Cape Breton WeaveNet
The purpose of Cape Breton WeaveNet is to promote communication between weavers all over the island, to organize activities and educational opportunities, and to pass on fibre related information of interest to the group.
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Floaty Felted Scarf
Saturday, September 30, 2017 10am - 3pm
Gaelic College
Instructor: Sandra Gillis
Fee: $45.00 plus materials
To register for this workshop, contact Sandra Gillis at CBWeaveNet@gmail.com
Gaelic College
Instructor: Sandra Gillis
Fee: $45.00 plus materials
To register for this workshop, contact Sandra Gillis at CBWeaveNet@gmail.com
For Rigid Heddle Loom users, this soft, floaty scarf is a woven in plain weave. What makes it so special is the spacing and choice of yarns. Make this scarf for yourself or as a gift for someone special.
In class, you will learn how to dress the loom for this project, how to manage your beat so that the yarn will felt properly, and how leave enough space for the open lattice like structure to take shape when it's wet finished. We'll also cover hemstitching at the beginning of the project.
Students will leave class with all the practice they need to finish the scarf on their own, and complete instructions for wet finishing.
NB: While this class is suitable for beginning rigid heddle weavers, the class will not be covering the absolute basics, so some rigid heddle weaving experience is required.
The pictured scarf was woven on a 15" wide loom, though an alternate version may be woven on a 10" loom.
For class you will need a Rigid Heddle loom, 15" wide, with 12 dent reed and one shuttle, or Rigid Heddle loom, 10" wide, with 10 dent reed and one shuttle.
If you don’t own a Rigid Heddle Loom and would like to rent one for this class, The Scottsville School of Crafts in Lake Ainslie has 3 rigid heddle looms available to rent and The Bobbin Tree in Sydney has 5 rigid Heddle looms for rent. Contact information is as follows:
Scottsville School of Craft The Bobbin Tree
Eileen MacNeil Janet Dawson
pickandtwill@gmail.com janet@TheBobbinTree.com
902-615-7430 902-270-3247
Material fees will include the pattern, yarn and spacers.
Sandra Gillis
Sandra has been weaving on and off during her adult years, but in 2007 seriously started taking lessons at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design to get the most out of the floor loom she had inherited from her grandmother. In 2011 she became the proud owner of a Rigid Heddle Loom. Through consultation, courses, and sampling she has explored many of the varied weaves possible on a rigid heddle loom.
To register for this workshop, contact Sandra Gillis at CBWeaveNet@gmail.com
In class, you will learn how to dress the loom for this project, how to manage your beat so that the yarn will felt properly, and how leave enough space for the open lattice like structure to take shape when it's wet finished. We'll also cover hemstitching at the beginning of the project.
Students will leave class with all the practice they need to finish the scarf on their own, and complete instructions for wet finishing.
NB: While this class is suitable for beginning rigid heddle weavers, the class will not be covering the absolute basics, so some rigid heddle weaving experience is required.
The pictured scarf was woven on a 15" wide loom, though an alternate version may be woven on a 10" loom.
For class you will need a Rigid Heddle loom, 15" wide, with 12 dent reed and one shuttle, or Rigid Heddle loom, 10" wide, with 10 dent reed and one shuttle.
If you don’t own a Rigid Heddle Loom and would like to rent one for this class, The Scottsville School of Crafts in Lake Ainslie has 3 rigid heddle looms available to rent and The Bobbin Tree in Sydney has 5 rigid Heddle looms for rent. Contact information is as follows:
Scottsville School of Craft The Bobbin Tree
Eileen MacNeil Janet Dawson
pickandtwill@gmail.com janet@TheBobbinTree.com
902-615-7430 902-270-3247
Material fees will include the pattern, yarn and spacers.
Sandra Gillis
Sandra has been weaving on and off during her adult years, but in 2007 seriously started taking lessons at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design to get the most out of the floor loom she had inherited from her grandmother. In 2011 she became the proud owner of a Rigid Heddle Loom. Through consultation, courses, and sampling she has explored many of the varied weaves possible on a rigid heddle loom.
To register for this workshop, contact Sandra Gillis at CBWeaveNet@gmail.com
Tapestry
November 3, 4 & 5, 2017
Gaelic College
Instructor - Pia Skaarer Nielsen
Deadline for Registration - Oct 16, 2017
To register for this workshop, contact Sandra Gillis at CBWeaveNet@gmail.com
This workshop will inspire and light a fire under newcomers to tapestry weaving and rekindle the passion already initiated participants have in their hearts for this slow and delightful way of self expression. As always work done during the class will be fairly meticulous and deeply absorbing - mixed with much laughter and ample amounts of stretching exercises - not to mention questions and answers as the pieces slowly begin to grow. Different approaches to tapestry and tapestry techniques will be explored. There will be colour and texture adventures to delight and engage - explorations, mishaps and once again, laughter and stretches. After supper on Friday evening a beautiful tapestry movie about the late Sylvia Heyden will be screened. She was a most wonderful and gentle tapestry weaver. Saturday evening there will be a slide show Tapestry through Time with conversation and exploration of where we are today.
Levels - from Beginner to Intermediary to Still Darn Curious and Excited about Tapestry
Any portable frameloom will work.
Copper frame looms are available from instructor, priced to own at $40 and must be order by October 16.
Material fee is $35 payable to instructor when class starts.
Thursday Night Dinner - $18.00
Thursday Night Accommodation and Friday Breakfast
Double room: $47.50 per person
Single room: $69.00
Day Student: (includes tuition, lunch and breaks) $291.00
Live-in Student: (includes accommodation for Friday and Saturday nights, tuition, and all meals and breaks from Friday morning snack through Sunday afternoon snack)
Double room: $430.00 per person
Single room: $473.00
To register for this workshop, contact Sandra Gillis at CBWeaveNet@gmail.com
Pia Skaarer Nielsen
2017 is my 20th year of enjoying and exploring tapestry weaving.
Tapestry weaving takes me to a place of contemplation and exploration. It helps me see the world in a different light - I get to weave and express what I see with the colours and textures that make my heart sing and put a twinkle in my eye. Tapestry weaving is slow, lovely, contemplative work. It is an artform that allows you to follow a preconceived plan with a cartoon or..... start with a thought, a brief idea, a loose sketch and .....then glide on the wave of emotion and colour while guiding the weft between the warp ends finally letting everything fall gently into place.
I work with commercial yarn as well as my own hand spun yarn designed, spun, dyed for specific projects.
Groups of eager fibre enthusiasts have completed their first tapestry steps under my guidance in my studio in Canning as well as previously in Sydney, Cape Breton.
It has been my great fortune to be able to take classes from the following renowned tapestry teachers:
AnneGro Johannsen, Oslo, Norway
Gina Hedegaard Nielsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Franziska Kurth, Ærø, Denmark
Archie Brennan and Susan Martin Maffei, Tatamagauche, NS, Canada
Ixchel Suarez, Oakville, Ontario
Over the years my work has been exhibited at galleries in Wolfville, Halifax, Dartmouth, Antigonish, Copenhagen, Kerteminde (DK) and to this day I submit a piece every year to a local community winter exhibit at Acadia University.
Looking forward to getting warped with you all.
Gaelic College
Instructor - Pia Skaarer Nielsen
Deadline for Registration - Oct 16, 2017
To register for this workshop, contact Sandra Gillis at CBWeaveNet@gmail.com
This workshop will inspire and light a fire under newcomers to tapestry weaving and rekindle the passion already initiated participants have in their hearts for this slow and delightful way of self expression. As always work done during the class will be fairly meticulous and deeply absorbing - mixed with much laughter and ample amounts of stretching exercises - not to mention questions and answers as the pieces slowly begin to grow. Different approaches to tapestry and tapestry techniques will be explored. There will be colour and texture adventures to delight and engage - explorations, mishaps and once again, laughter and stretches. After supper on Friday evening a beautiful tapestry movie about the late Sylvia Heyden will be screened. She was a most wonderful and gentle tapestry weaver. Saturday evening there will be a slide show Tapestry through Time with conversation and exploration of where we are today.
Levels - from Beginner to Intermediary to Still Darn Curious and Excited about Tapestry
Any portable frameloom will work.
Copper frame looms are available from instructor, priced to own at $40 and must be order by October 16.
Material fee is $35 payable to instructor when class starts.
Thursday Night Dinner - $18.00
Thursday Night Accommodation and Friday Breakfast
Double room: $47.50 per person
Single room: $69.00
Day Student: (includes tuition, lunch and breaks) $291.00
Live-in Student: (includes accommodation for Friday and Saturday nights, tuition, and all meals and breaks from Friday morning snack through Sunday afternoon snack)
Double room: $430.00 per person
Single room: $473.00
To register for this workshop, contact Sandra Gillis at CBWeaveNet@gmail.com
Pia Skaarer Nielsen
2017 is my 20th year of enjoying and exploring tapestry weaving.
Tapestry weaving takes me to a place of contemplation and exploration. It helps me see the world in a different light - I get to weave and express what I see with the colours and textures that make my heart sing and put a twinkle in my eye. Tapestry weaving is slow, lovely, contemplative work. It is an artform that allows you to follow a preconceived plan with a cartoon or..... start with a thought, a brief idea, a loose sketch and .....then glide on the wave of emotion and colour while guiding the weft between the warp ends finally letting everything fall gently into place.
I work with commercial yarn as well as my own hand spun yarn designed, spun, dyed for specific projects.
Groups of eager fibre enthusiasts have completed their first tapestry steps under my guidance in my studio in Canning as well as previously in Sydney, Cape Breton.
It has been my great fortune to be able to take classes from the following renowned tapestry teachers:
AnneGro Johannsen, Oslo, Norway
Gina Hedegaard Nielsen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Franziska Kurth, Ærø, Denmark
Archie Brennan and Susan Martin Maffei, Tatamagauche, NS, Canada
Ixchel Suarez, Oakville, Ontario
Over the years my work has been exhibited at galleries in Wolfville, Halifax, Dartmouth, Antigonish, Copenhagen, Kerteminde (DK) and to this day I submit a piece every year to a local community winter exhibit at Acadia University.
Looking forward to getting warped with you all.
Winter Lace Challenge
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Who: Everyone!
What: A winter weaving project When: Over the winter, and then at the Gathering Why: To inspire us, to keep us in touch through the loooonnnng winter, and for those who took the fall workshop with Laura Fry to cement what they learned Last fall's workshop with Laura Fry was all about lace: Huck, Swedish, Bronson, and more. To help those who took the workshop really cement what they learned, and to encourage everyone else to explore lace a bit more than they might otherwise, we challenge you to plan and weave a project with lace in it. It doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't matter what lace you use. It doesn't have to be all lace. It doesn't even have to be a finished product: lace samples are fair game! Just plan something lacy and get it on yer loom this winter! |
Then bring your project to next year's Gathering for show and tell so we can all see what you made. We're hoping that everyone who comes will have at least one item to share. If there are tons of things, we can make a proper show of it, with similar items together. Regardless, be prepared to tell others what you did, whether you liked it, if you would or wouldn't do it again, and what you learned. There will be a prize (or prizes??) to be won, so don't miss out!
A large part of the reason for the Challenge (and the WeaveNet in general!) is to keep us in touch even though we're spread out around the island, so we'd love to see pictures and read stories of the lace projects you're working on as you're working on them. You can email pictures and progress reports to us here at cbweavenet@gmail.com - we'll collect them all and send out a group update once a month. Or, if you want more real time communication, you can join the Cape Breton Fibre Arts group on Facebook and post them there instead (or as well!). Be sure to check out the group posts to see what others are working on, too!
Anyone already working on some lace? I just so happen to have some proto-lace on my rigid heddle:
A large part of the reason for the Challenge (and the WeaveNet in general!) is to keep us in touch even though we're spread out around the island, so we'd love to see pictures and read stories of the lace projects you're working on as you're working on them. You can email pictures and progress reports to us here at cbweavenet@gmail.com - we'll collect them all and send out a group update once a month. Or, if you want more real time communication, you can join the Cape Breton Fibre Arts group on Facebook and post them there instead (or as well!). Be sure to check out the group posts to see what others are working on, too!
Anyone already working on some lace? I just so happen to have some proto-lace on my rigid heddle:
With the holidays right around the corner - not to mention the unseasonably warm weather! - this may not be the time to get weaving ASAP, but you can start planning now for a project during the dark, snowy days of January and February. I've been meaning to weave some lace curtains for my bathroom, so 2017 will be the year!
So, ladies and gents, what lacy thing are YOU going to weave?
So, ladies and gents, what lacy thing are YOU going to weave?
