Weaving for Beginners
Cockpit Studios, Bloomsbury
Saturdays 10 – 4 for 4 weeks, starting 16th September 2023, £395
This is a four-week practical introduction to weaving aimed at complete beginners during which you will learn all the skills involved in making your own fabric. The course will also give a broad overview of weaving, its contemporary uses in art, fashion and interiors, and its historical traditions with examples from around the world.
We will begin by defining weaving through looking at samples of woven fabrics. We’ll look at the basic structure of woven cloth and how it differs from other forms of textile. You will learn the essential language of weaving – the parts of the loom, the tools you will use and the technical vocabulary associated with producing your cloth.
We will spend the first week of the course learning how to make a warp and prepare the loom, and then we will create fabric samples. Through these samples you will learn how to create different types of fabric and pattern and how colour, yarn choice and weave structure play their part. You’ll learn how to make records of your choices along the way so that you can recreate a successful design.
Later in the course, we’ll look at the basics of fabric design and considerations for planning your own weaving project. Handouts will be provided throughout to back up your learning.
By the end of the course, you will:
- understand what a loom is and how it works
- be able to make a warp and put it onto the loom ready for weaving
- weave your own fabric
- have an understanding of the most important weave structures and have woven samples for your records
- understand how yarn choice, structure and colour affect the kind of cloth you make
- be able to assess what makes a successful fabric and design
- completely love weaving and want to continue making your own woven fabric!
The course will be taught by Kendall Clarke. Kendall is a practising artist and weaver with an MA in woven textiles. She shows and sells her work internationally and has twice been shortlisted for the international Fine Art Textiles Award.
