RIGID HEDDLE: BEYOND THE BASICS - Saturday 16th March

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The March meeting will be on Saturday 16th in the Foyer and Lounge. 

Dawn Willey will be teaching a workshop on Rigid Heddle : Beyond the Basics in the Lounge all day and the Foyer will be free for those of you who are not involved.

Dawn Willey and her husband Alan own The Handweavers Studio and Dawn teaches on and runs the Handweavers Diploma and has been editor of The Journal. She has many many looms but still enjoys her rigid heddle loom and is well known for the creative things she makes with it.

In 2015 Dawn Willey taught a very successful course on Rigid Heddle Weaving at the AGWSD summer school. At the time she wrote with great affection about the potential of these simple looms, notting that: The addition of a few smooth wooden sticks and string are all that is needed to hugely expand your rigid heddle loom’s weave possibilities. In this event she will show us how.

Participants in this workshop will get to explore the hidden potential in these looms.  On the 16th March expect to develop techniques on a standard plain weave warp set up. Starting with one extra stick in the morning you'll explore weft floats, warp floats and combining them for window panes. In the afternoon you’ll introduce a second stick and making of and using string heddles which allow you to weave offset floats etc. Some people may like to try honeycomb weave at the end of the day.

Everyone will tackle new techniques together in the morning. In the afternoon Dawn says that many participants are likely to decide they have plenty to carry on with from the morning - so only part of the group may go onto tackle the string heddles. Groups vary and she is happy to work with however the day flows.

So you can choose what you wish to explore and there will be handouts to refer to and remind you about the techniques later.

If anyone else is keen to join the class please let Chris Pegler know (peglerpurl@gmail.com 02476 545784) as soon as possible.

We hope that those of you who are not weaving but doing your own thing will spare time to make a few flowers for our yarn bombing for the Shipston Wool Fair. Any technique using yarn will be fine – Diane has patterns for knitting and crochet and Chris has instructions and “looms” for another technique see https://www.knittingand.com/crafts-and-needlework/small-looms/flower-looms/basic-instructions/daisy-winding/ . So bring some oddments of yarn in bright summery colours, knitting pins, crochet hooks and a wool needle for sewing together if you can help. May is not far away and we plan to produce a sheet of flowers, inspired by the poppies which were made for the anniversary of the end of the '14-'18 War last year.

Refreshments will be available during the day – as usual, bring your own lunch.