Wet-Finishing for Weavers with Laura Fry Online Workshop

Wet-finishing is the process that turns weaving into cloth. Handwoven threads need water and motion to open them up, flatten them out, move them into place, or shrink them into the fabric that you intend them to be. In this online workshop, professional weaver and teacher Laura Fry shows you how to wet-finish different kinds of fibers and cloth, from the magic that happens in the water through to proper pressing and drying techniques.

In this weaving Online Workshop, Laura will teach you:

• The fulling processes for woolen and worsted cloth.
• How to wet-finish cottons, silks, and rayons.
• Compression techniques to create the smooth, crisp hand of linens.
• How proper pressing brings out the shine of silk.
• Wet-finishing techniques for differential shrinkage and textured fabrics.
• Tips and tricks for fringe and other finishing steps.

Laura shares expertise derived from years of research and experimentation, so you, too, can produce professional-quality finished cloth. .

Online Workshop includes:
Discussion board & Gallery: The discussion board is a great way to interact with other users in the Online Workshop. It’s an open forum for you to ask questions, share your thoughts, express your inspirations, and share images of your work.
Notes: This is a place for you to keep personal notes to help you with your work and the Online Workshop content. Only you will be able to see your notes.
Video Lesson Run Time: approx. 63 minutes
The videos in this Online Workshop are available for you to watch via streaming. For details, see the ‘Navigate Your Online Workshop’ section within the Online Workshop.

Online Workshop Outline:

• Introduction
• Woolen Cloth
• Mohair
• Fulling in a Washing Machine
• Woven Fringe
• Cotton & Linen
• Silk & Rayon
• Compression
• Shrinkage
• Conclusion

Materials Required:

• Finished sample(s) or project(s)
• Detergent
• Brushes (a dog brush is great!)
• Rolling pin

About the Instructor

Laura Fry chose weaving as a career in 1975 and studied at some of Canada's top weaving schools. She started her business in 1977 and since 1980 has worked full-time as a professional handweaver. In 1997 she received certification as one of Canada’s Master Weavers. Laura’s meticulous approach to weaving quality fabric and extensive knowledge of ergonomic weaving are popular with her students, whom she teaches in person and online around the world. Laura is the author of Magic in the Water, a self-published book about the importance of wet-finishing woven fabric. Laura is well known for her concise pearls of weaving wisdom including, "If you can’t be perfect, be consistent," and, "A thread under tension is a thread under control." As of early 2018, she is in the midst of writing a new book on weaving design.