FIVE looms for sale - posting for my friend Juanita Hofstrom

I am posting for my friend, Juanita Hofstrom: 

Looms for sale-- 

45 inch LeClerc Fanny, 4harness, 6 treadle, 

sectional beam, folds to go through standard doorway.  Easy to treadle. $450.00 

36 inch LeClerc Fanny, 4-harness, 6 treadle, 

plain beam, folds to go through standard doorway. $350.00. 

45 inch Union Custom, 2 harness, 2 treadle with double pawls for great tension, 

sectional beam, castle rack for holding shuttles. $450.00.  

45 inch Weaver's Delight with fly shuttles, sectional beam, 

3 sets of cams and all the extras--shuttles, cans, pony, warp reel, new apron, $550.00.  

45 inch Cambridge, 4 harness, 6 treadle, 

sectional beam $500.00.   

To be picked up in southern Wisconsin. 

Juanita Hofstrom,  email:  Kessenich5@aol.com

Days 2 and 3 at my Weaving Conference - Vavning Studio - Shopiere, WI

Well.. the blog I posted on Saturday finished up at Sunday morning... today's post will include both Sunday and Monday.... 

By the way, these posts are being made by a 

"Solar Powered Computer"  thank you very much, solar panels on the roof! 

So on Sunday morning, after mounds of copious note taking, learning, weaving, working, chatting and exchanging ideas, we were all herded outside for the obligatory group photo.  LOL   I hide in the back, you can see my head on the left over the shoulder of the gal in the bright blue shirt, Lynn Twitty.  

We had a lot of laughs as everyone handed their cameras to Norm (a professional photographer)  and his trusty sidekick Steveio (who shakes and wiggles almost every photo he has ever taken)....

Perhaps deep down Jason always wished he were a minister or a pastor?   Here is his name on the only "marquis* that Juanita has at the studio... the church sign where the dates and times of the services used to be posted.  

Oh, one thing I wanted to mention was sweet Juanita every year makes a creative wonderful gift for all the weavers that partake in her program. She is a retired art teacher and a wealth of information and ideas. This year she managed to get photos of us, and created shadow boxes!   Those are real skeins of yarn hanging down on little pegs, and the sign in the background is actually a photo of a REAL sign she made me several years ago..... 

(there is some reflection on the glossy surface of the shadow box)

This photo is from the day she made me the sign....

One thing I like to do for Juanita every year is I place a pot of my famous coleus (I winter it over every year in my home to grow again each spring outdoors from the same plant since 1995)...  I place the pot here every year, and she knows a new fresh plant will arrive within the weekend for her... awwwwww It's the least I can do for all her hospitality! 

After the Sunday session was over at 5pm, Steveio had set up the table, chairs, awning and grill.  He made a big salad and grilled out chicken breasts for us and our weaving friends Norma and Jim Burkett who live in Beloit.   Jim has taken the class a few times over the years, but this year they had a big rug show to do out of town on Saturday.  But they were able to come and see us on Sunday, how nice was that? 

Some little neighbor girls just HAD to come an play with our "Lassie Doggies" 

Juanita and Norm  had gone out to dinner with some other weavers, but came back to the studio (and our cute little parking lot camping spot)... to sit and visit for a while too....  nice way to wind down and end the day! 

Once everyone left, we cleaned up and put away gear.  Then I had to get a cracking!   I had taken two sock orders from other gals at the conference... plus I wanted to make a pair of socks to tuck into Jason's suitcase when he wasn't looking.   I used to try to make a pair for his father each year too, before he passed away ---  his father is the famous rugweaver and inventor of the Shaftswitching loom devices.. .Peter Collingwood.   And now Jason teaches the things learned from his father, and passes them along to us.  

I thought I would toss in a picture of where I keep my loom in the studio when I take the class....   I put my loom off in a side hallway (away from all the other folks)  so I have easier access to the kitchen area.   I am constantly jumping up and down doing my Kitchen Wench duties....  taking out food, putting away food, making the coffee and tea water, and cleaning up...   I run up and down for Juanita as need be, to save her some steps if I can.  Plus, being out in the hall way, I can concentrate a bit better on the complicated weave structures and treadling sequences easier. 

Monday morning dawned bright and shiny... .But I think most of us were clogging our brains and not too bright for our thought processes..... 

Jason carried on and explained things in detail.. and we took our notes and tried to untangle the complicated world  of warp and weft, lift and plan, structure and sequence, left and right!   (we even get THOSE mixed up!)

We found ways to be comfortable and let it all soak in....

The things we were weaving are *samplers* of the various weave structures and patterns we are learning....  we can then incorporate them into a large rug --- hopefully --- someday.   Here is a small section of my sampler:

If this doesn't interest the non-weavers of my blog, you can skip down..... but for the weavers, here are a few other samplers from other students.... 

some Clasped Wefts 

some Log Cabin

2/2 stripes in blocks

some clasped wefts in a 2/2 twill

During the morning sessions, I am busy hopping in and out of the kitchen preparing the final meal for noon before everyone departs.  Once the weaving portion of the morning lesson is done, Steveio and Norm help everyone fold up and carry out their looms and gear....    all the weavers are upstairs in the lecture area.  Steve and Norm then set up some banquet tables where all the looms used to be.

Here I am!   "The Kitchen Wench"

I whipped up 2 pans of regular lasagna, one pan of veggie lasagna, cheezy garlic bread.... and what is so neato is that EVERYTHING got done at the right time!~    I have done this for quite a few years now, so I know what needs to go in, and when, and for how long.   But it still amazes me that is all comes out right each and every time.  Whee heeeee!

I had two big bowls of vegetable salads, various other go-withs, .. then Norm had picked up a cherry pie on the far left... and some of the gals had brought bars .... I made up trays of deviled eggs each morning too from Juanita's daughter's farm fresh eggs....  (the same gal who brought in the lamb in yesterday's blog)

The restaurant down the road (where many of the weavers went to eat --- called Annie's)  sent over a huge caramel chocolate and nut cheesecake...  the REAL thing, not from a mix!  It's called a Turtle cheesecake, which fits the local flavor, being as we were in the Turtle Township and near Turtle Creek!

Everyone dug in and shared their weaving experiences and frustrations, their discoveries and ah-haa moments.

The calendar was set for next year's session, and many of the weavers hope to return! 

And there you have it.. . another wonderful weaving conference at Vavning Studio... with my buddy Juanita!

http://www.vavningstudio.com/

 VAVNING, the School for Weaving and Heritage Arts is located in a 150-year old Methodist Church in Shopiere, Wisconsin, which is a little north-east of Beloit, WI.  Shopiere, located in the lower south-eastern portion of the state, is graced by a small-town feeling, yet is accessible by major Wisconsin highways....
Detailed Location of Vavning Studio

Vavning Studio is 2 miles and 2 blocks east of I-90 along Shopiere Road (county S).  Shopiere Road has exit and entrance ramps at I-90.
Address:
Vavning Studio
5420 Hwy J
Shopiere,  WI  53525

Jason Collingwood's website

Jason Collingwood

Old School

Nayland, 

Colchester

Essex

co6 4jh

(441)  1206  502073

(441) 7780 887072

jason@rugweaver.co.uk




.

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.