Skill Level and Prerequisites: Beginner

Instructor: Cherie Maxson

Tuesdays & Thursdays, February 10, 12, 17, & 19; 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

$205 member/$230 non-member

Learn to weave on a 4 shaft floor loom! In this class we will work from winding a warp through warping the loom and weaving a sampler of simple weaves. Handouts and discussion will include planning a project, vocabulary of weaving, reading a drawdown, talking about yarn weights and what those numbers mean, warping from back to front, sleying the heddles and reed, and setting up the shafts to weave plain weave and some twills.

Material Notes:  You only need a pair of scissors and note-taking materials.

Equipment Notes:  Floor looms provided by the Guild for the class.

Maximum participants:  4

Skill Level and Prerequisites: Beginner

Instructor: Shari Janssen

Sunday, March 15; 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

$105 member/$125 non-member

Learn to Come weave a 25” x 30” rug on a pre-warped floor loom. You bring your own materials for the rug you wish to create and the instructor will show you how to prepare the materials to weave and how to get started and how to finish the rug.

Material Notes:  Please bring either 2 bedsheets, 6 - 8 pairs of jeans or 6 - 8 XLarge t-shirts, (11 if small or medium). Good scissors for cutting fabric and note taking materials. (If anyone needs material email the instructor) Warped floor looms will be provided by the guild.

Equipment Notes:  Floor looms provided by the Guild for the class.

Maximum participants: 4 unless you have a traveling floor loom and would like to join.

Skill Level and Prerequisites: Beginner

Instructor: Cherie Maxson and Diane Hickman

Tuesday & Thursday, March 24 & 26; 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

$105 member/$125 non-member

In this class we will warp a Navajo loom and introduce the basic weaving steps utilized in Navajo style weaving.

The first session will be warping the loom.  The second will be weaving.

Equipment and Materials Notes: If you have a Navajo Loom, please bring it to class. Otherwise, we will send directions to make your own loom using a picture frame and dowel rods.  Please have it prepared before class and ready to use.  

Warp will be provided. 

You will need 2 or 3 skeins of Brown Sheep Lambs Pride Worsted weight in different complimentary colors for the weaving. 

Maximum participants:  6

Skill Level and Prerequisites: Beginner

Instructor: Emily Bollhoefer

Saturday, April 25; 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

$50 member/$60 non-member

It’s relaxing, it’s portable, it’s inexpensive and it spun the world’s threads for thousands of years.  It’s the Drop Spindle! Spindling is a great way to learn the mechanics of spinning, to learn how to handle fiber, and to experiment with new fibers.  Spindlers have great control of drafting and the insertion of twist.  The instructor will demonstrate with various fibers and spindles.  Plying techniques will be discussed and demonstrated.  No experience necessary!

Equipment: Drop Spindles and Fiber will be available for your use or you are welcome to bring your own. 

Instructor Bio:  Emily is a member of the Des Moines Weavers and Spinners Guild and one of the more accomplished spinners in the Midwest. Her gorgeous yarns have earned many accolades including Blue Ribbons in Spinning and Handknit with Handspun, Best of Show and Sweepstakes at the Iowa State Fair; Blue Ribbons at the Wisconsin State Fair; Best of Show at the Michigan Fiber Festival; and 1st Place at HGA Convergence 2024!

Maximum participants:  6

Skill Level and Prerequisites: Beginner

Instructor: Guild Members

Saturday, April 25; 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

$65 member/$65 non-member

Do you love the idea of gifting a handmade item to a loved one (or yourself!) for Mother’s Day, graduation, or a birthday? But, seriously, who has the time for that?!?   

Well, now you do!

We’ll have the looms all set up and instructors on hand.  You just need to arrive for a relaxing day of crafting to make a fashionable hand woven scarf!  No experience is necessary as the setup, warping of the rigid heddle looms, will already be done.  You will quickly learn the weaving process and off you go, leaving at the end of the workshop with a finished, hand-woven, summerl blend scarf!

A selection of different colorways will be available on a first come-first serve basis.   

Maximum participants:  8

Skill Level and Prerequisites: Beginner

Instructor: Bonnie Ohrt

Saturday, April 25; 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

$60 member/$60 non-member

This class will start with the basics of needle felting, and learning the capabilities of 3 different species of wool types used: Alpaca, Sheep’s wool and Llama fiber.  We will go over the steps involved in order to create your own style or design of the pictured example of a Mountain Bluebird. 

You will have your choice of doing this Bluebird picture, or you can select from a large variety of other project examples the instructor will have available that day.

A “Starter Kit” is included with the class fee. This kit includes all materials needed to create your own picture – with plenty of wools to take home with you to continue another project!

No special skills are required – as when doing any needle felting pictures – your own creativity will show through.Everyone has their own style and this is just a fun new art concept to learn!

Materials Notes:  Students do not need to bring anything - all materials, including the Starter Kit, will be provided and included in the cost of the class.  The Starter Kit includes:

Wool base

Foam pad

Fiber multi-Pack

3 Needle felting needles

Instructor Bio:  Bonnie is the creative energy behind Homespun Family, a small family business which incorporates both the historical side of her family and the current activities with their fiber animals.  Bonnie creates many 2D needle felting artworks and custom animal prints.  Having learned from her grandmother and parents, Bonnie has years of experience weaving rag and denim rugs, and also fiber/wool rugs made from their own alpaca as well as Jacob Sheep, Navajo Churro, Racka Sheep and llama!  

Maximum participants:  12

Skill Level and Prerequisites: Beginner

Instructor: Lisa Schweitzer 

Saturday, April 25; 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

$50 member/$60 non-member

In this class, we'll explore some beginning basketry techniques and play with a variety of materials, with a guided process in making a spindle basket to carry fleece and drop spindles to use while walking.
Some people like structured materials, some people like soft materials. You will have access to both commercial and forged fibers to see what you like to work with in addition to learning some basics with structured materials.

Class Agenda:
1. What kind of basket weaver would you like to be?

a. Exploring materials

b. See some samples

2. Starting and Swearing (but only a little)

3. Method 1: Squaring your base

4. Method 2: Twining

5. Method 3: Weaving

6. Finishing up your basket

 
Equipment and Materials Notes: Please wear denim or bring an apron with a nice tough fabric. If you have

a) Garden snips

b) A ratty old dish towel or bath towel you don’t mind roughing up

c) A pair of standard, non-expensive scissors awl tool

d) Medium-sized bowl you like the shape of Spray mister for water

e) Rubbermaid tub to soak in

If you don’t have these together don’t fret. We can share around.   

Materials fee: $20 paid to instructor 

Maximum participants:  6

Skill Level and Prerequisites: Intermediate, must be able to independently warp

Instructor: Jennie Hawkey

Saturday, April 25; 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm, and Sunday, April 26; 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

$90 Iowa Federation member/$110 non-member + $3.50 processing

Explore the art of Monk’s Belt, a traditional two shuttle supplementary weft technique that produces bold, geometric patterns with striking color blocks on a plain weave background. Unlike overshot, Monk’s Belt creates a graphic, blocky design without half tones, making it perfect for dramatic and visually exciting bands.

​

This hands-on workshop will be held Saturday afternoon and Sunday, with Jennie Hawkey guiding participants through the techniques needed to create their own Monk’s Belt designs.

Equipment: Participants need to bring their pre-warped loom; limited looms may be available for participants who are unable to bring their own; please email education@desmoinesweaversguild.org 

Maximum participants:  25

Past 2025-2026 Guild Year Classes:

Beginning Spinning on a Wheel Sept. 27 & 28, 2025

Intro to Natural Dyes Oct. 5, 2025

Beginning Weaving on a 4-Shaft Loom Oct. 7, 9, 14, & 16, 2025

Danish Medallions on a Rigid Heddle Loom Oct. 25, 2025

Beginning Card Weaving Nov. 1, 2025

Beginning Drop Spindle Nov. 22, 2025

Beginning Band Weaving Nov. 22, 2025

Weave-A-Scarf Workshop Nov. 22, 2025

Beginning Rigid Heddle Dec. 7, 2025

Past 2024-2025 Guild Year Classes:

Beginning Spinning on a Wheel Sept. 7 & 8, 2024

Beginning Weaving on a 4-Shaft Floor Loom Sept. 10, 12, 17, & 19, 2024

Beginning Rigid Heddle               Sept 28

Introduction to Natural Dyes Sept 29

Beginning Tapestry Oct 6

Beginning Drop Spindle Oct 20

Tea Towels on a Rigid heddle Oct 26

Weave-A-Scarf Workshop                                                                                            Nov 23

Double Weave on a Rigid Heddle Dec 8th

Beginning Card Weaving Dec 15th

Beginning Spinning on a 4-Shaft Loom                                                               Jan 28, 30, Feb 4, 6

Weaving Krokbragd on a Multi-Shaft Loom with Debby Greenlaw Feb 20 - 22

Supported Spindle Mar 30

Bookbinding with Woven Covers Apr 6

Spinning Crepes with Peggy Doney (The 100th Sheep) Apr 26

Beginning Card Weaving Apr 26

Beginning Drop Spindle Apr 26

Introduction to Wet Wool Felting with Lisa Nelson Apr 26

2-D Needle Felting with Bonnie Ohrt Apr 26

Traid Dyeing with Peggy Doney (The 100th Sheep) Apr 27

Past 2023-2024 Guild Year Classes:

Beginning Rigid Heddle Sept. 17 & 24, 2023

Rag Rug Weaving Sept 30 & Oct 1, 2023

Overshot Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom Oct 7, 2023

Beginning Weaving on a 4-Shaft Loom Oct 10, 12, 17, & 19, 2023

Beginning Card Weaving Oct 15, 2023

Beginning Spinning on a Wheel Oct 28-29, 2023 

Weekend Weaving Workshop Nov 11, 12, 14, 2023

Beginning Tapestry Nov 18, 2023

Beginning Band Weaving Nov 18, 2023

Beginning Drop Spindle Nov 18, 2023

Weave-a-Scarf Workshop Dec 2, 2023

Intermediate Rigid Heddle Dec 10, 2023

Color as a Communication Tool with Chris Acton Jan 13, 2024

Texture in Tapestry                                                                                   Jan 21, 2024

Overshot Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom Jan 27, 2004

Kumihimo Feb 4,  2024

Weave and Sew a Tote Feb 6, 2024

Weekend Spinning Workshop Feb 10, 11 2024

Beginning Rag Weaving on a 4-Shaft Loom.                             Mar 2, 2024

Working with Rags                                                                                     Mar 3, 2024

Repurpose and Create: Making Cordage                                      Mar 10, 2024

SAORI Weaving with Chiaki O'Brien Apr 27, 2024

Beginning Rigid Heddle Apr 27, 2024

Beginning Card Weaving Apr 27, 2024

Beginning Drop Spindle Apr 27, 2024

Learning to USe a Pin Loom Make-and-Take Apr 27, 2024

Bengala Mud Dyeing with Chiaki O'Brien Apr 28, 2024