4-Part Series Workshop!

Date: Thursdays July 16 – August 6, 2026!

6-9pm

Description:

Over 4 delightful evenings, students will learn how to work with a rigid heddle loom! A rigid heddle loom is a table top loom variation that allows a weaver to create yardage — or designed projects (think scarf, tote bag, table runner, placemat, for example)— while enjoying the meditative potential of this loom. Working with a rigid heddle loom is a great place to start for those who are new to weaving, as well as those who are experienced weavers looking for a portable tool to add to their skill set! Rigid heddle weaving is fun and is welcoming of experimentation right from the start!

With Sam’s direction, students will design and plan for simple projects—like a scarf or a set of placemats—and then will learn all of the steps to using a rigid heddle loom, from dressing it with the warp yarn to taking their weavings off of the loom to create finished pieces!

If you are looking for a chill, beginner friendly weaving experience, this series might be for you!

Students will use the rigid heddle looms in the Contemporary Craft studio, and materials will be provided. However, students will be welcomed to bring any yarn from home that they might like to use. To note: Rigid heddle weaving can be a great way to use up left over bits of yarn from past knitting projects, etc.

This class is 100% beginner friendly. No prior experience is necessary or expected.

Tuition: $210 + $20 materials fee

Materials: Materials fee includes yarn. Option to purchase a rigid heddle loom through CC will be available too!

Note: We really want you to join us in the studio! Full and partial tuition scholarships are often available to offset some of the financial burden of attending a class.

Please fill out the application here! You can expect to hear from someone on the CC staff within 2 weeks.

If you have any questions, email Jamie Boyle, Fibers Program Manager, at jboyle@contemporarycraft.org, or leave a voice message for them at 412-465-1628.

Location: Contemporary Craft, Timmons Studios (5688 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201). Note, this workshop will take place in the Fleischner Family Fibers Loft, which is on the second floor of the building.

There are 2 entrances to the Timmons Studios.

• One entrance is facing Butler Street. To access the Fibers Loft from the Butler Street facing entrance, there are a total of 32 stairs to ascend.

• One entrance is facing 57th Street. This entrance is accessible by ramp, with no stairs to ascend. There is a lift inside the building to access the second floor.

We strive to create a welcoming experience. If there are accessibility accommodations we can provide, or if there is anything you would like us to know before you arrive, please feel free to call Jamie Boyle at 412-465-1628 or email jboyle@contemporarycraft.org.

Cancellations and Refunds: Workshop cancellations are decided three business days before the start date. If workshops must be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire class fee will be refunded through Eventbrite, or you may leave your workshop fee in your Contemporary Craft account for future workshops.

Refund Policy: Student refund requests must be made at least three business days before a class begins. There will be a $25 cancellation fee. No refunds will be given without three-business days notice. Processing of refunds takes approximately three weeks.

About the artist:  Sam Adioetomo is a knitter, spinner, dyer, and weaver who grew up surrounded by crafters. Her grandmother, Ilene Raycraft, taught her to knit from age seven, and her mother, Kelly Fifield, is a sewist, quilter, singer, and stained-glass artist. Her grandfather, Ray Raycraft, was a stained-glass artist and musician. Sam learned to make yarn on a drop spindle in 2003 at a local yarn shop in Bloomington, Indiana, where she attended university. During the pandemic, she purchased a spinning wheel and picked up spinning techniques from Jillian Eve’s extensive online resources. With an ever-growing stash and a very slow knitting pace, Sam then took up weaving to use up her handspun yarn. In her professional life, Sam works as a writer and, before moving to Pittsburgh, spent most of her career in Indonesia. She sings a lot of shape notes and lives in Edgewood with her husband, three cats, a chihuahua, and a very fluffy rabbit.