In 2006, I discovered weaving, and fell in love.
I adored the lusciousness of the yarn running through my fingers, the feel of the shuttle flying from one hand to another, the satisfying thump of the beater as it placed each weft thread in the fabric. And the joy of leafing through magazines and pattern books, with each project more interesting than the next!
I couldn’t find this heavenly place, though. My weaving guild met only once a month, and while in-person classes were sporadically available, they didn’t provide the progressive curriculum I needed. They also couldn’t answer the flood of questions that arose as soon as I started designing my own projects!
I kept learning, studying from books and with the help of some amazing mentors. (I also spent a LOT of time weaving, with a bunch of not-quite-rights and downright disasters.) But I couldn’t help dreaming of that magical weaving school, with a community of fellow weavers, that would help me answer those “What-if” questions.
Nobel-winning writer Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, and it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” As a teacher, I saw the power of community-supported learning, and I started asking myself, “What if…I could make that school I dreamed of? What if I could bring something like that into being?”
The Handweaving Academy is our answer to that “What-if?”. It’s the dream that Janet and I have had all our lives – a weaving school with a thorough curriculum, combined with a supportive community, that will help weavers – you! – answer their what-ifs.
That’s why we created the Academy. We hope you love it.
