I teach at National Trust's Heritage and Rural Skills Centre at Coleshill and the Vale and Downland Museum in Wantage. I also did one course for Oxfordshire Adult Learning in Abingdon. In addition I teach at my home in East Hendred.

    Pamela, a member of the Kennet Valley Guild, kindly gave me six rigid heddle looms when I started teaching. I have acquired three more old style ones and have bought a modern one. I also have 2 four shaft looms and an eight shaft one which I use for teaching at home. I take one to all my courses so I can explain the term "rigid heddle"

At my home you could weave on a 4 shaft loom and/or put a warp on one.  I can also cover any of the programmes outlined below. I charge £15 an hour with an additional £10 for courses of 3 hours or less

For the under 16s I offer two hour workshops. They can weave a small mat to take home. I charge £12 for one and £8 each for more than one

 

Six people did my "Have a go at Rigid Heddle Weaving" course at the Vale and Downland Museum in Wantage in February. They wove on looms set up for Weft faced weaving

Courses at the National Trust's Heritage and Rural Skills Centre  

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre

 

Introduction to Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom  Saturday 29th March 2025

 

Weaving done by students weaving patterns using two colours on  looms set up for both balanced weave and weft faced weave.  (They swapped looms at lunchtime.)

 

 

Weave a Scene 28th June 2025

Weaving on a rigid heddle loom and choosing a landscape or seascape without steep slopes makes it possible to complete a picture in a few hours whilst practicing techniques which can be used on a simple frame. See pictures for more information. The scenes below were woven by the participants. The course had been fully booked but there were two last minute cancellations.

Textured weaving with a Rigid Heddle Loom 11th October 2025- 

Experiment with manipulating the warp to produce textured weaves. (see below)

Suitable for complete beginners as well as those who have done some weaving.

The photo shows patterns woven using pick up sticks by one of the students in March.

 

 

 

Some explanations

With a rigid heddle loom every other warp thread goes through heddles which are fixed in a frame called a reed. These threads move up and down when the reed is moved. The other warp threads are in gaps between the heddles and do not move with the reed. The reed is also used to put the weft threads in place.

 

.If the warp is spaced at about 4 threads an inch the weft completely covers the warp. This is used for rugs and pictures.

 

For balanced weave, the warp is closer together and the spacing is the same as the weft. The warp shows and contributes to the design. The colours of the warp and weft form the patterns in the blue and turquoise sample.

With a four shaft loom the warp threads are all threaded through heddles which are placed on the shafts. One, two or three shafts are raised before putting the weft in place. The warp is also threaded through a reed which spaces it and puts the weft in place. The heddles are free to move sideways which allows a variety of thickness of warp yarns to be used. The dark blue and white sample has been woven on a 4 shaft loom. The twill patterns are formed by the way the warp was threaded and the order in which the shafts were lifted.

 

.Interesting patterns can be woven on the rigid heddle using a stick at the back of the loom so that either one thread is up and three down or vice versa.

The warp can also be maniupulated  by wrapping the weft round a group of threads (known as Brookes Bouquet - see top of sample).   Alternatively, you can twist the warp (Leno - bottom of sample)