Convergence 2010 Albuquerque

Workshops Preview

 

While we put the finishing touches on the rest of the HGA Convergence 2010 Albuquerque registration material, here is a preview of the Two- and Three-Day Workshops!

 

Wednesday, July 21 through Sunday, July 25

9:00 am - noon and 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm daily*

*Note: Thursday, July 22 Workshops start at 9:15 am - 12:15 pm,

 afternoon 1:00 pm–4:00 pm.

 

The Convergence 2010 Albuquerque workshops will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center. These two- and three-day workshops are intensive hands-on experiences led by experts. Participants will receive instructions, comprehensive supply lists and equipment rental information with their registration confirmation.  Class pricing information, along with information about one day Studio Classes, Super Seminars, and Seminars, will be available soon.

 

WW206: Wednesday and Thursday*

It’s All About You!

Susan Lazear Looking your best in what you wear is a learned art. This workshop will focus on teaching the basic skills of personal taste and figure analysis, as well as techniques one can use to camouflage and emphasize. Choosing garment styles and combining these with the appropriate fabrics (whether handwoven or commercial) will be covered, as well as the elements and principles of design and fabric design.

 

WW301: Wednesday, Thursday* and Friday

Felt Tapestry with Bas Relief

Leland Guthrie Break out of the geometric confines of warp and weft with smooth curves, seamless color gradients, and sculptural embellishment as we dive into the wild world of felt in this unique three-day workshop. The first day will be spent immersing ourselves in the freeform liberties of loose wool and the crisp borders of prefelt cut-outs. On the second day, come prepared to get wet, wild and soapy as we roll, dance, stomp, and squish our tapestries into life using traditional wet felting techniques. Finally, on the third day we will relax from the felting flurry and recruit the ubiquitous needle and thread to coax our felted designs to emerge from two-dimensional space into astonishing 3-D bas-relief! Each participant will return home with a unique felt tapestry that can be converted for use as a rug, an ottoman cover, pillow cover, or wall hanging. You must be able to stand and maintain a mild level of physical exertion for several hours at a time when we are felting.

 

WW302: Wednesday, Thursday* and Friday

The WOW Factor: Weaving Outrageous Weavings

Ruby Leslie Weaving cloth is easy, but weaving consistently good cloth requires an understanding of design, a word that most weavers associate only with making garments. Design is possibly the most overlooked concept in a weaver’s repertoire. Focusing on color, structure, methods, and technique, you will learn how to implement these design elements in the weaving studio, leading to creative cloth with the WOW factor. A variety of off-loom, hands-on exercises, including the use of a complete color line of Tencel® yarn, will demonstrate how to successfully incorporate design and color principles into woven structures.

 

WW303: Wednesday, Thursday* and Friday

Pictures, Piles, Potpourri, and Perplexing Curiosities

Robyn Spady In this round-robin workshop, participants will expand their knowledge and experience in weave structures they may have heard of but may not have woven. It’s a surefire weaving adventure and a challenging journey of warp and weft for intermediate to advanced weavers, and even adventure-seeking beginners. Structures covered include swivel, bead leno, corduroy, velvet, samitum, lampas, taquéte, corkscrew twills, and Beiderwand, and a couple of other weave structures thrown in for fun. This three-day workshop is a combination of hands-on weaving, lecture, and discussion, and at the end, participants will leave with a complete sample notebook.

 

WA201: Thursday* and Friday

Fabulous Jackets from Handwoven Fabric

Fred Bloebaum This inspiring workshop is for handweavers who are afraid to cut into their fabric! Join pattern designer Fred Bloebaum as she guides you through the process of making beautiful, figure-flattering jackets that are more than just squares and rectangles. Fred will help fit patterns, explain types of interfacing, and demonstrate a wealth of seam finishing and lining techniques to make your jacket unique and professionally constructed.

 

WA203: Thursday* and Friday

Beaded Kumihimo Color Block

Lynn M. Caldwell Take beaded Kumihimo to the next level! This class is designed for intermediate/advanced braiders. We will design and braid complex color blocks in beads for a bracelet or necklace. Basic Kumihimo braiding experience required.

 

WA207: Thursday* and Friday

New Visions-Ancient Paths: Wedge Weave

Connie Lippert Wedge weave is a tapestry weave which was practiced by the Navajo in the late 1800’s. In contrast to most weaving, which is woven horizontally on the loom, wedge weave is woven on the diagonal, which gives it its characteristic scalloped edge. Participants will explore wedge weave on their pre-warped loom with emphasis on the unique problems presented by this technique.

 

WA208: Thursday* and Friday

Introduction to Rio Grande Style Weaving

Karen Martinez Learn the four basic shuttle techniques on a Rio Grande high tension standing loom, creating a seven-banded traditional Rio Grande weaving. Participants will complete a table runner approximately forty inches long while learning about balance, tension and carrying a straight edge. Warped looms will be provided.

 

WA209: Thursday* and Friday

Unlocking the Magic of Geometric Design and the Golden Proportion

Jennifer Moore In this fun and action-packed workshop, explore geometric shapes and their symbolism, create beautiful mandala-type designs, learn how to use the golden proportion and the Fibonacci series, work with dynamic rectangles, plus a few surprises. There will be lots of coloring and paper cutouts, and participants will go home with greater design confidence, a tool kit full of skills, and a new way of seeing the world.

 

WA210: Thursday* and Friday

The Thick and Thin of Rep

Rosalie Neilson Thick and thin wefts combine with two different warp colorways to become the exploratory pathway in warp-faced rep. Learn ways of treadling to maximize the number of design possibilities. Discussions will focus on color, movement of blocks in independent and linked fashion, skeleton tie-ups, threading systems, and designing for multi-shaft looms. Prior to the workshop, participants receive color suggestions and threading drafts to prepare their 4- or 8-shaft looms.

 

WA213: Thursday*, and Friday

Synchronicity of a Cord

Marjorie Preece Try out cords and braids from many cultures: Japanese, Chinese, European, Viking, Andean for a start. See how different techniques make similar cords, and explore the history of each. At least fifteen technique samples plus variations will make a great reference book. Participants will experience twisted cord, basic braiding, fingerloop braiding, Kumihimo braiding on a disc, Viking whipcord braiding, three types of fingerweaving, ply-split braiding and other miscellaneous techniques.

 

WA214: Thursday* and Friday

Machine Knitting to Dye for

Nancy Roberts Participants will learn how to operate a basic knitting machine to produce yardage for dyeing. Dyeing knitted fabric, unlike dyeing a skein, produces a self-striping yarn with long repeats of color. These specially dyed yarns have infinite textile applications, including weaving, knitting, crocheting, and felting. Participants will have the opportunity to machine knit and dye yarn for several projects such as a woven scarf, a knitted hat, a felted bag, or knitted socks. Knitting machines provided with option to purchase.

 

WA215: Thursday* and Friday

Exploring Surface Designs Techniques

Teresa Ruch After taking a look at several surface design techniques, there will be a discussion as to how they work, why they work, and if they will work on other fibers. Devoré, the removal of pile in pattern on rayon velvet, pole-wrapped shibori, a stencil technique, de-gumming silk, and pattern with clamp resist techniques will be explored. Synthetic fabrics with thermoplastic properties will be wrapped, clamped, and heat set to new shapes. Commercial fabrics will be used, but application on handwoven fabrics will be discussed.

 

WA222: Thursday* and Friday

Spinning Four Cellulose Fibers: Hemp, Ramie, Bamboo & Tencel®

Patsy Sue Zawistoski Bamboo, Tencel®, hemp, and ramie are all important cellulose fibers for today’s spinners to understand. Two are very old and two are very new. We will prepare, dye, spin, and ply all of them to fully understand their differences. Blends, novelties, and combination yarns will be discussed in order to spin the ultimate cellulose yarns for summer shawls, tops, and scarves.

 

WB202: Saturday and Sunday

Cut It Up: Re-style, Recycle, and Re-use to Create One-of-a Kind Garments

Fred Bloebaum In this innovative class, designer/author Fred Bloebaum will assist students in creating an original garment by combining sweaters, tee shirts, fabric, trim, buttons, and other unusual materials. Search your closets, fabric stash (especially those beautiful scraps and pieces of handwoven fabrics you can’t bear to throw away!), resale and thrift stores to find an unlimited supply of materials and inspiration for this exciting class.

 

WB204: Saturday and Sunday

Bobbin Lace Basics

Tracy Jackson Participants will learn equipment

requirements, pattern preparation, and basic stitches of bobbin lace. Progressive patterns will include grounds, edges, fans, motifs, and plaiting. The Belgian color code is stressed to encourage individual progress.

 

WB205: Saturday and Sunday

One Pattern, Many Variations

Linda Kubik Is there ever a “perfect” pattern? What if you don’t have enough fabric or need to add a piece? How about changing the collar or adding pockets? Using Linda’s Elements 008 pattern, explore fit, fashion, individual style and customizing a pattern. Bring your fabric and frustrations and learn how to think creatively as a sewer. Participants must bring their own yardage, notions, and related equipment.

 

WB211: Saturday and Sunday

Natural Dyeing: The Ancient Dyes

Liesel Orend Learn the basics of natural dyeing for wool and cotton yarns. The properties of well-known dyes such as osage orange, cochineal, cutch, logwood, and madder will be explained in detail. Participants will also learn to create an indigo vat. Discussions will include safe mordanting procedures, using the least toxic materials available, preparation of dye baths, washing finished yarn, and keeping records. Participants will create a rainbow of brilliant samples!

 

WB212: Saturday and Sunday

Weaving Structures for Beginners

Marcy Petrini The focus will be on the various classes of

weaving structures on four shafts, their characteristics, appropriate edgings, treadling possibilities, the effect of sett, and potential applications. Discussions will include the differences among weave structures (i.e., twills vs. unit weaves) as well as the similarities (i.e., overshot vs. monks’ belts). These weaving structures will then be expanded to 8 shafts. Participants will learn to draft various structures.

 

WB216: Saturday and Sunday

Wool Combing for Color Effect

Lynn Ruggles Participants will use traditional-style wool combs for preparation of a smooth, even, handcombed top. A variety of combing techniques and handson practice with several different types of combs will be explored. Learn how to blend consistent colors for a project and how to blend for graduated color yarns. Participants will also practice spinning worsted yarns from combed tops.  Lynn recently earned the Certificate of Excellence, Level I, Technical Skills in Handspinning.

 

WB217: Saturday and Sunday

Artful Knit: A Sculptural Approach to Knitting

Adrienne Sloane  Develop a personal language of forms by experimenting with knitting fundamentals to uncover the enormous possibilities of a three-dimensional knit. By manipulating stitches and solving knitting geometry, participants will learn to “think knit.” The class will explore the use of non-traditional materials and cover a range of dimensional techniques to help create shape and stability. There will be an opportunity to work on specific sculptural projects to innovatively incorporate these ideas.

 

WB218: Saturday and Sunday

Diversify Your Weaving Portfolio

Jannie Taylor Diversified Plain Weave is an often overlooked weave structure that deserves more exploration. In this workshop weavers will learn the wonderful qualities and possibilities of this weave through lecture and handson practice. Each participant will bring a loom pre-threaded to a design provided by the instructor. Participants will leave the class with an annotated workbook, a set of samples, and the skills to go on to design their own uniquely “diversified” textiles.

 

WB219: Saturday and Sunday

Navajo Weaving Boot Camp

Mary Walker and Jennie Slick Learn the basics of weaving in the Navajo way from master weaver Jennie Slick and her assistant Mary Walker. Using looms provided, Jennie and Mary will guide participants through the processes of warping the loom, designing, and weaving. This class will give participants a new appreciation for Navajo rugs.

 

WB220: Saturday and Sunday

Weaving Summer and Winter to Taqueté

Lillian A. Whipple This workshop begins with an explanation of summer and winter, summer and winter polychrome and taqueté. The looms are to be pre-warped with sewing thread in a bookmark width (2 inches) and will be woven with embroidery floss. These three structures are all woven on the same threading. The threading draft and sett will be provided ahead of time. Some designs will be given, and participants will be encouraged to design some of own.

 

WB221: Saturday and Sunday

Expanding the Digital Print to Uncommon Surfaces

Kathyanne White This hands-on workshop will cover the many aspects of printing quality digital images on a variety of textiles and papers using an inkjet printer. Image and substrate preparation with regard to obtaining a quality digital print on a variety of surfaces will be covered. Participants will coat fabric with digital grounds and print images on these fabrics, as well as complete small studies from the digital prints. Leader will be using Adobe® Photoshop® and/or Adobe® Photoshop® Elements. Participants should have knowledge of a photo based program in order to manipulate images to use for printing and be able to save images according to the instructions given. Some knowledge of printing photographs or digital images will be helpful.

 

 

More information about other classes and all HGA Convergence 2010 Albuquerque activities will be available soon!  Sign up for HGA's Convergence newsletter for notification of class topics and descriptions and other Convergence information.