The Handweavers Diploma

摘要

In July 2013 the first student cohort of the Handweavers Diploma run by The Handweavers Studio and Gallery at Finsbury Park in north London completed their course. In the same month the Studio celebrated its 40th anniversary, and it seemed appropriate that they hold an exhibition of the final pieces made by their first 11 diploma students. It proved a fitting end to two years' hard work, and it was a good demonstration of how we had developed our individual approaches to design as well as our weaving ability. Before joining the course, each participant was expected to have made, beamed and woven five or six warps independently and to be able to read a straightforward draft. Access to an eight-shaft table loom, as a minimum, was expected. A table loom gave greater creative flexibility because, unlike a floor loom which has a limited number of treadles, each shaft on a table loom is completely independent of others so the shaft changes (and therefore weaving patterns and structures) achievable on a table loom are more readily varied without having to make frequent changes to the treadle tie-ups.