Where Do I Begin…

I have a handful of places in this world that make my heart sing, no matter what I’m doing when I’m there, and Sievers School of Fiber Arts on Washington Island, Wisconsin is one of them.  I have to travel by air, two flights, by car, two hours, and a ferry ride to get there, but after 10 years of teaching, I still look forward to the students, the Sievers’ family, my little teacher’s cottage I share with another instructor, and the beautiful setting for this venue.

It rained a lot while I was on the island, and the weather was considerably cooler than what I left in NJ.  Definitely layer weather.  And I loved every minute of it, even the rain.  To be snug in a well lit studio, with weavers and sewers, just made me grateful I do what I do and that I can keep on doing it.

So the first class I taught there was an improvement over the same one I taught last year, in that I had an extra day.  We were able to accomplish much more in a three day version.  I started at the beginning with students learning or relearning how to warp, and weave a competent band.  They were doing that by dinner time the first afternoon.

Tuesday morning (now almost two weeks ago) we jumped in to the first series of techniques, supplemental warp and weft…

Followed by 2:1 pick-up, also called Baltic Pick-up in Ann Dixon’s well loved and well used pattern directory.  Most students either had a copy or bought one at Sievers.  They caught on very quickly to the five pattern thread pick up, especially with my special notation technique.

Wednesday morning we switched to more advanced techniques, and yes, I lost a few with the second warp.  But they tried really hard. We rewarped the looms for a 1:1 pattern vs. ground repeat, and they started with the challenging name drafts.  Some students found that shortening their name was definitely in order!

After lunch we jumped to something more unusual, which Ann Dixon calls Runic, I just call it freeform.  Very little in weaving can you just make it up as you go, but the shapes here are random and fun.

Late afternoon had me introducing Paired Pebbles, and there were a few brave souls who got the technique and then some…

There was a lot of talk about expanding the class next year, having a two day beginner part, followed by a three day advanced, which would include warps for 3 shaft turned Krokbragd, which everyone was curious about.  There is something about the simplicity of a two shaft little band loom that fits in a tote bag, and the kind of intricacy you can achieve with just some threads and a pick up stick.  Sort of like going back to writing with a pencil.  It isn’t about technology, it is about what you can dream and put on paper.

On a side note, the little Ashford Inklette Inkle Loom, that I absolutely adore, I have four working at all times, has been redesigned. The tensioning device has changed, and by a fluke of the universe and a couple of cancelled summer venues because of my husband’s death, I have in my possession 25 brand new still in the box Inklettes of the old style.  I will do a separate post at some point once I photograph and put up on my eShop, and offer them deeply discounted, because they are perfectly wonderful little portable looms, even with the old tensioning system.  I have a new redesigned one in my possession, it was waiting for me when I returned from Sievers, and I can’t wait to try it out…  This is the kind of loom that more than one is perfectly acceptable…

In the meantime, here is my illustrious class, all 13 of them, Sievers Achievers…

Stay tuned for the Garment Construction Intensive…