It’s a relief and a delight to find that there’s a real appetite for in-person weave workshops this autumn after a long wait.

I tentatively returned to running sessions in the summer with a program of workshops aimed at school children aged 10+. These proved popular during the school holidays and the children were all quite rightly proud of their superb results.

The same goes for the adults who’ve taken part in my new ‘Weave a cushion in an afternoon’ workshops. Many of the participants have never used a loom before and everyone leaves with a handwoven cushion to add that special handmade quality to their home (I do the sewing so no machining experience is required).

My studio is currently in a state of flux as my expansion plans take shape, so I’m very lucky to have the amazing facilities of Creative Space in south Bristol on my doorstep.

The Erica 4 shaft table looms are perfect for the sessions, and have the added bonus of being lightweight, easy to store, and I can fit six of them in the boot of my car.

As anticipated, there are COVID-19 related cancellations, and I take care to reassure participants that anybody who has to self-isolate won’t be penalized for doing the right thing. This is where the waiting list comes in, and thank you to all our last-minute attendees for keeping my classes running at 100% capacity and enabling me to keep the costs working for everyone.

The 2021 and Spring 2022 workshops have all sold out quickly, and I’m too busy with commissions and new projects to add any more to the diary this year. However, to meet demand I’ve just added a few additional dates to next year’s schedule. There’s more information here and images of student work in progress below.

I’m looking forward to hosting more of these fun and colourful sessions in 2022, fingers crossed.

Angie Parker