For years I wanted to go to Vävstuga Weaving School in Shelburne Falls, Mass. Though I’ve been weaving for quite a while and have been using Becky’s “flippy book” and video since I bought my Glimakra Standard a year and a half ago, I still learned quite a few good tips and it’s always fun to hang out with other weavers, both new to the craft and experienced.
Where to begin? Located on the Deerfield River next to the Bridge of Flowers, the setting alone is beautiful. A weaving friend of mine did the class with me so we shared the double room in the dorm where we were surrounded by gorgeous handwovens.
The whole crew was awesome. From dealing with Bettie in the office during “registration” to being greeted by Tonya the first evening. I have to say, I’m a food-driven girl and Kim’s meals were something to look forward to. I was salivating an hour after a meal from the smells coming from the kitchen. I will be waiting very impatiently for the cookbook to come out and will buy it immediately. The salads were ridiculous. My favorite was the pear… I think…. Honestly, I’d go back just for the food alone.
Becky had a great way of mixing weaving with drafting classes to get us away from the looms for a bit each morning and afternoon. As long as I’ve been weaving, I’ve always relied on computer programs or magazine and book drafts to weave. I know have a tiny understanding, but it’s still a little foggy in my head. We had a couple of ladies in our class that had never woven on a floor loom before. The rest of us were SO impressed with their quick grasp of craft. I would say that is a great sign of how great of a teacher Becky is.
Probably my favorite part of the whole week was dinner at Becky’s house one night. Shocker. It involves food. It was amazing. What a beautiful spot she lives on. Reminds me of my grandfather’s place in New Hampshire. The dining room was fully lit with candles when we arrived and we were treated to a Swedish-style meal at Becky’s table. After dinner was a tour of the house with all of it’s looms available for classes and the Immersion Program (oh, but that I could do THAT!). I fell in love with the smålandsväv fabrics and would definitely love to return for a class in that structure. The big treat to end the evening was a little concert in the living room. Thank you to my class-mate, Liz for the permission to use this photo!!
If you can do it, go. If you are an experienced weaver, you’ll still learn a few things, if you are a new weaver, you will come out far ahead of those of us that were mostly self-taught. I leave you with random pictures from the week.
