I teach because I love to learn and to help others ignite their creative potential.
I strive to touch each individual by honoring their present abilities, stimulating all of their senses, and guiding them to achieve beyond their expectations. Inspiration is on par with perspiration in my classrooms!
Workshops
I teach in-person workshops for your organization or at conferences. I also teach privately at my Sebastopol, CA studio.
Workshop days are 8 hours long including a 1 hour lunch break.
Students weave on their own looms during class.
Workshops-$600 per day
2 or 3 Days
Painting With Yarn —Theo Moorman applications and design for wall hangings and clothing
A sample workshop
Looking for a way to express your ideas pictorially or abstractly with 4 shaft weaving? Want the freedom to inlay a variety of materials (both common and unusual) without distorting the ground fabric? Have you always wanted your woven designs to flow? Learn to apply this versatile weaving technique for use in clothing or pictorial weavings.
Using 2 sizes of warps, the Theo Moorman technique allows designs to be “painted” on the surface with inlay yarns. 2 different threadings achieve cloth to put on, lay down or hang up.
A Rumpelstiltskin Adventure—Moorman and Collingwood meet in the double warp overlay technique for rugs and table runners
A sample workshop
Tired of the popular rug techniques? Don’t want to spend the time on traditional tapestry technique? The versatile Theo Moorman technique combined with Collingwood’s 3-end block weave gives two distinctly different sides to a rug or table linens. It is slightly easier than spinning straw into gold! Weavers who are also spinners find the technique accommodates handspun singles or plied chunky yarns well. The technique is based on earlier work by Barbara Hand. Double weave threading of two sizes of rug warp gives unlimited design potential.
The Triple Play— Theo Moorman applications and design for wall hangings, clothing, and rugs
A sample workshop
Have you always wanted your woven designs to flow? Want the freedom to inlay a variety of materials (both common and unusual) without distorting the ground fabric? Looking for a way to express your ideas pictorially or abstractly with weaving? Learn to apply this versatile weaving technique for use in clothing, rugs, and pictorial weavings.
Using 2 sizes of warps, the Moorman technique allows designs to be “painted” on the surface with inlay yarns. 3 different threadings achieve cloth to put on, walk on, lay down or hang up. If you have previous experience with the Moorman technique, you will be guided to design a small project during the workshop.
3 Days
Painting With Fabric Strips—Multi-layered inlay variation of the Moorman technique
A project workshop
Many weavers go to the yarn store to find inspiration and supplies for their next project. I go to the quilt store! The multi-layered inlay technique derives the woven design from today’s wonderful commercial printed quilt fabrics. By cutting fabric strips and inlaying them in sequence, we’ll create a background to do simple yarn inlay upon. Designing exercises and guided project planning will help students design and weave a small wall hanging or pillow top. Only the ability to warp a loom and do plain weave is required. This is another variation of the Theo Moorman technique.
Cut It Up—The Six Panel Jacket
A project workshop
Hesitant to cut into your handwoven fabric? You’ll be cured as you cut and sew this garment
made of handwoven and commercial fabric. Tired of seeing handwoven garments that look “homemade” versus “handmade”? Create a garment you’ll be proud to wear or give as a gift. You don’t need to be a sewing whiz for this marvelously designed pattern.
Warp, weft, and directions are sent, and fabric woven in textured plain weave before the workshop. Students have choice of yarn color. Half the panels are made from handwoven fabric while the other half are made from quilting fabric the students choose. The class offers tips, tricks and guidance for painless sewing of the jacket; creating unique closures and details; discussion of patterns for use with handwoven cloth; and personalizing a pattern for a unique garment. Walk out of the workshop wearing your new fashion statement!
Textured Plain Weave Boggle Top
A project workshop
Whether you are a newer weaver and itching to create your first garment, or are an experienced creator of handwoven clothing, check out this weave with the unassuming name, textured plain weave. You combine a variety of fibers, textures, weights and colors of yarn threaded on 4 shafts and woven with 6 treadles. The result is fabric with terrific drape and fabulous texture. Weave the fabric at home with detailed instructions from the teacher.
The Boggle Top you will make in the workshop from the woven fabric is fun to plan and is constructed by sewing just four seams. The “pattern” is one rectangle of fabric, marked into squares. By making two cuts to make triangles it transforms the rectangle into two parallelograms, which fold into a top that hangs on the bias. The top and fabric structure are the perfect marriage for a garment you will love wearing.
1 Day
Warping on a Shoestring —a speed warping technique
Learn to set up an efficient warping area and the technique for using a slot-and-hole paddle to make mixed warps. Each student will get hands-on practice while making a warp to take home. Then learn how to modify your loom for easier warping with a back-to-front method for winding on. Finally, no matter what warping method you use, learn to tie on and tension warps using shoestrings.
Textured Plainweave Boggle Top— the perfect marriage for a garment you will love wearing
Everyone who has made clothing from handwoven fabric has a dog in the closet. The cloth feels like a board. The weave structure has drooped and sagged out of shape. You picked a pattern that was too complicated for your sewing skills. It fits the hanger much better than your body. Add your tale!
Whether you are new to weaving itching to create your first garment, or are an experienced maker of handwoven clothing, check out this weave with the unassuming name—textured plain
Bespoke Bags—Upcycle leftover handwoven fabric
By combining commercial fabric, handwoven fabric, the right pattern, and basic sewing skills you will create a unique bag. Students chose from a variety of bag patterns and sizes that suit the fabric choices. Learn about useful stabilizers and sewing notions that give professional results. Plan, cut out and start sewing a bag in class to finish at home.