Workshop "Weaving with Supplementary Weft Technique"

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Teacher: Eva-Liisa Kriis

Eva-Liisa Kriis graduated from the Estonian Academy of Arts with a degree in textile design in 2001. Since that time, she has worked as a designer and interior designer. Eva-Liisa has taught weaving for over 10 years. In 2010, she founded the IIDA Craft School and in 2016, the Weaving Museum, acquiring a collection of distinctive looms from Estonia. The most unique item is a loom a century old, having only one foot treadle and a dobby or Jacquard type head that reads punched cards containing the design. Eva-Liisa has issued instructional films on DVDs and a book on patterns used in Estonian weaving.

This supplementary weft technique creates a design by floating extra wefts over the ground weave. The ground is a plain weave, and thicker yarn is used for the supplementary weft.

In the 18th century, weavers in Northern Estonia began to use this technique mainly to create carpets with closed composition, but it was also used to create pattern motifs between horizontal stripes.

During the 4-day workshop, participants will learn about the basic steps of weaving. The workshop starts with the preparation of warp and warping (dressing) the loom. A plain weave combined with the supplementary weft technique will be used to weave a table runner with Estonian folk ornaments. During the workshop, a 40-cm-wide table runner will be completed. Depending on the weaving pace, the final length of the table runner is 80-100 cm.

The participation fee includes the use of looms as well as cotton threads for warp and woollen yarns for weft, necessary for making one runner. The course is suitable for beginners and participants with some previous experience in weaving.