Online classes for guilds, conferences, and weaving programs
If your guild, conference, or weaving program hosts meetings and other events online and are interested in having Robyn Spady do an online presentation or class, below are the classes currently available that may be delivered remotely in approximately 60-90 minutes. If you don't find what you're looking for or are interested in, contact Robyn at robyn@spadystudios.com for more information.
Weaving TnT: Dynamite Tips 'n Technique for Every Weaver
Would you like to learn a great method for repairing a broken warp end, tracking your treadling while you weave, making your own repair heddles, or just make weaving easier and more pleasurable? This gizmo-and-gadget centric presentation looks and feels like an interactive show-and-tell and will introduce over 36 offbeat tools, techniques, or tricks to assist weavers in all phases of weaving.
Taming of the Hue – Color techniques for every weaver
Color can feel like an ominous world to enter. What seems like second nature to some can be a vast sphere of uncertainty to others. The good news is it doesn't have to be that way. In this class, participants will explore a variety of tools, techniques, and strategies to assist them in exploring different ways of incorporating color into their projects and give them more confidence in discovering new color horizons. Little is required to bring . . . although, a sense of adventure and a desire to learn more about color is key.
Couture Passementerie through the Eyes of a Fiber Artist
From Chanel and Balenciaga to the House of Worth and Ralph Lauren, passementerie has been a way to elevate a garment from something ordinary to something extraordinary. What is passementerie? It’s a French term without an English equivalent. Passementerie encompasses a multitude of techniques used to create embellishments. It includes the creation of buttons, cording, trim, garment closures, braiding, tassels, and much more.
Modern-day uses of passementerie may be found in couture fashions, like the trim edging on French cardigan-style jackets made famous by Coco Chanel and the fashions seen in period films or shows, like Downton Abbey. Passementerie also appears on historical garments, military uniforms, and in high-end home interiors.
In this program, Robyn Spady will share insight into how many couture fashion designers incorporated passementerie into their garments from the perspective of how simple some of the techniques are and how they could be easily recreated and adapted into our own wardrobes.
Great Weave Structures for Color and Texture using Novelty Yarns
Walk into most yarn shops and it's easy to become fascinated with stunning novelty yarns. But if you're a weaver, it can be a challenge to figure out how to incorporate them into weaving projects in order to showcase the yarns without breaking the bank. In this program, a variety of weave structures will be reviewed to add new dimensions to your weaving and let you take advantage of fun and exciting yarns.
Weaving Innovations from the Bateman Collection
Dr. William G. Bateman created a collection of woven samples that is ominous and impressive, but largely unseen since Dr. Bateman’s work far exceeds the samples included in the six monographs published in the 1980's by the Shuttle Craft Guild. In this presentation, Robyn Spady will share some of Dr. Bateman’s most innovative work and how he took some weave structures to new heights.
The Fundamentals of Overshot
Overshot is more than most think. In this workshop, each participant will pre-warp their loom with an overshot pattern made uniquely for them. During the workshop, participants will be introduced to the anatomy of their overshot pattern, including the role of the twill circle and fundamentals of developing treadling sequences known as ‘star’ and ‘rose’ fashion. Exploration of techniques for creating new patterns and variations will be covered.
Drafting Overshot-patterned Double Weave
Any four-shaft overshot draft can be transformed into a double weave and still only need four shaft. This is sometimes referred to as overshot-patterned double weave. Both sides have a pattern with a plain weave surface. In this program, Robyn Spady will take participants through a step-by-step process going from a traditional four-shaft overshot draft to a double weave draft. She will also provide some tips for making the warping and weaving process easier and more efficient.
Deciphering the Drawdown – Making sense of drafting
Few weavers receive instruction in drafting when they originally learn to weave. By understanding how a pattern is developed, a weaver will know why the pattern creates the design it does, reduce dependence on projects, create innovative designs, and understand how to augment the possibilities of a single threading by changing the tie-up, weft, and/or the treadling.
Closure Ideas for Garments without Invasive Buttonholes
Making a buttonhole can be daunting since it often means putting a hole in a garment or fashion accessory. In this class, participants will explore different techniques that may be used to secure a garment or fashion accessory. From frogs and hand-wrapped hooks and eyes to knotting and clasps, designing and making your own closures can be fun and exciting.