I want to weave!

Our studio weaving instruction covers many types of looms and weave types. If you are keen to take up weaving, there are a few considerations that will hep you figure out your preference on where to begin.

What do I want to make with my woven piece of fabric?

Your final project for the woven piece of fabric - shawl, baby blanket, cushion cover, baby warp, wall hanging, bag strap - would influence the type of loom you use to weave.

For example, a baby wrap is a long continuous handwoven piece of fabric. No piecing of fabric is done for safety reasons as the sewn joint would be a point of weakness in the wrap. For this reason, most baby wraps need to be completed on floor looms as they are sufficiently wide and able to weave a much longer piece of fabric compared to other looms. Weaving on a floor loom is a much more complicated process compared to weaving on a rigid heddle loom. Dressing a floor loom also takes much longer compared to dressing a rigid heddle loom.

We currently offer two packages for weaving a length of fabric that could be used as a baby wrap. You have the choice of completing the project on a floor loom in the studio or on a table loom that is available for home rental. Contact us for a more detailed discussion on the weaving packages.

If you are looking to weave a scarf, shawl or table runner, the rigid heddle loom will be a good loom to get started with. There are two ways to get started. You could look out for our Introduction to Rigid Heddle Weaving classes where we will talk about project planning, basics of weaving and each work to complete a designated project on a pre-dressed loom. Alternatively, if you cannot wait for our classes, you can consider purchasing a half-day studio pass ($50 for up to 4 hours). This will allow you the opportunity to weave on the pre-dressed display models in our studio. We will show you the bare bones of how to operate the shed and shuttle so that you can get started. If you find yourself enjoying it and would like additional instruction, we do have the option of instruction top-up.

Straps woven on inkle looms are often used as straps for bags and pouches. We offer a beginner inkle loom weaving class to start you off with a narrow band that can be made into a lanyard or multiple key fobs. Once you have completed the beginner class, you can proceed on to more complicated patterns as well as letters in different fonts and sizes. Make a customised strap and use it as a pet leash or a personalised straps for cameras and guitars.

Tapestry weaving is easy to pick up and enables you to create beautiful wall hangings. We offer three different sizes of the Schacht Easel Weaver, a tapestry looms that can also serve as the display stand for your weaving. The Easel Weaver is available for purchase as a standalone or a kit that comes with all the necessary weaving tools needed to create your own masterpiece.

Last but not least, for those who see weaving as a non-portable activity that requires complicated equipment, let us introduce you to the Zoom loom. It is a mini loom that allows you to weave on the go. You will create squares using the loom and then connect the squares if you wish to make larger projects. Each square uses approximately 7 yards of yarn and will definitely be a good way to use up the odds and ends of your yarn after you complete your other projects.

How do I book classes with Craft Atelier?

Weaving classes are offered at least once a month in our workshop calendar. However, as there are many different types of looms to weave on, we may not be able to offer the full range of looms every month. These classes will explore planning a weaving project, basics of weaving and if time permits, dressing of the loom. Customized classes are also available by appointment. Do get in touch with us for more information.

For those who wish to try weaving but cannot wait for our classes, we offer the use of our dressed rigid heddle and inkle looms in our studio. A half-day studio pass should be sufficient time for you to complete a good length on both the rigid heddle and inkle looms. We offer the use of the Zoom loom as well as frame looms for studio use, but these will not be dressed in advance.

After your first class or studio session, if you wish to explore more in-depth weaving techniques or learn how to dress a loom, we can then proceed with personalized classes where you will work on projects of your choice. You may then decide on the type of yarn, width and length of fabric, as well as weaving pattern.

For those who are specific about what they wish to weave, eg a length of fabric to be used as a baby warp, we have packages for that too. As the commitment to that is much higher, we will need to talk you through what is included in the packages. It would be a good idea to pop by the studio to have a chat with us about what you are thinking of making.

There are looms to suit all types of weavers and projects. Take a class and find out how much fun weaving is!