As part of our yearly schedule we will be welcoming guest instructors to host classes in their own speciality. Many of these instructors got their start by coming to classes at the Marshfield School of Weaving and we welcome them as a link in the chain of keeping the knowledge transmitted at MSW alive. The Weaver's Croft will also be offering hands-on workshops devoted to specific topics relevant to weaving, spinning, dyeing, sewing, basket making and historic research.
Classes and Hands-on Workshops
Classes:
March 11 - 29, 2024
May 13 - 31, 2024
*postponed to 2025*
July 8 - 26, 2024
*postponed to 2025*
October 14 -
November 1, 2024
The Woven Wardrobe Series
taught by Noel Guetti
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The Weaver’s Croft is pleased to announce an up-coming series of comprehensive weaving-and-sewing intensives. These three-week classes are offered as stand alone immersions into a specific material and garment, or can be taken together as a connected program, creating the foundation of a handmade wardrobe. Over the course of the year, we will weave and sew four core garments, in keeping with the needs of the seasons - indigo denim jeans, a cotton button-up shirt, a light linen overgarment, and a wool jacket.
During each three week class we will explore:
- a particular fiber and the weaving techniques it calls for
- historic material and garment context
- pattern drafting and fit alterations
- machine- and hand-sewing construction techniques,
with considerations for working with handwoven fabrics
- hand sewn buttonholes and other traditional hand
finishing methods
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Click the buttons at left to learn more!
taught by Kate Smith
The purpose and focus of this 4 - 5 day weaving class will be to acquaint timber framers and wood workers with the actual process of hand weaving on an early hand loom. The loom is a very specific tool designed to hold tension and manipulate threads so that fabric can be created. Knowing exactly how this tool should respond and what is actually involved in the process of weaving will benefit all those who hope to repair, restore or build from scratch these amazing looms.
Participants will begin with designing a project, making a warp, dressing the loom and then weaving their own fabric.
Date: June 3 - 7, 2024
Cost: $750 plus materials
Weaving for Timber Framers
taught by Andrea Myklebust
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In this class, we will learn how the warp-weighted loom works and will weave a small (approximately 24” x 36”) weft-faced project inspired by Sami grene blankets. We will use a three-post warping frame and rigid heddle to make a warp with a heading band, select and hang weights and learn about their role in the weaving process, and dress the loom for plain weave with a single heddle bar and knitted heddles. We will wind weft bobbins, and weave with sword beater and pin beater. The class includes some exploration of the history and preservation of the warp-weighted loom in the ancient North Atlantic. We will discuss building a loom of your own, and learn a variety of tactics for finding or making loom weights. No prior weaving experience is necessary for this class. Students who wish to weave with their handspun yarns are welcome to do so; please reach out ahead of time to discuss yarn specifications with the instructor.
Date:
September 30 - October 4, 2024
Cost: $750 plus materials
Introduction to Weaving on the Warp-weighted Loom
Weaving on the Warp Weighted Loom - Additonal Projects
taught by Andrea Myklebust
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Intended for students who have completed Introduction to the Warp-weighted loom class (or who have prior experience warping and weaving on the Warp-weighted loom and are comfortable with the process of making a warp and preparing the loom for weaving), this class explores additional woven projects; rya/varafell, krokbragd, tapestry, twill,balanced weaves with handspun singles, and weaving wide projects on the warp-weighted loom. Students can choose from one of these projects, or propose their own exploration of warp-weighted loom weaving to undertake in the class. Students who have their own looms are welcome to bring them to class! If a student has a particular woven project they wish to undertake, or wishes to spin their own yarn for a project, please reach out to the instructor ahead of time to discuss your needs and make a plan.
Date: October 7 - 11, 2024
Cost: $750 plus materials
taught by Abby Dove
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In this 5-day class, you will learn the basics of spinning from historically processed raw fleeces and hand tools to commercially carded rovings and treadle wheels. From Intro to Spinning you will gain a foundational understanding of wool production and hand-spinning techniques to build upon independently for years to come.
From this class, you will walk away confidently knowing how to:
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Wash a fleece without worries of felting or matting
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Process fiber for both worsted and woolen spinning
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Prepare commercial roving to spin without getting caught up
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Spin a consistent yarn on a spindle
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Have a well-rounded understanding of how to operate both treadle and “walking” wheels
Every student will leave this class entirely capable of spinning beautiful yarns at home with whatever resources they have available.
Becoming Proficient in 5 days.
Introduction to Spinning
Date: July 8 - 12, 2024
Cost: $750 plus materials
taught by Abby Dove
In this 5-day-intensive course, you will dive into the world of color theory using wool and a few simple hand tools to grow your understanding of how colors work together and complement each other in fabric production.
Beginning with dyeing, you will learn to create vibrant shades in primary colors using natural dye materials and metal mordants. From here, you will gain skills in spinning, plying, and wool processing techniques as you create yarns in vivid secondary and tertiary colors to fluid gradients and ombres.
To conclude the class, we will discuss how to utilize colored yarns tastefully in finished fabrics.
In 5 days, you will learn basic natural dyeing processes, carding techniques for color blending, spinning techniques for color variants, and how colors work tastefully together in woven or knitted fabrics.
Color Techniques in Spinning is the best fit for spinners who love to breathe new life into their work through experimentation, imagination, and detail. This class is here to help you grow your techniques in spinning and knowledge of how to manipulate colors through each stage of wool production to achieve specific results.
Some beginning spinning experience is required.
Date: July 15 - 19, 2024
Cost: $750 plus materials
Understanding how dye and fiber practices affect your finished product.
Color Techniques in Spinning
Project Planning for Handspun Yarns
taught by Abby Dove
Grow your understanding of project planning and utilize your handspun yarns for beautiful finished pieces in this one-day workshop covering- project planning for weaving from start to finish.
Project Planning for Handspun Yarns will include yardage calculating for weaving in handspun, understanding gauges, using color combinations and textures in complementary ways, the pros and cons of sampling, and handspun fabric finishing. You will go home with a complete project plan suited to your unique spinning and weaving style, with room to keep growing independently for years.
If you already have a stash of handspun yarn, you are welcome to bring some along for planning purposes. As this class is only a one-day workshop, spinning and weaving experience is required as most of the day will cover writing, discussion, and demonstrating pieces.
This workshop is the perfect addition for those taking either Abby's Intro to Spinning or Color Techniques in Spinning classes.
Dates:
July 20, 2024 9 am - 5 pm with a break for lunch
Cost: $150
taught by Ben Levitt, Don Estes & Seth Kelley
In this 5 day class our resident timber framers - Ben Levitt, Don Estes & Seth Kelley - will demonstrate some of
the common and not so common repair work that needs to be done to bring an early hand loom back to working
order. Some of the tasks will include dealing with twisted beams, creating missing cross pieces, capes and lays, and repairing warp and cloth beams.
Four of our most finicky looms will be used for demon- stration and participants will be able to pitch in and help in a hands on approach.
On the last day of the class participants may bring some of the problem pieces from their own looms to restore and repair.
Date: July 29 - August 2, 2024
Cost: $750 plus materials
Restoring & Repairing the Early Hand Loom
Distaff Spinning
taught by Rebecca Ranta
Long before the invention of the spinning wheel and modern "drop" spindle, our ancestors spun both wool and flax with a distaff and hand spindle. Students will learn about the history of the distaff and hand spindle and then get an introduction to the use of this tool
Dates:
August 24, 2024 9 am - 12 pm
Cost: $75 materials icluded
taught by Rosemary Wexler and Nelly Detra
The Jewish prayer shawl, or tallit, is the traditional garment worn by Jews during religious observance. The only specifications given in the Torah for this garment are that it should have four corners to hold the “tzitzit” or fringes. This gives the Jewish weaver a broad range of artistic options when designing a tallit. In this class each student will design and weave their own tallit, atarah and corners. We will wind up the class by tying the tzitzit together, and discuss how we can express our own vision of Jewish observance through the mitzvah of crafting and wearing tzitzit.
Date: September 24-28, 2024
More information and registration can be found on Black Cat Judaica's site here:
Weaving a Tallit. This class is full.
Policies
The Weaver's Croft studio is available for weavers to use for their special projects, for scheduled guest instructor classes and for research and study. Dates and fees for these activities are described in each of the individual activity pages. Payments may be made through the online cart, or by personal check.
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The studio is open for working from 8am to 8pm, Monday through Friday. Weekend Workshops days and times are outlined for each session in its description.
In order to ensure that the studio space and equipment are ready for the limited number of places that are available, we depend on advanced planning. However, if you are unable to attend, a 100% refund is available up to 60 days before the session. A 75% refund will be issued for cancellation up to 30 days before. Cancelations within 30 days are non-refundable.
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Payment plans and limited need-based scholarships are available - funding priority will be given to applicants from underserved communities. Please contact us via email for more details.