Weave Courses – Devon

Laura Thomas Rule BreakingTwo course are being offered by Laura Thomas and Rosalie Neilson at the Devon Weavers Workshop

Laura Thomas 2 – 4 April 2016
Rule breaking weaving

A workshop that is designed to encourage participants to break the rules of weaving, and push themselves outside of their comfort zones. The workshop will begin with a discussion and exploration of what the definition of weaving is and what the ‘rules’ are.

Participants will discuss what their preferred yarns, colour palettes and usual outcomes are. They will then be encouraged to do the opposite! As many samples as possible will be woven, many of which could then be further processed exploring finishing techniques such as devoré, discharge dyeing, melting, pleating, burning etc.

Weavers will be encouraged to explore ideas unencumbered by the restraints of functionality. Laura will bring a range of weft yarns for students to experiment with, detailed handouts, tools/materials to explore some finishing techniques, plus a portfolio of samples to look at. www.laurathomas.co.uk/

Course fee: £240 Runner_RosalieNeilson01-2[1]
Rosalie Neilson – Dates 3 – 5 September 2016

Point twill repp – rep runners: A study in 4 block design using linked blocks and solid stripes.

Using the same profile draft, weavers will thread an 8-shaft loom with 4 or 5 different colours, of 8/2 cotton to design a table runner. (The warping instructions and color directions will be sent upon registration.)

The runner will feature a series of 4-block motifs in the centre, with a border featuring 2- block motifs in opposite colors. The border will be separated from the center designs by a solid coloured stripe of 2 colours.

Weavers will use a series of Design Pages from An Exaltation of Blocks designed by Rosalie Neilson. Believe it or not, there are 1,024 different 4-block designs. Weavers will receive enough designs in their handouts to whet their creative appetites!

Rosalie Neilson loves using colour and geometric design in her weavings, her specialty being rep weave. An avid designer and teacher, she was featured in a 2-hour DVD by Interweave Press called Rep Weave. She publishes regularly in weaving and braiding journals and maintains an active teaching schedule throughout the United States and Canada.

This will be the third time she’s taught in England. Her mathematical interests lead her to develop the 1,024 four block symmetric motifs, in addition to the 1,157 unique 2-color patterns for the kumihimo braid structure Kongō Gumi.

She recently published her kumihimo designs in the book Kongō Gumi: A Cacophony of Spots – Coils – Zags – Lines.
Course fee: £255

Both workshops are held at: Devon Weavers Workshop Unit 8 Coombe Park, Ashprington, Totnes Devon TQ9 7DY. If you would like to book a place on a course, or have any questions you would like to ask, please contact Jill Davies by email: jill@multigon.co.uk

Images and text: copyright The Designers and Devon Weavers Workshop

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