Summer 2014 - Work Study Students

This summer we saw our new work study program really take off with three  incredible students!
 The first to join us in June was Jana Violante from Croton-on-Hudson, New York. She is a student at SUNY Purchase and was interested in weaving clothing fabrics for making 18th clothing. She had just joined a Revolutionary Warp Regiment and wanted to make some of her costume out of handwoven materials.
The next to arrive in August was neighbor and Brooklyn-ite, Dosia Sanford. The month before coming here Dosia did a 4 week apprenticeship at a wood working school in northern Vermont, where among other things she designed and made a sling chair. One of her projects with us was to be a piece of fabric for the seat and as you can see she out-did herself! Dosia also wove a beautiful cotton wool rug and a piece of fine clothing fabric.
 Ann Low was here with Dosia in August and she came all the way from Vancover, Canada. Ann was mostly interested in weaving with linen and she was to be the first to weave on our new barn loom - Big Bertha. This loom came to us from CT and is the largest barn loom we have ever seen. More on this loom in a later blog. At any rate, Ann set the bar high with wanting to weave linen sheets, linen shirting and linen napkins which she successfully completed. And she even wove a warp faced rug just to try out a new weave structure. All is all it was a great summer and besides their own wonderful projects they wove us lots of dishtowels!

Our first work study student of the summer - Jana Violante weaving cotton dress fabric.

Jana with her finished dress.

Jana's month worth of weaving - impressive!

Besides the cotton dress  Jana wove a fine cotton stripe for an apron, more fabric for a shortgown, and a summer blanket winter sheet.

Dosia Sanford our second work study student getting ready to dye yarn.

Dosia's first project was a cotton and wool runner in vibrant yellow!

Dosia working on her ikat fabric.

The finished cotton fabric for her custom made sling chair.

Our third work study student - Ann Low - working on Big Bertha.

Ann's first warp was for linen sheets in an indigo blue and white stripe.

Her second project was a pair of warp faced rugs.

And her third, a piece of singles linen.  Here she is sizing the warp…..

with Justin's secret sizing receipt.

Ann and Justin working the threads apart from the sizing.

Weaving the actual piece of spot weave linen.

Ann with her month's worth of work….I forgot that she also wove a 4 yard piece of indigo chambray!