Learn new weaving, dyeing & basketmaking skills with us on holiday in Spain

• If you do not see the option you are looking for, please do inquire.
• To convert the course duration in hours (h) to full days, just divide the number of hours by 8 and for half-days, divide by 4.

WEAVE

• Just Weave (beginners upwards) (min. 8 hours). We prepare the loom for you before you come so you can just weave!  This course is ideal for those wishing to try weaving for the first time, test out a Louet loom before buying, simply enjoy weaving different designs without setting up the loom first, or try out the wonderful natural linen and wool yarns available at the Textile Studio.  All levels including beginners.
• Weaving Theory:  Analysing cloth and understanding technical cloth drafting. A vital course for anyone who wishes to understand woven cloth structure, use weaving pattern books and design their own hand-woven textiles.  For those with some experience of weaving on a 4 shaft loom upwards.    (8 – 16 hours).
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  • textile assistantship loom preparation
• Complete Weave Course for Beginners – Set up a Louet loom, weave samples and then a final piece of cloth to your own design (40 hours).
• Felpa Weaving Taster Course: Introduction to Galician loop-pile fabric weaving - Try out this local, Galician technique which is traditional in north Spain.  Simple to learn, felpa creates a very tactile fabric and enables you to design your own designs free-hand.  Ideal for cushions, hangings or bedspreads.   (All levels including beginners). (8 hours)
• Felpa Weaving Complete course: Sample with different variations of the technique and then design and weave your own cushion cover with yarns dyed with natural dyes at the Textile Studio.  This course is on a pre-prepared loom.    (24 hours) (All levels including beginners). An additional charge of 35€ is made for the materials for this course.   See photo below to see a felpa cushion.
•  Loom Hire - If you know how to weave and use Louet looms, then why not simply rent a table loom and enjoy working on your own textile project in the studio, using the gorgeous range of un-dyed and natural dyed linen, wool and silk-wool yarns available in the studio.

NATURAL DYE COURSES

• Introduction to Natural Dyes  - Learn how to prepare yarns for dyeing, extract different natural dyes, and use fixers and modifiers to extend the range of colours obtained.  You take home a sample colour card with all the instructions on how to achieve each colour.  (24 hours)
• Dyeing with Orchil - Orchil is fascinating and very ancient purple dye obtained by fermentation of lichens.    In this course you will learn to identify the orchil lichens used in the course during a dye walk (with several other lichens being identified), learn how to macerate the lichen, and then dye a range of purples, mauves and raspberry pinks with the lichen.  Note about lichens:  Please note that this tuition option uses umbilicaria (also known as lasallia) pustulata lichen which is very plentiful in Galicia, northwest Spain.  The lichens are collected following sustainable collecting principles  outlined in Karen Casselman´s “New Source Book”.  (24 hours)
  

 BASKETRY

• Spanish Split Wood Basketry (wide strip, narrow strip, a wide range of borders, forms and different woods) Lluis is a specialist in this kind of basketry and has researched and written on the subject, thanks to a number of grants from the UK Basketmakers´ Association.  Suitable for all levels up to professional level. (Min. 8 hours)
• Spanish Techniques of splitting and planing wood for basketry - Lluis teaches these techniques, learned from traditional Spanish basketmakers from Galicia, in the west, through to the Pyrenees in the east, internationally.  Note:  Prior experience of working with wood and basketry tools / green wood-working tools is an advantage. (min. 8 hours)  
• Willow Basketry for Beginners (8 hours)
•  Spanish Willow and Mediterannean cane basketry techniques and forms from Catalunya – Lluis learned this basketry  from a traditional maker in the Solsonés region of Catalunya and has made  the full range of baskets for over 20 years.  Forms include:  traditional shopping basket, mushrooming basket, double potato-peeling basket, ferret basket,  fish tray, terralló (earth) basket and more.  The characteristic, and unique “Sparrow-hop” base and the Catalan twisted border may be of particular interest to basketmakers.  Intermediate – advanced levels. (8 hours upwards)
• Spanish Willow and Mediterannean cane basketry techniques and forms from Catalunya – Lluis learned this basketry  from a traditional maker in the Solsonés region of Catalunya and has made  the full range of baskets for over 20 years.  Forms include:  traditional shopping basket, mushrooming basket, double potato-peeling basket, ferret basket,  fish tray, terralló (earth) basket and more.  The characteristic, and unique “Sparrow-hop” base and the Catalan twisted border may be of particular interest to basketmakers.  Intermediate – advanced levels.  (8 hours upwards)
• “Spinners Basket” from the Ribeira Sacra region - a lovely little split wood basket used by local women when spinning wool (beginners upwards) (8 hours) see photo below
• Make a Galician ”Celtic” upside-down basket in a day (beginners upwards) (8 hours)

Anna Champeney Estudio Textil / Lluis Grau Spanish Basketmaker – Cristosende 78, 32765 A Teixeira, Ourense, Galicia, Spain