Art With Mr.E Summer Workshop 2017: Weaving

The AMAZING people at NASCO ( https://www.enasco.com/artsandcrafts/ ) provided looms, fabric strips(how amazingly handy to have precut fabric strips!!), and long plastic needles. THANK YOU SO MUCH NASCO!!!  We loved getting to use them & trying out the different size pre-notched looms.  Several of the teachers did multiple weavings during our three days together. They did a mix of the fabric strips & yarn.  You could just do fabric.  I'm in the process of working on a rag rug that I'm doing in sections so its easier to work with(more on this in another post!!).

I do like the idea of having different size looms for students that might finish early.  I've had some SUPER weavers in the past...as well as students that want to come in extra to weave more.  Having the different sizes might be a nice to keep on hand!

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Ribbon Weaving

In our curriculum we have Fabric Weaving for 2nd Grade.  I like the look of fabric weaving, but "WOW" ...it is labor intensive(even with the wonderful amazing rotary cutter!!!).  So this year, I'm using ribbon.  Expensive...yes.  HOWEVER...my brother-in-law works as a property manager & evicts people for a living.  Not a fun job, but someone has to do it.  At one of these places...someone left behind a HUGE tub of ribbon.   I wasn't sure what to use it for at first, but it has worked out amazingly well for this project!!!    

So if you are gifted with a large amount of ribbon...get those kiddos weaving!!!  

(I will probably go back to cutting fabric net year with a yarn warp...I just like the look better!)

Fabric Weaving w/ Writing : 2nd Grade

So with the help of my handy dandy rotary cutter...I cut the fabric loom/warp/weft in no time!  I really feel what is important here is the actually weaving of the strips & understanding the process.  After the students completed their fabric weaving...they made a masking tape X on the back.  They then glued the fabric weaving to an envelope.  I inherited these envelopes a few years ago...and am still trying to re-purpose them.  They then wrote as much as they could in the time remaining about weaving.  I told them they should share the process of weaving, why weaving is important in every culture, and what is the difference between the art of weaving...and mass marketed fabric woven for utilitarian purposes. 

They then placed their card in the envelope.

New Toy!

OH FISKARS ROTARY CUTTER....WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE!!?!?!?!

Last month at our weaving workshop, our presenters extolled the virtue of the rotary cutter when dealing with fabric.  One of the biggest pains about fabric weaving is all the prep work for the teacher.....but this baby works like a dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It isn't cheap, but if you have your coupons...or go on a sale day...it is easy to find it 30 to 50 % off!!!  I think I got the cutter & mat for $13 with tax!!

Wonderful Weaving Workshop

This year I pushed to have professional development for the elementary art teachers.  My director was extremely supportive of the idea, and helped to make it happen with the powers that be.  My friend Janet (yes...we do a lot of stuff together) & I brainstormed PD topics.  All of which support our curriculum, and bring in aspects of our new text book adoption.  I then found art teachers in our district to instruct.  Janet & I are helping to lead several of them, but we've brought in other teachers from our district to lead as well.  We are our own best resource...and it has been a joy to watch our peers lead & bring their own unique ideas to the workshops.  

Janet & Mindy both have degrees in weaving/fabrics, and were the perfect choice for this workshop.  I love weaving, and was confident in several of the things they were demonstrating. However...YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS!!!!!!!!!!!!  I learned many!

This first image is not exactly weaving...it is braiding, but it is something I know my students will enjoy doing at some point!!  The basic weaving with recycled materials was challenging, but fun.  They showed us an easier way to do it, but I always make things hard on myself.  It worked, but would probably go with the way they suggested if I were to do it with students.

You know I had to make a turtle weaving!!!  This is made from felt.  You can order large packs of felt for a good price.  You'll need a rotary cutter & mat to make this easier on yourself!!!  With a wood rod going from leg to leg...it gave it a wonderful support to be turned into a wall hanging.

The belt was made with a straw loom.  I WAS ADDICTED!!!!  I had never worked with a straw loom before...it was so much fun.  The circle weaving is something I do with my 3rd graders every year....I love making them so much that I stayed through lunch working on it. ha ha  

16 yrs in a district the size of ours...you develop great friendships with your peers...even if you don't get to see each other very often!  When you do though...it is always a blast with much to talk about & laughs to share.  I know how blessed we are here in MNPS to have so many art teachers, and to have the opportunities to get together for professional development.  I wish I could have all you who find yourself the one and only...or one of few to come and be a part of our times together.  

Weaving With Ribbon: 2nd Grade

A few years ago I was given a TON of green ribbon.  Small skeins of it....probably around 40+.  I've really not known how to use it....but didn't want to get rid of it.  Well...with my crazy busy life...I decided I'd use it for fabric weaving with 2nd grade.  The looms are not huge I'm using so it actually worked wonderfully. It was a big time saver for me....cutting the fabric down for this project last year took forever!  

Fabric Weaving - 2nd Grade

Mr. Ito, one of my practicum students, taught fabric weaving today.  When he first started coming to my room, he had never done a weaving before!!  As art teachers...there are often on the job trainings in the beginning.  There is no way college can prepare you for EVERYTHING we teach.  Anyways...he did a wonderful job!!!!  Mr. Ito is originally from Ecuador, and brought in items from his home country that were woven.  The kids truly enjoyed hearing about Ecuador, and learning how to do fabric weaving from him.  GREAT JOB ITO!!