Weaving Conference - Vavning Studio - Jason Collingwood 3 End Blockweaves - Shopiere, WI

After a very blustery windy 200+ miles, we arrived at Vavning Studio on Thursday night and parked in "our spot" out in the back corner of the parking lot....

We woke in the morning to bright sunshine, singing birds and a lot of excitement (on my part) to get the day going!   Friday we helped Juanita Hofstrom and her husband Norm around the studio a bit.....

They have purchased a Methodist church in a tiny village (4 blocks long)  and turned it into a studio... for her weaving and his photography.  What a wonderful place to meet, create, enjoy and share.

Here are a few shots around the studio... from the entryway to the main loom studio....  Now to you *non weavers* this may not seem so interesting... but keep in mind that each one of these huge tools runs in the thousands of dollars, and the *weavers* reading this will be going OOOHHH and AAAHHHHH  there is a Cambridge!  There is a Barbara V, there is a row of Kessenichs!    It's like an auto show for the guys....

Juanita has various rugs she has completed hanging around the studio for us conference goers to view, touch and enjoy.  She is a wealth of information and creativity.... a retired art teacher, she has done it all!

Friday evening, we met with friends Jim and Norma for a fish fry at a tiny pub down the road.... Friend and fellow conference goer, Lynn Twitty joined us along with Norm...Juanita waited at the studio for various other weavers to come and bring their portable looms to the studio and set up in advance for the early morning start on Saturday.  (Norm brought her a fish fry back to the studio)   Big storms moved through the area overnight, and tornado warnings were all over the news.  We were safely parked near this huge old church and if need be, we could have scooted into the building as Juanita left me with a key....  but it's been around probably for 100 years, so I don't think a bit of high wind would bother it?

By Saturday morning, the folks started arriving... I was in the studio early to make up pots of coffee, hot water for tea, set out breakfast snacks and fruit... I am known as "The Kitchen Wench" to help Juanita hostess this event.   It sure helps her with the early mornings to get this all done before things get busy.

We were a tad bit worried about Jason getting there, as last we heard he was on Madeline Island out in Lake Superior the day before and nobody had heard from him yet.  Turns out he did quite a journey to get to us!  He was on a boat.... then a car.... then an airport for flying from Duluth MN to Chicago, IL .. then a bus from there to Rockford, IL, then a taxi from there to his hotel in Beloit, WI   Whew!!!  

The workshop started out with a gift from Juanita... I will post a pic of it on tomorrow's blog.... all I can say is WHAT A SWEETIE that gal is!

Lectures were held upstairs in the main area, which is bathed in golden sunlight....

We scribble down notes as fast as we can , before we move on downstairs to weave, learn, laugh and enjoy

This is  the lower level, with everyones portable looms moved into the center area of the room... a bit crowded but each needs a loom of their own to work on the techniques and lessons

Juanita's daughter, Melanie, stopped by with a little orphan named Susie.... awwwwwwww

And yes, she needs a diaper because she is a BABY! 

These are the kind of rugs we are learning to weave.  This one was brought in by a gal who went right to Jason's studio over in Great Britain.  She went for a whole week of lessons, and wove the entire rug before coming back home.   This is what is called a lesson in residence.  What an experience! 

These rugs are also reversible, getting double the use outta your handwoven item

We ended up Saturday evening with a swap meet,  where we could get rid of items we didn't want and pick up items we did!   Then we did a *Show N Tell* where we could share what we have done or like to do....

Whew... I collapsed into bed after a quick shower at 10 pm.....  and now it's Sunday morning.  Time to get up and make that coffee!!!! We have a whole nother day of weaving ahead of us!


.

Loading up and getting ready to roll!

We have the motorhome all packed up and ready to roll for the weekend.... actually it is for a longer four day weekend!   We are going down to a cute little weaving studio in  a tiny village called Shopiere, WI.  It's owned by my friend Juanita Hofstrom and the name of the studio is called Vavning.   (about 200 miles from here)

She bought this vacant church and made it into the most comfortable studio, complete with lecture hall, studio space, kitchen area and offices.   It is in a tiny town about 4 blocks long, nestled in a vally along a bubbling brook and a tiny park.   I have been coming here for close to 10 years now.  I help Juanita hostess the event, and she contracts with Jason Collingwood to come and teach for the 3 day session.  He is a famous weaver from Great Britain,  son of the late Peter Collingwood, an innovator of a special technique for rug weaving called Shaft Switching.

We come early and help Juanita and Norm with some projects around the studio, and in return we can park for the four days in their parking lot.   Sure saves on the hotel fees and transportation from nearby Beloit.   Usually about 20 people attend and it's a very intense hands-on workshop with evening classes of interesting field  trips, swap meet of weaving supplies, show n tell, and eating out with groups for social times.

Being on site, I can unlock the studio early for weavers who want to come and get in some loom time before the classes start, or stay late into the evening after classes are done.  Also I am known as the Aide De Comp, or the Kitchen Wench...  we prepare various snack foods and lunches in the kitchen, and on the last day I prepare a full meal for all the weavers and their significant others to join in and wind up the conference.

Steveio finds many things to do while I am busy in classes.   He later joins us for socializing, eating out down the road at the restaurant, and just hanging out with many of the workshoppers spouses who are also looking for things to do.  Norm knows lots of cool things to do and see in the area, so Steveio hangs with Norm too.

In 1996 we were here in April in our Coachmen gasser motorhome... and Steveio took a ride on the scooter to get a replacement part for our Onan generator.  Lo and behold, he just HAD to drive past an RV dealer in Rockford, Illinois.  There he wandered among the rigs, and saw "THE MOTORHOME of his DREAMS!"    He came back all bubbly and excited and wanted me to go see it too!  But I didn't want any more payments and for sure didn't want another bigger motorhome.   But he was persistent.  Each week he would check the website and see if it was still there.  Each week it was.   Finally... finally.... (after some life-changing events)  I gave in to go and just "look" at the rig.   Three days later, it was ours!    So THAT is how we got our diesel pusher.