Workshop: Weaving with History – Using Historical Textiles

This class runs Friday, June 23 from 9 am-5 pm at the American Swedish Institute and continues on Saturday, June 24 from 9 am-5 pm and Sunday, June 25 from 9 am-2 pm at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. Students will return to ASI on Sunday afternoon for a gathering with other students from the other weekend classes with Sätergläntan instructors.

Join Susanna Ayton, a lead instructor from Sätergläntan Institute for Craft’s weaving program, for a weekend of working with historical textiles. Susanna travels to us from Dalarna, Sweden, where she teaches in the three year hand weaving curriculum. On the first day, students will gather at the American Swedish Institute to examine historical textile examples from ASI’s archival collections. Alongside Susanna, students will practice taking several drafts of historical woven items. On the second and third days, students will work at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota’s downtown Minneapolis studio. Working on pre-warped looms, students will weave samples based on the handwoven objects explored the day before and cover some of the important details of setting up looms for reconstructive weaving. Susanna will also share ways in which historical textiles can be used as inspiration for more contemporary weaving projects.

The class fee includes a $100 materials fee which covers 12 samples in wool, linen, and cotton. Students will have the option to return to WGM to continue working on samples over the following week if desired. Students should have previous experience working on a floor loom and be able to read a draft. Techniques covered will include rölakan, munkabälte, dalldräll, and rosengång.

This class is an extraordinary opportunity to work with an instructor from one of Sweden’s premier institutions for handcraft learning. This June, four instructors from the four core programs (hand sewing, weaving, woodworking and blacksmithing) at Sätergläntan will teach across Minneapolis over one weekend. On the final day of class, all classes will gather at ASI, to meet the other instructors and students and share what they have learned. Limited full scholarships are available to cover this class’s tuition with a priority deadline of March 19, 2023; learn more and apply here.