Upcoming Textile Workshops June-September 2011 at The Chicago Weaving School. Email Natalie or call 773-490-0602 to register.
Drafting Basics
Drafting is essential to really understanding weave structures and planning original pieces. We’ll draft basic four-harness structures with a direct tie-up, then in multiple tie-ups. We’ll end with seeing what happens when one combines the threading of two different patterns.
Tuesday 10-1, June 21, or Saturday 2:30-5:30, June 18.
Cost: $30. (*Note: This class is FREE to all past and present Chicago Weaving School students.)
Stitched and Bound: The Art of Shibori
Shibori is the Japanese term for textile embellishment in which cloth is folded, twisted, stitched, and/or bound before being immersed in dye. The resulting visual patterns can be breathtaking. This year’s workshop will focus on the ori-nui and shin ire resist techniques. Each student will create a beautiful cloth using a combination of these two techniques, a grayed tone, and an indigo overdye.
Tuesdays 10-2: June 28 and July 5, or
Saturdays 2:30-6:30: June 25 and July 3.
Cost: $110.00. All materials provided.
A Laying on of Hands: making Real Felt by Wet-Felting
This is NOT about putting your handwovens or handknit wools through the wash cycle; wet felting is the process of making felt from scratch. We will take a pile of unspun wool and transform it into a powerful piece of cloth using nothing but out hands, soap, and a water pot. Students will first make a flat, patterned cloth inspired by Mongolian carpets, then a 3-dimensional hat or vessel form.
Tuesdays 10-2 July 19 and 26, or
Saturdays 2:30-6:30 July 23 and 30.
Cost: $110.00. All materials provided.
Finishing Nights
Is your masterpiece still waiting to be hemmed, plied, cut, repaired, or joined? Does the thought of doing it make you lonely? Join your fellow procrastinators! I’ll have the fringe twister, tapestry needles, rotary cutter, and sewing machine ready!
Wednesday 6:30-8:30, July 13 or
Wednesday 6:30-8:30, August 17
Cost: $10 (*Free with any June-September workshop enrollment.)
Needle Felting: The Dry Art
You will be amazed by your sculpting ability when you try needle felting. You will learn how to make bird and flower forms as well as interesting textural additions to existing wool cloth. This class includes tools to take home.
Tuesday 10-2, August 9, or
Saturday 2:30-6:30, August 13.
Cost: $49.00. All materials provided.
The Color Paradigm: Understanding Color Relationships
How do you know if a color will go with another color? What will you get if you blend the two? What do words like “value,” “hue,” “tone,” “shade,” and “tint” mean? This workshop will provide you with answers and a solid framework of knowledge. We will paint a color wheel and value chart, discuss color issues specific to textiles, and walk through some exercises that will open your eyes to new ways of seeing. Come to this workshop and boost your color confidence.
Friday 10-5, August 19, or
Saturday 10-5, August 20
Cost: $90.00. Materials and lunch provided.
Colorflow: Handpainted Yarns in Gemstone Colorways
Those luscious, expensive , handpainted beauties in the yarn stores call out to you. What if you knew how to make your own gorgeous handpainted warps and skeins? You will learn to do just that in this one-day dye workshop. Each student will paint a large skein and a pre-measured warp: One in Malabrigo worsted merino, and one in cotton boucle’. We will discuss color transitions, length of color sections, and strategies for using these kinds of yarns in your weaving.
Tuesday 10-2, August 23, or
Saturday 2:30-6:30, August 27.
Cost: $75.00. All materials provided.
Block Weaves: M’s and O’s, Honeycomb, and Overshot
Working with graph paper and pencils, you’ll learn what blocks are and how they work, then you’ll learn the rules and characteristics of three popular block weaves. We’ll start simple with M’s and O’s, then move to Honeycomb before tackling overshot. Looms will be warped for sampling so you will get some hands-on weaving time, but pre-woven samples will be provided for you to bring home.
Tuesday 10-2, September 6, or
Saturday, 2:30-6:30, September 10.
Cost: $39.00
Summer and Winter: A Unit Weave for all Seasons
This workshop will define unit weaves. (All unit weaves are block weaves, but not all block weaves are units!) You’ll learn the rules for this versatile unit structure, then discover summer and winter’s various treadling options for different textural effects. Everyone will get a chance to weave a bit, and pre-woven samples will be ready to add to your notebooks. (*Pre-requisite: participation in the block weave workshop or basic understanding of block weaves.)
Tuesday 10-1, September 13, or
Saturday 2:30-5:30 September 17.
Cost: $39.00
Woven Shibori
Traditional shibori is a dye technique for which already woven cloth may be stitched before going into the dyepot. In woven shibori,
supplementary wefts are woven in as the cloth is being made. These extra wefts are then cinched before dyeing to reveal fabulous patterning. This is an all day workshop and includes a freshly prepared luncheon.
Tuesday 10-5, September 20, or
Sunday 10-5 September 25
Cost: $110
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