Register at the Wild Hand website!
Join us for a special collaborative workshop with the fine folks at Needles & Bolts, one of our crafty shop neighbors here in Mt. Airy. Students will work at Wild Hand with teaching artist, Richie Wilde Lopez, to plan and weave fabric that will then be cut and sewn at Needles & Bolts into a beautiful handwoven backpack with sewist and teaching artist, Beth Paolini, from the Needles & Bolts team.

Weaving
In Session #1 students will meet at Wild Hand to plan their project - take measurements, calculate warp/weft yardage, plan the fabric design and layout of color and pattern relative to the finished backpack, and select/buy yarn (your workshop fee does not include weaving or sewing supplies; you'll be selecting/buying as you go through the workshop). We will work with students to plan for the correct yardage based on their loom width and how they want the backpack to look. This is an all-gender style. Students will leave class with yarn and will return the next night to warp their looms and begin weaving during Session #2. Following Session #2 students will have two weeks to complete their weaving before heading down the lane (literally, Carpenters Lane!) to Needles & Bolts to cut and sew their handwoven fabric.

Sewing
Two weeks later students will meet for Session #3 at Needles & Bolts with their finished woven, washed, and dried fabric that's ready to be cut and sewn using equipment and tools from Needles & Bolts (no need to bring a sewing machine or sewing supplies!). Some very basic machine sewing experience is helpful but not at all required - there will be lots of hands-on support from the amazing Needles & Bolts team. Students will spend two evenings at Needles & Bolts (Session #3 and #4). Session #3 will be focused on pattern planning, securing your edges, cutting, and beginning to sew. The following night students will return for Session #4 (the final session) to continue sewing their backpacks and do any final finishing.

Dates & Locations

Please note that this workshop takes place at two separate locations, both of which are in Mt. Airy. Wild Hand is where you'll weave and is located at 606 Carpenter Lane. Needles & Bolts is where you'll sew and is located at 6819 Germantown Avenue.

Session #1 (Yarn/Project Planning) at Wild Hand 1/16 6:30-8:30PM
Session #2 (Warping & Weaving) at Wild Hand 1/17 6:30-8:30PM
Session #3 (Cutting/Prep & Sewing) at Needles & Bolts 1/31 6-9PM
Session #4 (Sewing & Finishing) at Needles & Bolts 2/1 6-9PM

Skills + Materials
This is a beginner+/intermediate workshop. Students should know how to warp a Rigid Heddle loom on their own (or with the help of Ashford's awesome video!). Students will need to bring their own Rigid Heddle loom and tools to the workshop. If you don't have a loom, please reach out to the shop about renting one of our 16" looms for $25. Your workshop fee does not include supplies - you will be purchasing supplies as you go at Wild Hand and Needles & Bolts! At Wild Hand you will purchase yarn for weaving your fabric and the first session is all about getting advice on quantity and brands to buy for your fabric vision. Students will be able to use their 10% student discount to purchase yarn. At Needles & Bolts students will have access to machines, pressing & cutting tools, and notions - everything you need to complete your project. Students will need to buy machine sewing thread, notions, and some fabric for their project, which will be done during class and with a student discount. Students do not need any machine sewing experience to take this class!