I have been on a really exciting and rewarding adventure through the world of weaving, textiles, yarn, dyeing, etc. This all started when my husband gave me a rigid heddle loom as a gift. I had no idea that putting that loom together would be the beginning of a total and complete obsession. I live and breathe weaving and all the rabbit holes it’s opened for me.
One of those rabbit holes has been learning. I live in very northern NY state where there are more cows and horses than people. There are no guilds or shops or groups or anything anywhere close to me to learn from. I have had books and the web, like most of us in this world of fiber arts. I’ve collected books and devoured many of them. I’ve watched endless Youtube videos. I’ve joined online guilds and online schools. I’ve subscribed to every magazine I can find on the subject. I’ve taken a bunch of Zoom classes, which are actually pretty cool. It can be really frustrating to not have a human at your side who can impart their wisdom and skills. As humans, we learn best from other humans. Given the fact that I am limited by my location, location, location, I have managed to learn quite a bit (it’s probably all the wrong way but it’s working).
Here’s a list of some of my favorite resources. I have tried every single one of them and really enjoyed them or they would not be on this list. This is my opinion only. I have not been given anything by anyone to list them here. I’m just not that kind of girl!
Jane Stafford Textiles School of Weaving
This is an amazing resource. I started with lesson one and actually learned how to warp a floor loom from Jane’s videos. Jane is a great teacher, calm and patient. She is very real and takes her time explaining concepts. She has a ton of experience in every aspect of weaving. The videos are top notch in quality. The lessons are thorough and each lesson consists of a number of videos with plenty of .pdf to download. Jane will go down in herstory for this school.
I love Felicia Lo. She is so down to earth. She is so approachable as a teacher. She understands how we learn as adults and uses multimedia learning to its full potential. She and her team of amazingly creative artists have put together a whole world: shop, school, podcast one a growing online community where you can learn and share from other people who are on the same journey.
One of the first places I found. The classes are great for beginners. They are concise with all of the information that you need to get started. The classes answer, pretty much, most of the common beginner questions without dragging on. Very relaxed and not intimidating at all. Classes cover rigid heddle weaving, floor and table loom weaving, color theory and a number of specific weaving techniques. Excellent resource for the beginner to break the ice.
This is a treasure trove of videos (125+) by some of the most incredible authors and teachers out there. Unbelievably good resource to get a variety of opinions and ideas. I have learned so much from these videos. To make things even more outstanding, a membership comes with digital subscriptions to Handwoven, Little Looms, Pieceworks, and Spin Off. Watch anything and everything by Madelyn van der Hoogt. She’s AWESOME!
This is the school associated with Maiwa the shop. I cannot say enough about these videos. I had no idea that I would actually like dyeing textiles until I watched one of these videos. I have taken three classes from them, so far. I have loved every single second. The videos are expertly produced. The imagery is perfection. The music is mesmerizing. The educational value is priceless. All the examples of dyed yarn that you see on the site are yarns I dyed with these techniques. Actually, all of the dye material is from Maiwa, as well.
This is an educational magazine that is dedicated to weaving. It only has a few issues out but they are all blockbusters! Some of the most beloved teachers and authors contribute to each issue. The issues are each dedicated to one subject which is thoroughly investigated. Beautiful pictures, very well written articles, great way of connecting with contemporary resources.
WOW! Each issue is a textbook about a weaving technique. I love Heddlecraft. The lace issues are my go-to’s for everything lace.