Beyond Foundations
A year long online study course designed to give weavers a solid foundation.
Weaving is like a tree…the trunk is the foundation and then it splits into many branches. As time goes on, the trunk thickens, the number of branches expand, the structure becomes more complex.
Beyond Foundations is for weavers who are comfortable with the basics and ready to explore the branches. In this seven month course, we will be exploring Overshot, Rep Weave, Doubleweave, and Weaving Software (pixeloom).
Format
Class runs May through November and includes formal classes, office hours, and online content
This class is suitable for weavers working on four or eight shaft looms. Rather than focusing on one or the other, we will explore what a structure can do on four shafts and then what you can do when you add more.
This class is not suitable for rigid-heddle looms (a rigid-heddle class is still in the development phase).
Topics
Overshot, Rep Weave, Doubleweave, Pixeloom (software)
Classes
Five 90 minute classes happening every 4-5 weeks. Class recordings will be available for “lifetime access”. Times based on survey. Pixeloom is an optional standalone class and not included in the five mentioned above.
Office Hours
Twice Monthly. Times based on survey. Office Hours are not recorded.
Survey
Dates and times will be determined based on student availability. A survey will be emailed after registration closes and class times will be announced soon after.
Online Content
Four project units
Overshot (in development)
Project #5: Rep Weave
Project #13: Bag of Dreams
Project #16: Summer Sungolds
Plus 1 or 2 non-project units TBD
Prerequisites
Dena’s Foundations of Weaving course or have the following skills:
Ability to comfortably warp your shaft loom
Basic understanding of plain weave and twill
Comfort reading a draft
Cost
$285 pre-registration for Foundations 2025 students registered before May 2
$325 for everyone else, registration opens May 2
Add $30 if registering after May 10
Equipment Needed
This class will integrate four and eight-shaft weaving. All projects include both options and we will be exploring the differences in what the extra shafts will do for you and why.
Shaft Loom with at least four shafts (table or floor loom)
Warping board or pegs
shuttle and bobbins (preferably boat shuttle, but a stick shuttle will also work)
bobbin winder (if using a boat shuttle)
threading hook, lease sticks
More Details
Classes begin the week of May 18
Class and Office Hours schedule will be based on student availability. I will send out a poll once registration closes and make sure to choose class times and at least one office hours per month that work for everyone.
Classes will be recorded, office hours will not.
Students receive “lifetime access” to online course materials, including class recordings.
Depending on class enrollment, there may be more than one section of each class.
Overshot project will be a “design your own”. Choose either Whig Rose or Lee’s Surrender and create your own project plan. I will teach you how and review your plans (if desired so not to seem like “homework”)
We will explore using one warp for both doubleweave and rep weave.
Course Units
coming soon
Projects
coming soon
Dena’s Philosophy of Teaching
Learning about weaving can be a complex journey. Basic mechanics (setting up a loom and throwing the shuttle) technical (reading and creating drafts, planning treadling sequences, structure, and by the way…what is summer and winter?), and artistic considerations are all important.
Ideas are tightly linked but don’t necessarily build in a linear way. If you want to design a project using Summer and Winter, it will help to understand blocks and color. But if you want to focus on color or blocks, you will still need to choose a weave structure that will work for your project. Weavers often cycle around concepts many times, each time developing a deeper understanding.
I have been avidly weaving since 1986. In my thirty-eight years, the world of weaving has gone through significant changes. We now have access to an abundance of yarns, it is easy to find patterns that give us every piece of information we need, Marguerite Davison’s A Handweavers Pattern Book (the bible of handweaving drafts) is out of print and hard to find, while online resources, which may or may not match your learning style are plentiful.
The breadth of knowledge from weaver to weaver, from beginners through those with years of experience, has significant variation. This is one of the reasons why I love discussions that include weavers at all levels. Beginning weavers learn from experienced weavers, but experienced weavers also learn from beginners, who are asking the questions that we stopped asking years ago.