Väv Immersion Weaving Intensive 2021

Väv Immersion 2021 is an 8-week weaving intensive co-sponsored by Fabric of Life and Vävstuga Weaving School.

Program Dates: July 12 – September 3, 2021

Location: 80 Bassett Road, Shelburne MA 01370

Instructors: Becky Ashenden (she/her/hers), Master Weaver and Lisa Hill (she/her/hers), Master Weaver

COVID-19 Safety Considerations

Becky Ashenden’s 1981 introduction to the wealth of the Swedish textile world at Sätergläntan Hemslöjdens Gård, a school renowned for weaving and other traditional crafts since 1922, gave her the motivation to pursue weaving as a life passion as well as a career. The following 13 years of production and sales added experience to her initial high-level training to build a unique set of complementary skills in both the theory and practice of weaving. Her use of equipment and techniques that have withstood the test of time adds to the value of what she has been offering her students at Vävstuga since 1991. Becky has also worked on a series of publishing projects for her own Vävstuga Press, which includes translating weaving books from Swedish to English and republishing Swedish weaving books that have gone out of print. She has also been the technical editor for several Swedish weaving books that have recently been published in English.

Lisa Hill has been weaving for over 17 years, and completed a 6-year Master Weaver Program at Hill Institute in Florence, MA in 2012. She is the Program Chair for the Weavers of Western Massachusetts and one of a team of tech editors for Handwoven Magazine. She believes cloth and its creation are somehow embedded in our DNA. Making cloth seems fundamental to her; she is saddened by the distance that has been created between the fabric that means so much to us and the making of that fabric. Lisa finds pleasure, challenge, and a fundamental gratification in the colors, patterns, and structures of the pieces she makes. She wants to create items that will be in daily use, but that demonstrate that utility is not “mere utility” but is intimately entwined with our aesthetic needs. Lisa serves as an assistant teacher and teacher in a variety of classes at Vävstuga.

Program Description

This in-depth program reinforces the historic lineage of Scandinavian hand weaving through a range of educational opportunities including: personalized instruction with master weavers, hands-on production of numerous textile projects, attendance at intimately-sized classes that focus on an extensive array of skills, and connection to Immersion alumni from past years to build out your network and for learning how to move into this field as a professional.

Students will gain a deep cultural appreciation of the aesthetic and functional way of life within this tradition, and a commitment to enhancing their lives and the lives of others with these skills. The knowledge gained from this experience creates a foundation for further professional opportunities such as museum work, production weaving, textile retail, and teaching. Ultimately, the preservation of the tradition, culture, and function of hand weaving for future generations is carried forward through this intensive program.

Cost: $6,500, plus the cost of materials, which can average up to $60/week.

Scholarships: Thanks to the generosity of the Ddora Foundation, we are able to offer 2 full scholarships of $6,500, based on financial need and merit to BIPOC individuals between ages 18 – 35 and 2 scholarships of $3,500 for any individual between the ages 18 – 35, based on financial need and merit. Information on how to apply for a scholarship is listed on the program application.

Väv Immersion Information Session Recording

Applications have been closed.