Warping Fast and Weaving Smart - A Student's Perspective

Getting set up

Hello SEFAA!

I am a recent graduate of the M.Ed. in art education program at Delta State University, and I felt very fortunate to be awarded a scholarship to attend "Warping Fast, Weaving Smart" with Laura Fry at SEFAA in January (when I was still a student). I just began weaving at DSU in fall 2011, so I hope to be weaving for many years to come. When I signed up for the workshop, I wanted to learn a few tips from Laura to help me develop good habits and healthy body movements right from the start of my weaving journey. The workshop far exceeded my expectations!

Spreading the warp with just 6 picks!

Winding onto the back beam

My finished fabric from the workshop!

Laura packed an unbelievable amount of information into just two days. She covered body positioning and loom ergonomics and shared great strategies for efficient warping and weaving. Laura's demonstrations and innovative time-saving techniques have changed the way I warp. I was exclusively a front-to-back warper before, but Laura’s variation on the back-to-front method is so easy and quick that I’ve used it on nearly every project I’ve woven since the workshop. I’ve incorporated her way of lashing onto the front apron rod rather than tying on directly and her revolutionary method for spreading out the warp threads into everything I’ve done, too.

In addition to the excellent technical information presented in the workshop, I liked Laura’s uniquely supportive teaching philosophy. She knows that different methods work for different personalities, different studio setups, and different bodies, and she encourages each weaver to do what works for him or her. I found this to be nurturing, reassuring, and empowering!

“Warping Fast, Weaving Smart” was my first ever weaving workshop, and it was a wonderful experience. SEFAA’s workshop space is sunny and roomy, and I enjoyed meeting Suzi and the other participants. I was delighted to run into a few of my new SEFAA weaving friends a few months later at SFFA’s conference at Arrowmont -- it was great to see some familiar faces there! I highly recommend both participating in SEFAA’s events and taking a class with Laura Fry. This workshop was definitely worth the trek from Mississippi. Thanks so much again to Laura and to SEFAA for the opportunity to attend!