A Little Southern Hospitality

It’s always an honor and privilege to teach a workshop . . . but, when you live in the Pacific Northwest while getting hit with record-setting cold temperatures (they’re reporting we’re having the coldest April on record . . . Brrrr!) it’s a marvelous treat to head to the south to teach.  Not only was the weather warmer, drier, and the sun was visible . . . a little southern hospitality goes down nice and smooth.

First stop . . . John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.  If you’ve never been there, you’re really missing something!  A week at JCC is akin to summer camp for adults . . . but, with an artistic orientation.  I was teaching a workshop The Thrill of a Twill.  In this workshop, we cover the designing and weaving of advancing twills and networked drafted twills.  An ominous topic to some, but everyone in the workshop dove right in like a seasoned veteran and by lunch on the first day had designed an original networked drafted twill . . . and then the warping began.  The rest of the week was exploring the depth of what can be done with advancing twills and networked drafted twills.  Below are some of the results from the workshop.  In one of the images, you can see a small piece of red velvet woven during the workshop.  While I was there, I did a velvet weaving demonstration for the participants at the school and on the last day everyone in the workshop got to try their hand at weaving this luxurious fabric.

Treadling variations on a single networked drafted twill

More networked drafted twills with variations in treadling and color

Another networked drafted twill

It may not be weaving related, but I had to include an image of the chairs made in the Windsor chair class.  I’m always so impressed with what everyone does during the week.

The results from the Windsor chair class

Next stop . . . Tallahassee, FL and the Seven Hills Handweavers Guild.  The setting was classically southern . . . The workshop was held at the Brokaw-McDougall House, one of the finest remaining antebellum homes in Tallahassee.   It was built around 1856 and is an example of a Classical Revival building with strong Italianate influences.  Needless to say, it was grand . . . but, it was especially fun to fill it up with weavers and looms.

The Brokaw-McDougall House in Tallahassee, FL

Some of the looms and weavers in the workshop