Workshops/Tuition
For further details and booking please contact
Sharon Kearley 07746 084 970 / info@sharonkearley.com
Designing & Weaving Twills at The Devon Weavers Workshop
27, 28 & 29 July
£330
Welcome to this three day workshop where you will explore the simple yet versatile and exciting weave structure known as the Twill. Designed for beginners and intermediate level weavers, drawing inspiration from Sharon’s publication Woven Textiles, A Designer’s Guide you will explore simple warp and weft faced structures, building to more complicated fancy and broken twills.
Day three will see you designing and weaving your own twills based on the knowledge you have gained. Exploring the possibilities of colour theory weaving with contrasting colours, harmonious hues and complimentary opposites, texture and reverse pattern; you will leave with an array of samples, technical notebook and the confidence and inspiration to continue to experiment through playful approaches to create your own individual projects and designs.
Participants will be provided with a teaching pack containing guidance on how to prepare their loom according to supplied warping instructions. There will be two warping and threading plans to choose from depending on the weaver’s confidence level. Please also bring shuttles, a notebook and pencil, fabric scissors, dressmaker pins, your warp yarn and a selection of wefts. It is also handy to bring a camera for visual notes, a mobile phone camera is fine. You are also invited to bring any inspirational visuals that you may like to work from when designing your own twills.
Sharon will provide: detailed handouts, a selection of books to peruse, a range of weft yarns for experimentation and some samples for you to study.
Suitable for beginner and intermediate weavers.
Texture & Structure - The Interplay of Structure & Yarn at The Devon Weavers Workshop
12, 13, 19 & 20 October
£430
The combination of yarn and structure is an essential element of weave design, the scientific properties of one or more yarns in a design working with or against one another. These subtle interplays of ‘yarn personalities’, their reaction and interaction with one other, their behaviour combined with certain weave structures are the core elements of this four-day workshop designed for the intermediate weaver.
The subject of yarn and fibre is massive and continually developing as technology, science and textiles work alongside one another. Therefore, the purpose of this course is to build on your knowledge and offer insight into how to use the scientific properties of yarn to your advantage, with possible ideas for warp and weft yarn combinations.
The course is fairly structured initially where you will work to set lifting plans, slowly you will learn how to incorporate colour, texture and weave structure to exciting design effect; branching out on your own personal projects towards the end of the course. Sharon provides permission to be playful and curious in your weave approaches, allowing you create mistakes and ‘happy design opportunities’ in her exploratory workshop.
You will leave with a selection of woven samples, technical notes and the confidence to continue to push your creative enquiry. Playful pleats, succulent seersuckers and cute crinkles are just some of the structures you will play with alongside an array of interesting yarns.
Suitable for intermediate weavers
Concept to Cloth - Digital Course
I love teaching this course, which gently nudges the student to actively take risks, challenge themselves, be playful and have fun.
I have been asked to run this course online, and am currently designing and planning how that could be done successfully. A combination of handouts, regular zooms and online teaching. I hope to have something set up for 2024.
If this is something you would like to attend please do drop me an email.
Here are some great comments.
“Thank you again for a wonderful day of freedom and creativity.”
“Thank you for a lovely day of exploration. I never knew I liked orange so much!”
“It was a real creative challenge and treat rolled into one.”
This course will be running again in November at The Loomshed
We are delighted that Sharon Kearley will be joining us once again for this inspiring course designing for all areas of constructed textiles, giving you the confidence to take your design skills to the next level.
The course is designed for anyone with a basic knowledge of constructed textiles in all its broader forms; weave, knit, stitch, felting, patchwork, crochet, lace, embroidery, with the single aim of developing your existing knowledge and confidence to design your own projects. For those that are more established in their craft, Sharon will continue to push your skills and understanding to a deeper level of investigation in this workshop.
The emphasis is to break down the fear of the design process through playful, fun and no nonsense experimentation, to harness your inner creative child. No rules, no boundaries and above all Sharon will give you permission to push your creativity and unleash your rebellious nature for a day.
The course is split into two parts, an in person workshop and a regroup in a digital meet to celebrate your achievements. Sharon will be on hand throughout to provide encouragement, inspiration, feedback, help and technical advice.