Silk Work and Card Weaving Workshops – California!
Howdy everybody!
I’m going to be in Santa Monica teaching at the Fabulous Fiber Fest –
http://www.thefiberfest.com/ this August 17-19.
It’s not up on the webpage yet, but I’m going to do a two-part hands-on workshop on card weaving.
Class descriptions follow The supplies fee will be in addition to whatever the Festival decides to set as a class fee; we’re still working on that. Each section is 3 hours. There are three classes and one show-and-talk; we’re planning to repeat the Silk Work class twice in one day if there’s enough interest.
Talk/Demo:
Silk worker Michael Cook will talk all about silk -how and where it’s raised, its histories and mysteries, its tips and techniques. This talk includes equal parts of fiber arts and entomology, with a healthy splash of history and culture. Learn the difference between Bombyx and the three kinds of Tussah. Learn about the different kinds of vanya (semi-domesticated) silks from India, and how and where they’re grown. See a live demonstration of the reeling of filament, and gain a more thorough understanding of this beautiful,fascinating fiber!
Silk Work Sampler:
In this three-hour hands-on workshop,students will learn to reel two different styles of silk – lumpy andcomplex Lao style, with all its slubby charm, and sophisticatedJapanese fine filament, suitable for the most delicate weaving andembroidery. Then, we’ll turn on the degumming kettle, and learn abouthow to make silk hankies (mawatas) and how to degum filament silk for yarn. Students will make small sample skeins to keep. $10 materials fee covers extensive handouts, cocoons for use in class, a sample set of cocoons to keep for reference, and all chemicals. Students with chemical sensitivities may want to bring gloves and/or goggles – the chemicals used are very similar to strong laundry or dish detergent.
Card Weaving 101: Basics
Students will learn the basics of card weaving, including how to warp (and warp FAST!) and weave basic patterns. This class will use pre-warped tablets to get you to the weaving sooner – I do the warping at home for the first batch, then show how it’s done and give you a chance to practice. We’ll cover simple black and white patterns, including warpwise stripes, weftwise stripes, checks, and chevrons. $15 materials fee covers handouts, pre-warped packet of 15 tablets, and yarn for weft. You will need to bring some sort of tensioning setup – an inkle loom works perfectly, but two clamps and a board will do fine, or we can tie you to the table for backstrap style in a pinch! Scissors and other necessary tools will be provided. If you have tablets already, and want to bring them already warped up, the handouts and incidentals will just be $2, and please contact me to get detailed information on how to set up the loom! wormspit@gmail.com
Card Weaving 102: Advanced Techniques
This class will cover more advanced techniques for turn-patterned and supplemental-weft decoration. Three techniques will be covered in this class: Egyptian Diagonals, Double Face, and Brocade. Double Face and Brocade can be used for a wide variety of lettering, imagery, and other designs. Students will work on the SAME set of tablets as used in Card Weaving 101; if you want an additional set, please include a second $15 supply fee. $2 covers handouts with graphs and charts, plus supplemental brocade wefts. If you plan to attend Card Weaving 102 without Card Weaving 101, please contact me to discuss where we’ll be starting.
Email me if you have any questions about the class; email Mariko (at the Fiber Fest website) if you have any questions about the event, registration, etc.
Michael
will you have time for dinner or something? i’m even in the neighborhood on friday night (teaching a class of my own, perhaps we could meet up after?)… i’ll have The boi(tm) in tow, most likely…
will you have time for dinner or something? i’m even in the neighborhood on friday night (teaching a class of my own, perhaps we could meet up after?)… i’ll have The boi(tm) in tow, most likely…
I’m not really sure what my schedule’s going to be like – they tend to ‘program’ your dinners, etc., at this kind of thing. I’m “on the job” for this one, so I can’t schedule anything without approval from the folks running it. I’ll see, when we get closer, what it’s going to look like.
I’m not really sure what my schedule’s going to be like – they tend to ‘program’ your dinners, etc., at this kind of thing. I’m “on the job” for this one, so I can’t schedule anything without approval from the folks running it. I’ll see, when we get closer, what it’s going to look like.
I’m adding this to my reminders to see if as we get closer I can plan in the first class to try something new because you make such fabulous things!
I’m adding this to my reminders to see if as we get closer I can plan in the first class to try something new because you make such fabulous things!