More Than Weaving Techniques:
We Weave Together Craft, Curiosity, and Creativity
A Playground for Weavers
Join the Academy to learn hands-on, connect to a global weaving community, and stash away spools of inspiration.
New courses regularly released each month, all connecting back to one holistic learning experience
Online, always-on forum and live virtual events to connect with your fellow weavers for feedback and support
Easily find solutions with an ever-growing toolbox of tips on what tool to use, glossaries of weaving terms, tricks while you’re weaving, and more
The Handweaving Academy definitely provides a valuable learning experience.
Linda Hayes
The support students receive via ZOOM meetings and courses and forums means one can have the support of a Guild while being alone. The knowledge of the teachers is phenomenal and their willingness to help is a true virtue and credit to the Academy. The site is easy to negotiate, and offers the chance to move from the mundane to amazing creativity.
I am pleased to be part of this weaving community and to continue to be part of it.
Dayamitra
The classes are very well organized, encompassing various aspects of working with color and weaving structure, and then bringing them together to a final project at the end. The instructors, Tien and Janet, are extremely helpful guiding us along the way.
I would recommend the Academy classes to any weaver, even those with only basic weaving knowledge, who would like to learn how to use color and weaving structures to achieve the most out of their woven projects. I tried one of their Weave-Alongs and was blown away! I could have used this kind of instruction years ago.
Sonia Kamel
Comprehensive, Easily Digestible Courses
This isn’t your average ‘bundle of weaving courses.’
In the Academy, we have guided Learning Paths for you to follow (or to completely ignore and strike out on your own learning journey—you weave your way!).
A Learning Path is a series of related short, focused courses that build on one another and culminate in a project that puts all you’ve learned into practice.
Everyone Learns Differently
We work really hard to create courses that fit multiple learning styles:
- Project-based to help put into practice what you learned
- Text, pictures, and videos so you can take in content however you prefer
- Video demonstrations for every online exercise
- Closed-captioning on every video
- Text, pictures, and videos so you can take in content however you prefer
- Video demonstrations for every online exercise
- Class-based forums for folks who learn best alongside others
Want to check out our current syllabus?
Head on over here to see some of the courses coming soon to the Academy.
The complex-yet-intuitive site has so much already and holds the promise of so much more.
The lessons are clear and filled with lots of aha! moments, including things I didn’t know and things
that I thought I already understood. I can’t wait to spend time here.
Jacey Boggs Faulkner, Editor/owner, Ply Magazine
Mary Wood
Charlene Schmidt
Weave Your Way
At the Academy, we do our best to make sure what you need is right there, where and when you need it.
From focused discussions to live conversations, handy calculators to hands-on learning—we’ve got you covered.
Get out there and explore the world of weaving.
Class-Specific
Discussions
Share photos, learn about others’ creative process, and find immediate support
Monthly Live Peer
Support Discussions
Our most popular live event—connect with weavers from across the globe every month
Guided
Projects
Follow the project ‘recipe’ or go off-book to apply what you learned on the loom
Weaver’s
Toolbox
Calculators, quick how-to’s, a glossary, and more—all (finally) in one spot and constantly updated
Live Lectures
& Q&As
Learn better live? Hop on to take new courses monthly right alongside Janet and Tien (PREMIUM ONLY)
Design Demos with Tien,
& Office Hours with Janet
Build up your design chops and bulk up your technique with these live sessions (PREMIUM ONLY)
The Handweaving Academy definitely provides a valuable learning experience.
Linda Hayes
The support students receive via ZOOM meetings and courses and forums means one can have the support of a Guild while being alone. The knowledge of the teachers is phenomenal and their willingness to help is a true virtue and credit to the Academy. The site is easy to negotiate, and offers the chance to move from the mundane to amazing creativity.
I am pleased to be part of this weaving community and to continue to be part of it.
Dayamitra
The classes are very well organized, encompassing various aspects of working with color and weaving structure, and then bringing them together to a final project at the end. The instructors, Tien and Janet, are extremely helpful guiding us along the way.
I would recommend the Academy classes to any weaver, even those with only basic weaving knowledge, who would like to learn how to use color and weaving structures to achieve the most out of their woven projects. I tried one of their Weave-Alongs and was blown away! I could have used this kind of instruction years ago.
Sonia Kamel
Content For Floor, Table, and Rigid Heddle Looms
With hundreds of members, it’s no surprise we have every loom under the sun represented. And some members have multiple looms! We want to help more weavers confidently explore their creativity, no matter the loom.
Our courses are shaft-focused, especially ones dealing with structure. However! Some of our courses are easily applicable to rigid heddle looms. Plus—we have rigid heddle-specific courses coming soon!
Floor Loom
92% of members
Table Loom
46% of members
Rigid Heddle Loom
43% of members
Do you have a rigid heddle loom? Read more to see if we’re the right fit for you.
Take a Tour of the Academy
There Is No “Right” Way To Weave
The Handweaving Academy is your place to discover new techniques,
try out ideas, and ask for help without fear of judgment.
There are a million and one ways to approach a weaving project, and we expect our members to give support and feedback with kindness, grace,
and encouragement.
A ‘no-expert’ zone. Instead of saying, “You’re doing it wrong,” we say, “This is what has worked for me and the things I weave.”
All about weaving. Everything, from discussions to questions, will be centered around weaving.
Safe. There are weavers from all over the world and coming from all backgrounds. We have a zero-tolerance policy for any -ism (racism, heterosexism, classism, ageism, etc).
The World of Weaving At Its Best
We took all the best parts of online courses and integrated them into our lessons: 24/7 access so you can learn at your own pace with supporting materials and worksheets.
We took all the best parts of the weaving guild and brought it online: connection, inspiration, and friendship.
We took all the best parts of in-person learning and translated them into an online experience: engaging teaching methods, peer-to-peer discussion, and project-based learning.
We did our best to make The Handweaving Academy feel like a real academy (minus the lunchroom food fights).
Our current members are loving it.
The printable material is complete and easy to follow as well as the web content. The knowledge the team shares is vast, so questions are answered in a satisfactory time and manner.
Sandy L
The classes build on one another with exercises that encourage experimentation within the learning context, expanding ways of seeing and translating ideas into cloth.
All this takes place within a supportive group of weavers and teachers who share ideas and offer assistance with everything related to weaving.
Charlene
New Techniques, Fresh Ideas, Reliable Support
We do so much more than offer top-quality courses at The Handweaving Academy—each and every course connects back to a larger curriculum, has class-specific forums, and photo galleries for members to show their work. Come join us!
Not sure if The Handweaving Academy is for you?
Give us a try!
We want you to be happy! We have a one-time, 14-day refund policy. If you’re unhappy in the first two weeks of your membership, just let us know and we’ll cancel your subscription and refund your money.
14-Day refund policy
BASIC MEMBERSHIP
$
19
.99
PER MONTH
$
199
PER YEAR
Save more than 15% with an annual plan at $199/yr
Access to all courses
New classes every month
Friendly & knowledgeable community
Weaving-focused discussion forums
Monthly Weaving Help group meetings with fellow weavers
Monthly Design Help online get-togethers with your peers
Monthly Weaving Help group meetings with fellow weavers
14-day refund policy
Premium MEMBERSHIP
$
34
.99
PER MONTH
$
349
PER YEAR
Save more than 15% with an annual plan at $349/yr
Everything in basic membership!
PLUS!
Live Lectures with both Tien & Janet
Live Q&As with both Tien & Janet
Office Hours with Janet every other month
Design Sessions with Tien every other month
Recordings and transcripts of ALL past Premium Webinars
Got a question? We’ve got an answer!
Here’s a link to our syllabus!
Put simply: we’re not just a collection of videos, we’re an entire learning community. That means that you get more than passive learning – you get interactive exercises, a chance to discuss those exercises with other participants, and a whole community dedicated to supporting weavers who want to learn.
Our classes are excellent and stand on their own – but we’re more than just our classes, we’re a learning center – an Academy in every sense of the word.
We’re glad you asked! There are plenty of reasons.
The first is that we’re NOT just a collection of classes, unlike many other weaving schools.
While the prerecorded classes offer excellent value on their own, our classes also have a strong interactive component in the form of class-specific discussion forums, live Q&As with Tien and Janet, etc.
As a result, you’ll get more value from the classes if you take the classes when they’re initially released. That’s because most of the community will be going through the classes at the same time, so the class project Show & Tell, discussion forums, etc. will be more active right after courses are released.
And because we offer a money-back guarantee within the first 14 days of a new subscription, there’s really no risk in signing up now to explore the site.
Come take a look, check out our exciting upcoming classes, and – once you’ve seen what we have to offer – decide whether to continue.
If not, we’ll cheerfully refund your money. It’s important to us that our students are happy.
So: no risk, more action, and a fabulous year of learning. What’s NOT to love?
Yes you can! You can cancel or rejoin at any time.
If you’re an off-and-on weaver, we recommend a monthly subscription – that way you can subscribe only in the months you’re weaving.
If you don’t have an active subscription, you won’t be able to access most of the site, but all your designs, course progress, etc. will be there when you return.
We work hard to make things easy for you!
YES! In fact, projects are an essential element of the Academy. We offer our classes in Learning Paths – groups of classes that build on each other – and each Learning Path culminates in a project that you design and create yourself. That lets you practice and apply everything you’ve discovered in the Learning Path.
In addition, some of our monthly classes will offer projects for you to weave.
Nope! The projects are a great way to consolidate and practice what you’ve learned in the individual classes, but they are COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. If you don’t want to weave them or your loom’s tied up with other projects, just skip them! It’s totally okay.
Both!
The classes are accessible any time (“prerecorded”), and are a combination of text and video demonstrations.
We also have five live sessions every month:
- The Peer Support: Design Help and Peer Support: Weaving Help sessions are available to all membership levels.
- The Live Lecture, Live Q&A, Design Sessions with Tien, and Office Hours with Janet sessions are available only to Premium members. (Design Sessions with Tien and Office Hours with Janet take place in alternating months.)
Finally, we have 24/7 discussion forums for each class, where you can share your work, ask questions about class material, and get inspired by seeing what others have done.
- Live Lecture: 1st Sunday of every month, 12-1 pm Pacific Time
- Peer Support: Weaving Help: 2nd Saturdays, 10-11:30 am Pacific Time
- Design Sessions with Tien and Office Hours with Janet take place from 12-1 pm Pacific Time on 3rd Sundays, alternating months. (Janet gets odd months, Tien takes even months.)
- Q&A with Tien & Janet: 3rd Wednesdays, 4-5:30 pm Pacific
- Peer Support: Design Help: 4th Mondays, 4-5:30 pm Pacific
The Live Lecture, Live Q&A, Design Demos with Tien, and Office Hours with Janet sessions are recorded, closed-captioned, and transcribed. The recordings and transcripts are available indefinitely to all Premium members.
For the privacy of the participants, the Peer Support: Design Help and Peer Support: Weaving Help sessions are not recorded.
You have access to materials as long as you remain a paid member at the relevant level.
Basic membership gets you access to all courses, while recordings of live sessions with Tien and Janet are available to Premium members only.
The Handweaving Academy, at least at the outset, will focus on shaft loom weaving. Most of our drafts will be for looms with 4 to 8 shafts, but we welcome weavers with more or fewer shafts, and we also welcome rigid heddle weavers.
Rigid heddle weavers are absolutely welcome here! Check out our rigid heddle syllabus.
Nope! We use Handweaving.net’s Color/Draft Editor in some of our classes, but it runs in any web browser. You don’t need to purchase any software for our classes.
If you are planning on doing the online exercises, particularly with the Color Editor, we recommend using either a computer/laptop with a mouse, or a tablet with a stylus – it will make designing a lot easier.
You can access the Handweaving Academy from any web browser. PC, tablet, phone – if it runs a web browser, you can access the Academy from it.
If you are planning on doing the online exercises, particularly with the Color Editor, we recommend using either a computer/laptop with a mouse, or a tablet with a stylus – it will make designing a lot easier.
No problem! Our website is clean, simple, and easy to use. We have excellent help documentation, and Dawn, our tech support team, is happy to pitch in if you have any questions. (And we love feedback on how to make things better!)
Premium members get access to the live sessions with Tien and Janet. While Tien and Janet will participate in the forums regularly, we can’t guarantee that we’ll answer your questions there.
Yes! Here’s an extensive site tour. For those who aren’t into videos, we’ve provided a transcript as well. You’ll find a link to it at the top of the page.
Absolutely not! The community is entirely here, inside the Handweaving Academy. Facebook is not involved at all.
We want you to be happy! We have a one-time, 14-day refund policy, so if you’re unhappy in the first 14 days of your membership, let us know and we’ll refund your money.
Still got questions?
No problem! Just email us at [email protected] and we’ll happily answer them.
