Modules of the Weaving Course

 Each module consists of 8 x 3hr  face to face class sessions or 8  x 80min zoom lessons for more distant learning.:

 START WEAVING - Weaving Module 1

This course is for those who want to find out what weaving is about, and whether they like weaving.
Students weave:

• a plain weave scarf in 8 ply wool
• a twill sampler, which will cover a variety of twills and textures
• a project of the student’s choice using one/some of the techniques covered during the first 8 weeks

This gives students three opportunities to practise winding a warp and dressing a loom, ie putting the warp on the loom.

For face to face classes, students bring their loom to class each week, and will need to do some work at home as well as in class.

(Some looms are available for hire from the NSW Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild to Guild members and can be hired or purchased from Looms and Spinning Wheels.)

Module 1

Topic	Theory	Practical	Skill set
Introduction to weaving on a 4 shaft loom	Basic weaving techniques Use of weaving software for colour and design	Set up a table loom     Weave a plain weave scarf or article in wool	Determining sett. Warping. Tying string heddles Joining yarns. Getting the beat right Adding replacement ends.  Weave in wool. Hemstitching.
4 shaft twills	How to read a draft	cotton sampler of 4 shaft twills	Determining sett Use of a floating selvedge Getting the beat right-using the twill angle Reading weaving drafts Weave in cotton.

 At the end of this module students can decide to continue, or join  classes again later, but now have basic weaving skills..

 

COLOUR IN YOUR WEAVING--First Decorative Weaves -  Weaving Module 2

 Monk's Belt and Rosepath patterns are mostly used as decorative borders. Learn how to

• accent the structures with colour, 
• design threadings of your own for Monk's Belt.
• develop your first profile drafts. 
• manage two shuttles, using a pattern weft and a plain weave weft.

For colour and weave,

•  weave a scarf with fascinating variations of colour and weave.
• learn how to use weaving software to check your colour choices and see if your draft is working well

At the end of the module

• Weave a project of your own choosing.

. 

Module 2

Topic	Theory	Practical	Skill Set
Monks Belt decorative pattern weave.	Working with blocks and profile drafts.,	Monks belt sampler	Winding a warp twice as long as needed Working with 2 shuttles
Rosepath decorative pattern weave	Designing your own patterns	Rosepath sampler.	Rethreading the rest of the warp. Working with 2 shuttles
Colour and Weave on 4 shafts	How to wind a multi-coloured warp in a set pattern. Use of weaving software	Colour and weave on 4 shafts as scarf, or bag or other article.	Working with 2 shuttles Reading drafts in different books Looking at colour interaction

 

 

DOUBLE WEAVE AND TEXTURE -  Weaving Module 3

Learn how to distort and manipulate the warp to create open areas and texture on the surface. Weave leno, dukagång, inlay, Spanish lace, Danish medallion, Brook's bouquet, boutonné and soumak.

Try your hand at 4 shaft double weave, making tubes, double width cloth and interleaving layers. Have the fun and challenge of weaving a miniature bog shirt.

Create loom controlled texture  with M's and O's

 

Module 3

Topic	Theory	Practical	Skill Set
Finger Manipulated Weaves		Weave leno, dukagång, inlay, Spanish lace, Danish medallion, Brook's bouquet, boutonné and soumak.	Use of a pick up stick Thick and thin yarns Learn how to distort and manipulate the warp to create open areas and texture on the surface.
Double weave on 4 shafts	How to get a dense warp on the loom	Sampler with examples of double plain, interchanging layers, tubes and as double width Weave a miniature bog jacket.	Working with a dense warp Working with 2 layers of cloth Use of a pick up stick
M’s and O’s			Use of one and one colouring and accent yarns

 

 

WORKING WITH BLOCKS -Weaving Module 4

 Design your own profile drafts.  Explore the traditional weaves:  Swedish Lace, Overshot and Summer and Winter.

 

Module 4

Topic	Theory	Practical	Skill Set
Basic Block theory		Design using a profile draft, tie-up and lift	Translate the profile draft to develop a weave structure.
Swedish lace	Simple lace on 4 shafts.  How to combine areas of warp and weft floats.	Own choice of project or sampler	Use of colour to outline lace areas.  Recognise warp and weft float lace. Weave a “square” lace pattern.
Overshot		Sampler of traditional lifts	Develop pattern from a 4 block profile draft.
Summer and Winter on 4 shafts.		Sampler of traditional lifts	Use of a tradition pattern. Develop pattern from a  2 block profile draft

 

At the end of Modules 1-4  or Basic Weaving on 4 shafts, participants should be able to warp and dress a loom by themselves, be able to read simple drafts, and be able to weave simple patterned fabric for clothing or home

 

 

 

UP TO EIGHT -  Weaving Module 5

This is an introduction to 8 shaft weaving.

• begin with a sampler of 8 shaft twills.
• If you haven’t woven for a while, we will revise 4 shaft work and weaving techniques.

• oatmeal, dice and weft and warp faced twills are covered in a second sample/scarf
• complete a project using a spaced and crammed warp

You take your loom to class each week, and will need to do some work at home as well as in class.  If you are learning at a distance, there will be zoom lessons and support.

 

Module 5

Topic	Theory	Practical	Skill set
8 shaft twills	Develop a threading: straight, pointed, herringbone, skip, transposed. Check threading on computer . Practise on herringbone and skip    How intersection numbers affect cloth. Other 8 shaft lifts from references and how to read them	8 shaft twill gamp with own threading	Use of Weaving software  Use of a temple and boat shuttle. Bobbin winder Revise 4 shafts and develop tie-ups for twills on 5,6,7,and 8 shafts Weaving and looking at intersections, weave notation  M1 twills and steep twills Use of weaving software to check drafts
Oatmeal, Dice and Weft and Warp faced twills	Discussion of small twills, Cuts and how they affect the weave structure Discussion of how best to rethread quickly	Sampler of 14 oatmeal weaves   Sampler of weft & warp faced twills	Recognition of tie-ups with cuts. Development of tie-ups in software.   Weaving of blocks of twills, variations
Spaced and Crammed	Discussion of effect of spacing and cramming, how to make it work	Possible holiday project (4 shaft)	May be included with undulating twills in next term… depends on how fast the class is working

 

 

CLOTH FOR ACCESSORIES AND CLOTHING  Weaving Module 6

Explore undulating twill,  colour and weave, and shadow weave

Module 6

Undulating twill ( 8 shafts)	Theory on undulating twills Use references and interpret designs	Eight shaft sampler	Work on a straight threading/ one change of direction Develop own design by omitting and repeating picks Practise designs from references.
Colour and Weave on 8 shafts	Theory on structure, drafting practise by hand Winding of warp in class, discussion of difficulties.	2 samplers. One 2 /2 , 60 cm of patterns, approx 10 patterns and one 4/4, 40 cms	practise in drafting colour and weave Shortcuts and templates on computer Discussion of rethreading to 4/4 colour arrangement
Shadow Weave	Discussion of structure, preferred threading and effect in the cloth. Development of threading Powerpoint presentation on shadow weave	Sampler/scarf in shadow weave	Warp and dress loom at home Practise weaving several variations on threading use M. Powell’s secondary threading method using software.

 

CLOTH FOR THE HOME  Weaving Module 7

Explore Double weave in blocks on 8 shafts,  Ripsmatta  and  loom controlled lace as possible fabrics for making table linen, cushions and other fabric.

Module 7

Topic	Theory	Practical	Skill set
Double Weave in blocks on 8 shafts	Discussion of double weave How to use colour in double weave Warping for sampler in class Discussion of weaving exercises Powerpoint presentation on double weave blocks Multiple Selvedge Double Weave.	Eight shaft sampler	Practise getting a dense warp on the loom Develop design from a profile draft. Work through exercises for 8 shaft doubleweave.
Loom Controlled Lace	Theory of Multiple Huck. Design of pattern. Design of threading Working with an open sett How to weave sampler   Theory on other lace  weave structures		Practise designs given and develop own designs Check designs in weaving software.
Ripsmatta	Theory on weave structure.  How to design own threading, Difficulties  of working warp-faced	Sampler/book mark/mugrug in ripsmatta.	Work with a dense warp. Use of very thick and thin wefts.

 

 

 

 

 

DECORATE THE SURFACE-  Weaving Module 8

This module covers Block theory with Summer and Winter,  Theo Moorman and Transparency.

 Module 8

Topic	Theory	Practical	Skill set
Summer and Winter on 8 shafts	Revision of block theory 2 block profile drafts 3 block profile drafts, weaving more than one block at a time And 4 blocks of S & W on 4 shafts	Weave placemats or table centre/S &W Christmas cards/ Christmas runner	Development of design and how to weave it
Theo Moorman technique	Background and theory	Sampler of techniques	Use of various textured and plain yarns to form images on the cloth
Transparency. techniques	Technique theory.	Sampler of techniques	Use of inlay techniques to form images.

 

 At the end of   Weaving Modules 5-8, participants can read and interpret a design in any weaving text, and use this to design to make a woven fabric suitable for its intended use.  They are competent to produce items for family, friends, exhibition and sale

 

Modules 9-12

Your loom is now left at home and you choose to do samples or projects to explore each weave.  Classes are now mostly theory  and discussion.

 

Course consists of a selection of these weaves--- ones in italics are the ones taught most often  Depends on how quickly the class is working.

Distorted threads and cloth

• Collapse weave
• Deflected double weave
• Waffle
• Novelty weaves/textured fabric
• Honeycomb
• Bead and Doup Leno
• Cord Weaves

Supplementary Warp

• Canele

Double Weave

• Triple layers
• Stitched Double Cloth
• Backed Double cloth
• Pique
• Matelasse
• Overshot as Double Weave.

Advancing twills on 4 and more shafts

• Snowflake and crystal drafts
• Crackle as a pointed advancing twill
• Network Drafting

Tied Weaves

• Diversified Plain Weave
• Lampas
• Double 2 tie weaves.

Working with a Parallel Threading

• Summer and Winter Polychrome
• Taquete
• Echo
• Four Colour double Weave
• Shadow Weave on a parallel threading.
• Corkscrew Weaves

Loom structure and Function

Yarn types and characteristics.

TWISTED, COLLAPSED, AND FOLDED  -  Weaving Module 9

Discover how to make cloth anything but flat…!!

 An in depth study of the use of active and passive yarns, and deflected double weave. Students choose whether to do projects or samples.

 

 WEAVES FOR WEARING -  Weaving Module 10

Make thicker cloth for fabric use with double weave backed and stitched cloth,  This module also covers advancing twills, waffle and novelty weaves. Students choose whether to do projects or samples.  Revise your yarn knowledge

  

WHY IT WORKS! AND LETS GO FASTER!   Weaving Module 11

Find out how different floor looms work, counterbalanced, countermarche,  jack, and dobby. What makes one loom more suitable for the sort of work you want to do?.  Improve your yarn and fibre knowledge

Try diversified plain weave, bead and doup leno and network drafting. Students choose whether to do projects or samples.

 

A HIDDEN THREAD  Weaving Module 12

Work with an extra layer of thread, using supplementary warp and weft techniques,  pique, matelassé and overshot as double weave. Also cover cord weaves. Students choose whether to do projects or samples.

 

At the end of the Modules 9-12, participants should be able to weave commissioned fabric, estimate and cost materials, produce finished work of a professional standard,  develop original designs using weaving software, work on a floor loom and mentor beginning students.