By Vicki Kwarciany, Rigid Heddle Instructor
Interest in rigid heddle weaving classes has exploded this year at Fine Line Creative Arts Center! Thanks to Schacht’s Tools for Schools grant, we can offer more seats in our classes and accommodate the increasing number of students. We even added classes to our planned schedule to ensure no one would have to wait until another semester to take the class.
In addition to our regular classes, we introduced rigid heddle weaving for the first time at our Teacher Institute Day. Fifteen elementary school teachers received hands-on experience with pre-warped looms and had a terrific time. One teacher stood up during class and announced, “I’m hooked!” Ironically, she had registered for a different creative arts class, but it was full. Perhaps it was fate! Just days ago, she finished making a color gamp in our first-ever offering of that class – and immediately afterwards, she purchased a Schacht loom and stand for herself. This is just the kind of impact we hoped to have.
Each class has generated continued interest in fiber arts among the students; some stay with rigid heddle weaving, and others enroll in our floor loom classes (where, as an aside, Schacht boat shuttles are most students’ and faculty’s favorites). Students love the Schacht Flip looms. The large shed they provide for weavers – and their size and ease in storing them – make for a great weaving and teaching experience.
Thank you for helping us to provide this great creative outlet to our students!
