10th Annual Jason Collingwood Workshop at Vavning Studio

I am here, reporting from Vavning Studio, located in Shopiere, WI  (just east of Beloit)  hostessed by Juanita Hofstrom.  For the tenth year now in a row, she had offered various classes by famous Great Britain weaver, Jason Collingwood. (son of the late Peter Collingwood).

This is the tenth year I have attended these wonderful weaving conferences.  The subject deals with weaving wool rugs...  shaft switching, twill, block weaves and plain weave rugs.  It's an intense three day workshop which we are all working our fannies off weaving, learning and discovering new things!  

But in between we are laughing, lunching, and loving the wonderful studio that Juanita Hofstrom has created in this tiny sleepy town of Shopiere, along the banks of Turtle Creek.

We got here later thursday evening after a nice ride down in our motorhome from Chilton.  The ride was pleasant with great weather and we were cruising along in style in the motorhome with the doggers along and toting our Tracker behind.

We got set up in the parking lot, and hauled in my loom and tools and set up my work area.  Because I help Juanita with kitchen chores...  (I am her "Kitchen Wench"  but she calls me her "Aide De Comp")    This is my Tools of the Trade table loom, clamped down onto a rolling bench with all my supplies ready to go.

Friday morning everyone assembled for our classes to start at 8 am with lecture at 9 upstairs in the sanctuary.  Jason starts each morning and afternoon session with a lecture, notes, examples and displays to show what we are going to work on next...

At some points during the lecture, the particpants are encouraged to take photos of the notes on the board before he wipes them off for the next segment.

Juanita's studio is situated in an old church, and the upstairs area works out perfect for the lectures.... and the looms and workshop and kitchen area is in the lower level.

Juanita's husband Norm was hanging out in the back.. he is a new weaver now too! 

Juanita had lovely hostess presents for each of us, and I will take a pic of mine for tomorrow's blog.
I am sooo tired after our first day of classes, I am not going to write much, but instead post some pics.

At some points during the morning and afternoon, while working on our looms... Jason will demonstrate various techniques on one or another's looms.  Here he is showing how to "twine" a section as a weft protector to start a rug.  The room was busy with the buzzing of little weaver bees, working on their samples.  I will take more pics tomorrow of some of our progress.   (my progress was little, as I ripped out THREE times before I got something done right...argghhhhh)

Tomorrow I promise to blog more and write more, 

but I am pooped out and going to bed....

yawnnnnnnnn