The Seattle Weavers Guild offers wonderful workshops taught by the acclaimed artists visiting our guild. Workshops will be held at Magnuson Park in the Sand Point Activity center (The 'brig'). Class hours are generally 9am – 4pm. SWG provides coffee and tea; participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch.
A deposit is required to register for the workshop, payable to SWG. While deposits are non-refundable, they can be transferred to a replacement weaver if you are unable to attend the workshop. The cost for each workshop is estimated below. Costs are determined by dividing the actual cost of the workshop by the number of participants and will not be finalized until the day of the workshop.
Contact Patrice Riordan (206-779-9402, plrmail@clearwire.net) to register for the workshops. Registration will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
Workshops will be opened to non-guild members if there is space available. If you are not a member you may request information about as-available registration.
February
Sharon Alderman – Color and Weave Effects: More for Your Money
Dates: February 27th – 28th (2 days)
Estimated Cost: $135 - 195
Material Fee: TBD
Deposit: $75
Color and Weave Effect is the name we give to cloth made by imposing a color order in the warp and a color order in the weft (sometimes different, sometimes the same) onto a given weave structure. Some of the nicest examples are woven plain weave--making a simple weave structure look anything but simple.
In this workshop you will weave a sampler of several color and weave effect fabrics, both in plain weave and in 2/2 twill. You will learn how to make a color and weave effect draft to see what effect changing the color orders will have. If there is time you will find out how to go from an idea you have for a color and weave effect cloth to the draft that will make it happen. (Not every idea works; you will also learn how to tell which ideas work and which won't.)
Each participant will weave only on the loom she/he prepared.
March
Mary Berent - Supplementary Warp
Dates: March 27th - 28th
Estimated Cost: $100 - 175
Material Fee: $20
Level: Beginning to Intermediate
Deposit: $75
Supplementary warp, or supplemental warp is a technique that opens a world of fabulous design possibilities. It allows the weaver to plan complex patterns that can be woven with only one shuttle.
Workshop lectures will include information on: warping techniques specific to using supplemental threads, controlling tension on the supplemental warp, appropriate setts for supplemental warps, turning familiar drafts and creating new drafts specifically suited to this technique. While some simple designs are possible on two harnesses (shafts) this technique really blooms to its full potential with four or more harnesses (shafts). Supplementary warp projects are possible on table looms and two warp beams are not required as there are many innovative methods of tensioning the additional warp threads.
May
Bobbie Irwin - Shimmering Colors: The Magic of Iridescence
Dates: Tuesday May 25th – 26th (2 days)
Estimated Cost: $95 - 150
Material Fee: $12 - 21
Level: All
Deposit: $75
Fabrics that appear to change color as the light and angle of view change seem almost magical! Contrary to popular opinion, you don't have to use fine silk, plain weave, and complementary hues to weave iridescent fabrics. Learn to predict which colors will produce iridescence while you experiment with a variety of weave structures. A large selection of fabric samples, both handwoven and factory-made, will be available for your inspiration.
Participants weave a plain-weave color gamp with three analogous warp colors (plus their choice of as many as three additional colors in the same color range) and 24 weft colors in pearl cotton. They then analyze the sampler for iridescence and choose two effective weft colors to weave a second sampler on the same warp. The second sampler explores other weave structures and color variations, including 3-color iridescence.