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PROGRAMS

 

We welcome students of all abilities, whether you're a seasoned textile artisan or setting your hands on a loom for the first time. Weaving students coming to Marshfield for the first time, regardless of experience, enroll in our Introductory Weaving Classes to learn the core of our weaving tradition. Returning weaving students may enroll in any of our Returning Weaving Classes where more time is dedicated to focused topics and advanced techniques. Fiber Preparation, Spinning, and Other Techniques and Dyeing Classes do not require prior attendance at Foundations. Please refer to individual class descriptions for class prerequisites. Information about our policies, nearby lodging, scholarships, and research opportunities may be found below our program listings. You can also share a class at Marshfield with a gift certificate.

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INTRODUCTORY WEAVING
Weaving students coming to Marshfield for the first time

RETURNING WEAVING
Weaving students returning to Marshfield

    FIBER PREPARATION, SPINNING, & OTHER TECHNIQUES
    First time and returning Marshfield students

    DYEING
    First time and returning students to Marshfield

    POLICIES

    Class is in session from 9:30am to 4:30pm, with a break for lunch at midday. The studio is open for working from 8am to 8pm.

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    Materials: A materials fee will be calculated at the end of the class based on the quantity of yarn used in your project. We don’t turn a profit on the materials we provide, but offer them to you at our cost to stock them. Depending on the project chosen, this fee may range from $40–$300+. Our instructors will do their best to help you estimate this cost before you begin, and payments may be made by cash, check, or electronically.

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    Cancellation: We rely on advance planning to make sure our space, materials, and instructors are ready for the best class possible, but we understand that life happens. If you are unable to attend, a 90% refund is available from the time of registration up to 60 days before the class, or you may transfer your registration to a different program at no additional cost. A 50% refund will be issued for cancellation between 60 and 30 days before. Cancellations within 30 days of the class are not refundable. If Marshfield needs to cancel a program for any reason, all student tuitions will be refunded in full.

    Covid-19: Masks are currently optional, and we will update our safety protocols as conditions change. Cancellations due to state health restrictions will not be penalized. Thank you for your cooperation to keep our community, students, and staff safe.

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    Inclusion: We strive to offer a welcoming and beautiful environment for all, regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, and sexual orientation. We regret that at present our facility may present challenges for those with limited mobility. The weaving floor is only accessible via a steep flight of stairs, and the ground floor of our building is not yet ADA compliant. We apologize for this situation and are grateful for your patience while we work to make our facility more accessible.

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    LODGING

    Lodging is available near the school and in the greater Montpelier area. Options within walking distance of the school include:

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    Within a short drive:

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    Students are responsible for making their own travel and lodging arrangements, but we are happy to answer any questions we can.

    SCHOLARSHIPS

    The Marshfield School of Weaving maintains a modest, donor supported scholarship fund that offers financial assistance for students in need when funding is available. Awarded scholarships cover a portion of program tuition and are applied as a discount during program enrollment.

     

    Unfortunately, we are unable to award any scholarships at the present time. Please check back here, or join our mailing list to learn when applications will reopen. 

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    We recognize the financial barriers to attendance for some of our students and are always looking for generous donors to help make the experience more accessible. To Support the Marshfield School of Weaving Scholarship Fund, donate here and write SCHOLARSHIPS in the note field when prompted. To discuss endowing a permanent scholarship, please contact us. Your contributions help make our educational experiences available to those who otherwise would have difficulty accessing them. Thank you.  

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    GIFT CERTIFICATES

    Give the gift of a class at Marshfield by purchasing a Gift Certificate in any amount. The process is simple, just visit our Gift Certificate page and select a preset value, or enter your own dollar amount. Enter your recipient's email, leave them a personal message, and select a delivery date. Your recipient will then receive an email with their gift certificate on the date you selected containing their unique gift certificate code. When they're ready, all they need to do is register for the class of their choosing and apply their code during check-out. Gift certificates never expire and any excess gift certificate value may be placed towards a future class. 

    RESEARCH

    The Marshfield School of Weaving fosters a community of curiosity centered around textile making in the past, the present, and the future. We are made up of people engaged in traditional academic research and experiential learning from diverse backgrounds who build our shared understanding individually and collaboratively.

     

    Marshfield and The Weaver's Croft are co-sponsors of the Early North American Handloom Survey, a crowd-sourced digital survey of historic handlooms. This survey aims to capture as much information as possible about these looms, data which has never before been collected at this scale. We hope that by gathering this information on looms in both public and private hands, researchers may be able to begin identifying cultural, regional, and technological trends illustrated by the looms themselves. All are welcome to participate in the survey. Though lengthy, it only requires an internet connection and a tape measure.

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    PUBLICATIONS

    We are incredibly fortunate that Long Thread Media produced two videos documenting traditional fiber preparation, spinning, and weaving techniques learned and preserved by Norman Kennedy. From Wool to Waulking includes oiling and hand carding wool into rolls and batts, dressing a distaff with wool, spinning with spindles and wheels, weaving, and finally waulking the woven blanket. Spin Flax and Cotton covers growing flax, preparing flax fiber, dressing a distaff, cleaning cotton lint, using a bow to open cotton fibers, and methods for spinning both fibers, including the use of a double handed flax wheel. 10% of the proceeds of a purchase of these videos goes back to the Marshfield School of Weaving when you purchase through the links provided here:

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    While serving as Director of the Marshfield School of Weaving, Kate Smith created an illustrated step-by-step guide to warping and dressing a traditional handloom using the methods taught by Norman Kennedy. Kate has continued to update this guide in subsequent editions and it serves as a practical resource for weavers whether using traditional or contemporary equipment. The book may be purchased from Kate directly through The Weaver's Croft.

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