Category: Courses/Teaching

Weaving course at West Dean College

~ rebeccaconnollydesign ~ Leave a comment

I returned to West Dean College nr Chichester, last week to teach a 2 day course ‘Weaving on a Body-tensioned Loom’. The 8 students wove on two prepared warps- the first all white wool to master the basic techniques and the second Black Welsh Mountain and White Ryeland wools to start their experimentations with pattern and colour. For their third warp, students chose yarns and colours then wound their own warps and threaded their looms. The diverse outcomes from these beginner weavers was amazing – some wove in just one yarn and colour, others incorporated material they had brought with them.

FibreQuest at Fernhill Farm

~ rebeccaconnollydesign ~ Leave a comment

I have been invited by the organisers of Stitchfest Southwest to run weaving taster workshops at FibreQuest, a new venture for 2022. Fernhill Farm in the Mendip Hills has a well established Blade Shearing Farm Open Day, which has been expanded to include other fibre related exhibitors and workshops co-ordinated by Stitchfest, for whom I’ve taught before.

I have managed to squeeze in 4 sessions of 1 hour 15mins during Saturday, with space for 4 participants in each. Using a Body-tensioned loom, setup ready to go with local rare-breed Ryeland wool, you will have an hour to weave a sampler in un-dyed coloured wools and natural dyed yarns. What you weave is yours to take home.

Click here for link to FibreQuest for information and to book a workshop.

More Than What You See

~ rebeccaconnollydesign ~ Leave a comment

In August I was invited to work with the inspiring day patients, volunteers and staff at the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Day Hospice on this multi-discipline creative art project. The pieces created will be exhibited for the first time on Saturday 8th September, at their Autumn Fayre.

I wound warps onto tiny frame looms, into which the participants wove plant dyed wool, fragments of textiles from home and paper strips printed with words from their poetry. The discovery of a ‘treasure trove’ of glittery threads, ribbons and beads proved too tempting, so these were incorporated into several of the little woven pieces.

More Than What You See Final

 

 

New Workshop for Lechlade Craft Barn

~ rebeccaconnollydesign ~ Leave a comment

22046719_1545240322185520_7704498806294859036_n

On Friday 26th January I will be running a new workshop for Lechlade Craft Barn (GL7 3DL).  The day will be spent exploring weaving by using the simple Rigid Heddle and Back-strap loom. You could weave a series of samples working with a range of fibres, colours and textures, or something ‘useful’ like a strap for a bag, a little pocket or embellishment for a cushion.  All equipment and a vast range of yarns will be provided.

Details and booking through link to Lechlade Craft Barn

Exploring weaving with a Rigid Heddle and Back-strap

~ rebeccaconnollydesign ~ Leave a comment

In recent months I have been kept busy with requests to teach weave workshops using this simple loom.

The wonderful things about this form of weaving are:
The equipment is very ‘low tech’ and inexpensive if you want to buy your own.
It is very portable so you can weave anywhere, inside or outside, standing or sitting.
I can have absolute beginners weaving within a very short space of time, both children and adults.
You can weave cloth in a ‘conventional’ form or weave an ‘art piece’ incorporating all manner of materials.
I have taught 2 groups of 14, A Level Textiles students at Cirencester College in a morning; a knowledgeable group of 11 from the Gloucestershire Guild of Weavers, Spinners & Dyers and one-to-one with students in my studio.

I now teach on a regular basis at The Bothy at Vanessa Arbuthnott in Cirencester, Prema Arts in Uley and Cotswold AONB Rural Skills in Northleach (where my next day workshop is on Friday 28 April 2017). Check their respective websites for dates, availability and booking. If you send me an email and I will add you to my mailing list and I’ll let you know new course dates.