14 February - 6 March 2024: INTRODUCTION TO WEAVING WITH NATURAL MATERIALS with Valerie Kirk

Create your own tapestry inspired by colours from plants with expert Valerie Kirk! 

• Dates: 14 February - 6 March 2024
• Days/Times: Wednesdays 6.00 - 9.00pm 
• Venue: NatureArt Lab Studio, M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, ACT
• Parking: Free parking available at the front or either side of the building.

Materials: Some materials are provided for this course - warp and weft yarns are provided by our tutor. Participants can bring a tapestry frame if you already have one (or borrow/buy one at the studio); tapestry bobbins (borrow or buy at the studio); scissors, notebook and reading glasses (if needed). 

Course Description:

This tapestry workshop is suitable as a starting point for complete beginners who would like to learn the tapestry weaving technique. The project will be worked on a small portable frame loom, which can be borrowed or purchased for the class. Bobbins will also be provided to borrow or purchase.

The warp material is cotton seine twine spun with a high twist.

Learn how to identify and use different materials – wool, cotton, linen, silk, jute in the weft.

Beginners will warp up the small loom and learn the basic techniques of tapestry weaving, weft tension, making shapes in the weaving. In week 3 and 4 weave a simple design with basic shapes and changes of colour and materials.

Experienced weavers will design and weave their own small tapestry focussing on using natural materials and a simple geomentric design.

The beginners’ and advanced students’ tapestries will be cut off the loom and finished off to display.

Workshop Learning Outcomes: On completion of the course students will be able to:

• Warp up a tapestry on a small portable loom

• Select appropriate weft natural materials
• Learn the basic technique of tapestry weaving
• Make square, rectangle and triangle shapes
• Experiment with lines, shapes and natural materials to create your own design in a woven sampler

Our Tutor: 

Valerie Kirk studied art and design at Edinburgh College of Art, where she discovered woven tapestry. As a graduate she came to Australia and worked in the Australian Tapestry Workshop and travelled the country to teach in communities and colleges, work as an artist-in-residence, exhibit and lead community tapestry projects and textile tours. Between 1990-2017 she was a Senior Lecturer and Head of Textiles at the Australian National University.

During 2004-2019 she was commissioned to design and weave six major tapestries to celebrate Nobel/Japan/Kyoto Prizes in Science associated with the Australian National University.

Awards such as the Australia Council New Work grant, ACT Creative Arts Fellowship, Muse Arts Woman of the Year Award and the Canberra Centenary Community Tapestry project mark substantial success and her artwork can be seen in collections nationally and internationally.

NatureArt Lab Awards:

• 2022, Telstra Best of Business Award Winner for Promoting Sustainability, ACT
• 2024, Telstra Best of Business Award Winner for Building Communities, ACT

Tapestry images by Valerie Kirk AM