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.