on as many times as you like, at your own pace.