Students will learn non-traditional techniques that will enable them to work effectively and efficiently with multiple warp chains and diverse warp elements. Students will learn several methods of designing at the loom using hand-painted warp chains either provided by the instructor or dyed in the previous dye workshop. They will learn to cleanly split warp chains which will enable them to use threads in their current project while saving extra warp threads for future projects. Students will work with color and weave effect in plain weave configurations, repp, turned taqueté, and twills on the same warp. Every student’s warp design will be unique so class members learn from their own projects as well as from each other. 

In this workshop, we start the designing process by tying on to a dummy warp that students have threaded before class. Tying on can be a time saver, an eye saver, and especially, a method to approach design techniques at the loom as opposed to on a computer or pen and paper. This workshop is not suitable for rigid heddle looms. Table looms and floor looms with a minimum of four shafts can be used. 

Biography: Kathrin Weber has been a full-time studio fiber artist since 1980. Her work revolves around dyeing, weaving and teaching. She has a fearless enjoyment in using hand-dyed color in her teaching, shop sales, and weaving. She enthusiastically encourages students to dive into color. No matter what her classes are officially titled, they are ultimately about color, technique and weaving good fabric. Kathrin is a member of Southern Highland Handcraft Guild. She has a strong belief in encouraging technical proficiency and personal design. She served 6 years on the Standards Committee for Southern Highland Guild and as the chair of Standards for Piedmont Crafts Guild. Kathrin is currently serving as a member of PCI Standards Committee. She teaches at Penland, Arrowmont, John C. Campbell Folk School, Peters Valley, Appalachian Crafts School, Fiber Guilds, and Fiber Conferences across the country.