Weaving with a Circular Loom

A loom does not have to be just rectangular, knitting with a round base opens up a world of possibilities to think and compose unique tapestries, such as those taught by Erika Pineda, textile artist and founder of Ancestral, a brand that is dedicated to the elaboration of decorative pieces woven by hand and that has collaborated for brands such as American Eagle, Aegean restaurant (Click Clack Hotel), Blue jungle and the El Tesoro shopping center in Medellin.

In this course you will get to know the circular loom fabric closely, you will learn the basic points such as Tatefán, Soumak and fringes, and then create four tapestries ready to decorate the walls of your house enjoying the process and connecting with the material stitch to stitch .

First you will meet Erika, who will tell you the reasons that led her to dedicate herself to weaving. You will see how he created the Ancestral brand, in which he seeks to retake artisan techniques and apply them in the development of contemporary pieces, in order to claim the fabric as a lifestyle. In addition, it will introduce you to its great influences and references from the world of weaving, ranging from childhood to the present.

You will explore the basics of weaving on the loom and learn the differences and similarities that exist between the vertical and circular loom. Then you will know the main work tool for making a tapestry: the frame, and you will build your own frame with easy-to-find tools.

You will discover the characteristics that the warp thread should have and learn step by step to mount it on the frame. Next, you will choose the materials you will use to compose the weft of the loom.

Erika will teach you basic knitting points such as Tatefán, Soumak and fringes in your pieces to provide volume, through different practices, creating three mini tapestries that will serve as a sample of the ideal stitches and accessories next to the following ones that you will make .

Once the exercises are finished, you will design and create your tapestry. To do this, you will define the order of the points, colors and materials that you will use. Then, you will start weaving from the center to the ends, applying the Soumak stitch and adding different fringes.

Finally, Erika will teach you to disassemble the fabric of the frame to give a different use and other applications to the fabric that you can make in the circular loom.

You will create four tapestries that you can use to give life to any wall: three of practice to learn the basic points and the last one where you will apply everything learned.

For people who want to learn to weave in a circular loom and also for those who want to appropriate this technique in order to create handmade and contemporary decorative pieces.

No previous knowledge is necessary, since Erika will teach you the technique and basic points from scratch. On the materials, you will need four drums or frames of different sizes for embroidery, threads, wool, scissors and needles.