Learn to Weave in a Week

Monday, a new class begins at the Visual Art Center of Richmond. It is my Learn to Weave in a Week class. We will meet mornings M-F and dress the looms, and weave off a nice project. If you are interested, check out my classes in the list of fiber classes for adults at http://www.visarts.org
I am also teaching kids to embroider, weave, tie-dye, and spin yarn. So you can enjoy the fiber arts, and sign your tween or teen to do the same.
If you are looking for sewing classes, I have a class upcoming June 18 from 1-4 pm at my own studio at Roseneath. This is for students 11-16. Bring your own machine, or use mine. e-mail me for more information.
maidensweaver@earthlink.net
Spots are still available at the Glen Allen studio for weavers. We meet on Sunday afternoons from 1:30 - 4 pm.
I accept spinning students during this time also. It is a group class, so you will also meet other weavers and spinners.
If you don't see what you are looking for, you can e-mail me, or check out my website at
http://cherrihankins.com

silver linings

Just a not on hidden blessings. I accepted a commission months ago for a hand-spun, hand-woven project. I have done thousands of yards of spinning merino yarn, and dressing the loom with thousands of yards of warp, only to discover an error half way into the project. Not a problem, I found a use for the fabric, that would still work toward part of the same commission, cut the error off the loom and proceeded to wet finish. Much to my surprise, after years of dyeing fibers, I finally did one that bled!!! I had indigo bleed into all my lovely handspun, handwoven white weaving, and did everything within my power to restore the work to it's natural state. It never happened. I am stuck with this chambray blue weaving that is no larger than a lap blanket. What to do. I dried the fabric and pressed, as a matter of doing things right. And guess what. I fell in love. It is merino after all. It is sooo soft and I never weave for myself, so here is this amazing little gift. It is wonderful, and I have plenty of time to replace the work that was messed up, and you know what! I learned something in the process! Isn't that what we are supposed to do in life? Learn from our mistakes. No matter how experienced you get, don't forget to take care of the details.
Let me say that again:
"No matter how experienced you get, don't forget to take care of the details"
Take care, and learn something from your mistakes today. Give yourself a gift, and take a bad situation, and turn it into a blessing for someone.
Cherri

More setbacks

Well, there has been another setback on the tallit. I took the hand-spun, handwoven tallit and atarah off the loom today, and wetfinished it. The navy blue dye bled! Throughout the entire tub and ruined everything. I am heart sick.
This sucks!!!!!
Well, good thing I love what I do, so back to the beginning. I learned from my mistake. Althoug I dyed the yarn myself, I rinsed it until the water ran clear. I didn't know the dye would find a way to bleed. I should have used synthrapol, or a color catcher to remove the residual dye before weaving it. Please learn from my mistake. Even if you have been dyeing for years, if you have gotten so that it's 'old hat', don't let stuff slip. Do every thing you can to make it work, even if you are sure you don't need to.
Gotta go, I have got a lot of work to make up.
Cherri

what's on the loom?

Just thought I would post some pics of what's fresh off my loom, and what's on the students' looms in the Roseneath studio.
Here's a nice alpaca/silk warp crossed with a very fine handspun bombyx silk weft scarf:
And here is a beautiful warp going on the loom by my newest student at Roseneath:Your comments and encouragement are always appreciated.
Cherri

Work, errors, and frustsration

Here are pics of a tallit I am weaving. It is not due until Oct. but I am working toward having it done in a couple of weeks.
Somehow, in the process of negotiating this, I misread the design, and after weaving half the tallit, realized I had done so.
Now this wouldn't be a great big deal, the warp is only about 2000 threads. But it is also hand-spun. About 1500 yards of which have already been spun and woven into the tallit.

I love what I do. It is frustrating to know that this mistake has been made, and that if I negotiated these tallitot in person, I might have caught my error. It could drive me insane, as I ordered the fiber from Wales, and it took a month to get it. I handspun the yarn, and dyed it myself. In other words, I am 100% invested in this.

I can use 1/2 of what I have woven to make a tallit bag, but 1/2 of it isn't going to be useful to the client. Someone PITY ME PLEASE!!!!!

Amazing Fun!

Wow! It sure has been fun around here lately. We had a great dye workshop, several wonderful classes, and have finished a number of pieces including chiengora, and handspun silk. My son moved the futon out of the studio at Roseneath, and we have gotten 2 additional students there. There is currently a waiting list for that studio. I have openings for the Glen Allen studio, though.
Last Saturday, I taught a Tie-dye workshop at Bay School in Mathews, Va and this coming Saturday, I have a fiber arts dye workshop at the Cultural Arts center at Glen Allen. If you are interested in joining that, please visit their website.
There is also an upcoming drop spindling workshop the first Sat. in June.
I am also finishing up a tallit, and negotiating a new one. I'm having so much fun. Hopefully, you are too.
Stay in touch.I will post pictures of some of the latest work.

my embroidery class

I teach some after school classes in Richmond, va. Most recently, I taught a class on embroidery and soft sculpture. The kids made bears, pillows, and rag dolls. Here are some of the pictures of the work that was produced in the class. I hope you enjoy the pictures!
Cherri

kumihimo as jewelery

Tomorrow I have a class called Kumihimo as jewelery. We have openings still. The class meets from 10-4.
We will be making lovely kumihimo braids and turning them into jewelery. I will try to post pics tomorrow.
If you are interested, sign up through the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center. It would be nice to meet other folks with fiber interests.

Remember also that I have a weaving and spinning "teaching studio" at Glen Allen now. I have 3 openings for new students on the looms, and can take many spinning students. I teach weaving for beginners, intermediate weaving, specialty weaves, spinning yarn from the spinning wheel beginning, intermediate, and advanced, drop spindling, then I teach workshops in felting and workshops on dyeing at my home in Goochland. My next dye workshop is Saturday, May 4, 2007. I have openings still, if you would like to join us, e-mail me maidensweaver@earthlink.net

Pictures of the Purses, Pouches and Pocketbooks class

As you know, I taught a felting class in Mathews, Virginia on making handfelted purses.
The class was offered as a parent/child class and it was largely teens/tweens and their moms and grandmoms.
We had a lot of fun and the felted results were good. Plus, we all got to work together to produce fun and lovely things.
Have a look at the pics.
Cherri

My spinning students and their work

This shot is blurry, but it's a cotton chenille scarf i'm weaving with beads.

This is some yarn spun by one of my spinning students. It is spun from the lock, plied with various waste rovings.

More photos of work in my studios

This is another shot of L's shawl, and 2 pictures of B's tapestry loom as we set it up.
Watch to see how her work progresses.

weaving in my studio

Tonight i will post some pictures of work going on in the studio.
L's double weave shawl, and my handspun and handwoven tallit.
I'm not sure what other pics I have, but I will post them as I come across them.
Enjoy!
You can contact me also about lessons.
C.

Current Happenings

Hi, Have you been looking for a new post? Things have been really busy lately. The classes at Bay Schol have been great. I taught one on rug felting, and another felting class on Purses, pouches, and pocketbooks. We have also had several classes at the new studio. It's going well.
I'll try to post pictures, once I get my new camera figured out. I'm having some problems getting my new HP camera to interface with my computer.
I have a dye workshop coming up the first Saturday in May.
We will be dyeing wool and protein yarns from 10 am - noon. At noon, we will be dyeing cotton and other cellulose yarns and at 2 pm, we will be dyeing wool/protein rovings. If you are interested in vat dyeing (all one color), contact me in advance.

Each 2 hour session is $20.00, and you will need to bring your own yarn, or purchase yarn here. You are more likely to get what you want, if you reserve your yarn when you book your space in the workshop.

Also available, are private lessons in spinning yarn with the drop spindle, or spinning wheel, weaving, and felting. You can also book a group lesson for yourself and friends or family. I have great workshops in felting rugs; felting purses, pouches and pocketbooks; and hat felting; Can't wait to hear from you!
Cherri

First class at the new studio in Glen Allen

Well, Sunday was fun. We had a small start for the new class at Glen Allen. One person is weaving double weave. Another is just beginning a rag runner for her bay window, and the third is warping a tapestry loom. We had several folks drop in, and are looking forward to a couple more people joining us in a week or two.
Please let me know if you are interested.
Cherri

More pictures from the learn to weave in a weekend class

I have a few more pictures to add. Please leave comments for these folks about what a great job they have done!
You can take weaving from me at the Glen Allen studio, or at Roseneath. You can also take a spinning class.
Cherri

pictures of the results of Learn to Weave in a Weekend

Hi,
I just wanted to post the pictures of the Learn to Weave in a Weekend class. We only had 4 students. The objective is to weave a mohair shawl in a 12 hour class. Two ladies wanted to go for mohair scarves instead, one wanted to do a merino scarf, and one actually did the mohair shawl. The results were beautiful.....See for yourself.
AS a matter of fact, please leave comments on them.
Cherri

Learn to Weave in Glen Allen, VA

Hi!
This post is to make sure the information is out that You can now learn to weave in Glen Allen, Virginia.  You book classes throught the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center.  http://www.artsglenallen.com/ca_classes.htm#Fiber_Arts

I am teaching at 4424 Springfield Rd, glen allen, va
Here is a map:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&formtype=address&popflag=0&latitude=&longitude=&name=&phone=&level=&cat=Cherri+Hankins&address=4424+Springfield+Rd&city=glen+allen&state=va&zipcode=23060

I also still have a couple of openings in the Learn to weave in a weekend class at the visual arts center of Richmond.
We meet this weekend, March 16,17,18 in Richmond, VA.
This is a great opportunity to get a jump start beginning weaving.

If you are looking for an opportunity for a quick start, this is it.
There are a lot of hotels nearby and we are 20 minutes from the Richmond International Airport, so please feel free to join us!

Cherri

My weaving

This is one of my handwoven and handspun tallitot. It is a tencel warp, with a handspun, lace weight singles as weft. The singles is south african fine wool.
Cherri

Learn to weave in a weekend

We have an upcoming class to Learn to Weave in a Weekend.
It will be held at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.
Here is the class description:
This is an intense weekend of weaving. Students will dress their looms with mohair yarn and weave off a warm, sensual mohair shawl in a weekend workshop. We will begin with an evening of measuring out our warp. Returning Saturday morning, we will wind the warp onto the loom, and pull through the heddles and reed, preparing for Sunday, the culmination of the weekend, as we weave off a beautiful, lofty mohair shawl.

Materials fee of $30.00 for mohair yarn.....or students provide their own.

Tuition: $100 ($85 members)
Materials fee: $30

Sections:

Cherri Hankins
1 Weekend
March 16 – March 18
10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Friday, March 16 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 17 10:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 18 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

If you are interested in learning to weave, please contact the visual arts center at http://www.visarts.org
You can also register at 804.353.0094

Learn to Weave in a Weekend!

Oh, I can't wait for the upcoming "Learn to Weave in a Weekend" class. It is March 16. I love this class, because I get to meet a new group of folks interested in weaving. These folks get what is usually their first experience with the loom. Once they get this initial experience, they are ready to either go forward into a long term weaving and fiber arts endeavor, or to realize that they really don't want to ursue weaving and or spinning. Usually, it's the former.
Here's the way the class goes:
Friday night, we plan your project, and measure out the warp. Then we put in the ties that preserve the cross, and the choke ties. If we have a small class, we then insert lease sticks, and attach the warp to the loom. If the class is large, we may leave that for day 2.
Saturday, we tie the warp to the loom, and spread the warp in the raddle, wind the warp on, and then begin pulling warp threads through the heddles. The afternoon will wind up with sleying the reed, tie on the warp and weave in the header.. We will pick this up tomorrow.
Sunday afternnon, we will weave off your project, and discuss what your plans are for continueing on your weaving journey.

If you are interested, please visit the Visarts.org site.
Cherri