Deb Essen is the author of "Easy Weaving with Supplemental Warps: " (Schiffer Publishing, 2022), is a frequent contributor for Handwoven magazine and has recorded several DVDs on Supplemental Warps, Pile Weaves with Supplemental Warps, Unlocking Profile Drafts, Pin Loom Projects through Handwoven. She has been weaving for over 30 years and teaches at local, regional and national conferences, guilds and shops.
If you are looking for a teacher for your shop, guild, festival or conference, please contact Deb at info@djehandwovens.com for an up to date schedule and class availability. Yes, she takes requests!
UPDATE 2024! Deb is booking in person classes for 2024 and 2025 and will continue to offer a number of classes and guild presentations on-line via Zoom meeting for guilds and shops. See below for classes available. Contact Deb at info@djehandwovens.com with questions and to schedule a class.
Comments from students!
"I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful workshop. It has given me so many new things to think about. Much to learn (!), but I'm looking forward to expanding my understanding of color. You are a marvelous teacher! Carol, "Color in Weaving" Zoom workshop
"I did not feel slighted by this learning technique (via Zoom on-line). I learned as much as I could cram into my head during the amount of time we had to work. I look forward to other opportunities. The topic was a good choice for virtual learning." Joy, "Color in Weaving" Zoom workshop
"This weekend I attended a two day Zoom workshop by Deb Essen on Color in Weaving. ...All weaving is done in plain weave. Deb was very happy that we had someone useing a rigid heddle and a variety of yarn weights. So, you are not limited by your loom or your yarn comfort zone. It was such a great workshop." Dawn, "Color in Weaving" workshop comments posted on the Weaving Facebook Group page
"Deb, You answered my questions, and solved all the problems I had with previous supplemental warps. Thank you for a great workshop!!!" ~Nancy, "Weaving with Supplemental Warps" Zoom workshop, San Antonio Weavers Guild
Pin Loom 101 - 3 hour class (on-line or in person)
Beginners
Learn how to weave on a pin loom. Pin Looms are inexpensive, fun, portable looms to weave squares, rectangles, hexagons and more. Learn how to weave a simple square with tips to make it easy. Great introduction to weaving and pin looms LOVE knitting yarns! So if you have a stash full of left overs from knitting projects, pin looms are a great way to use them up and make shawls, pillow tops, scarves or a critter like Sydney the Sheep.
Color Value for Fiber Artists - 30-60 minute guild presentation
This color value presentation is geared toward anyone who weaves, spins, dyes or knits to help unravel color value and make it work FOR you in your projects.
MORE ON-LINE CLASS AND GUILD PRESENTATION OPTIONS
Winding a GREAT Warp - 30 to 45 minute guild presentation (on-line or with longer workshop)
Learn tips and tricks to winding a great warp that is even, easy to use and will never fall apart or tangle up on the way to the loom.
Doubleweave
Advanced Beginner and up Students must be comfortable warping their loom
2 Day Class - Doubleweave allows you to weave two layers of cloth on one warp, enabling you to double the width of your fabric! Learn how double weave works, planning a project, how to warp your loom and weave double width, tubes, two separate layers and pick up patterns where you can create designs anywhere on your fabric! Great fun!
Pin Loom 102 - 3 hour class (on-line or in person)
For anyone who knows how to weave on a pin loom or has taken Pin Loom 101
The next step in pin loom weaving is to create floats for patterns in your squares. Take your pin loom weaving to the next level.
Unlocking Profile Drafts - 30-45 minute guild presentation (on-line or in person with a longer workshop)
This presentation unlocks how to work with profile drafts with a quick introduction to creating a profile draft and how to convert a profile draft into a thread by thread draft.
Deb Essen teaching schedule and classes
Intro to Supplemental Warps Guild Presentation via Zoom - What are supplemental warps and how do they work? A quick tour/introduction to the weave structures woven with supplemental warps.
Weaving with Supplemental Warps - without a second back beam! 2 day class VIA ZOOM or in person
Advanced Beginner through Advanced Experience. Students must be comfortable warping their looms.
This class explores weaving with supplemental warps without needing a second back beam. We discuss how supplemental warps work, designing for textiles using supplemental warps, learn how to set up your loom for supplemental warps and weave samples in class.
Back to Basics - 3 hour class
Beginners and returning weavers
If you've been away from weaving for awhile or the beginning weaving class you took just didn't "take", this refresher class is for you. This class is a review of weaving from selecting yarns, calculation of warp/weft, parts of the loom, winding a good warp and tips for happy weaving.
Velvet Weaving in Venice, Italy - 30-60 minute Power Point guild presentation via Zoom In 2018 I had the wonderful pleasure of a personal tour of Tessiture Bevilacqua: a handweaving velvet studio that has been in the same building for centuries. As we toured, I asked a million questions and my husband Marty took pictures. Take a tour of velvet weaving on the original 18th century looms with how the looms are set up, the fabrics created and the tradition continues in the 21st Century.
Beginning Weaving - Rigid Heddle looms
2 Day Class - Learn how to weave on a rigid heddle loom! We start by learning weaving terms, how to wind a warp, dressing our looms and how to weave using a rigid heddle loom.
Unlocking Profile drafts - 2 workshop options plus 1 hour Guild Presentation
Advanced Beginner through Advanced Experience
Intro to Profile Drafts Guild Presentation: 30-60 minutes available via Zoom or in person with workshop. A brief introduction to profile drafts: what profile drafts are, what weave structures can be used.
Full Day Class - An introduction to Profile Drafting, how profile drafts work, creating a profile draft and converting profile drafts to a thread by thread draft. AVAILABLE AS ON-LINE CLASS VIA ZOOM
2 or 3 Day Class - Includes all information in the 1 day class plus students create their own profile draft, convert it to a thread by thread draft and we weave samples. In the 3 day class version, the samples are woven in Round Robin so class participants leave with at least 5 samples of various weave structures woven on the same profile draft.
dje handwovens
Color Value in Weaving - 30-60 minute guild presentation (on line or in person with workshop)
Why do those colors look so nice together on the cones, but when I start winding the warp or weaving things don't look nearly as pretty. Likely it's because of the color values. This presentation discusses color value, how to identify color values and make them work for you.
Doubleweave Pick up
Advanced Beginner and up Students bring warped loom to class.
1 Day Class - Doubleweave allows you to weave two layers of cloth on one warp, enabling you to double the width of your fabric! Learn how to weave patterns anywhere in your fabric using just a pick up stick and a graphed design.
Beginning Weaving - Multi Shaft Looms
2 Day Class - Learn how to weave on a rigid heddle loom! We start by learning weaving terms, how to wind a warp, dressing our looms and how to weave on a multi shaft floor or table loom.
A sampling of classes offered by Deb Essen
This is a short list of classes taught by Deb Essen. New classes are always in development and requests are considered. Classes available via Zoom meetings are noted for each class.
Introduction to Supplemental Warps - 30-60 minute guild presentation introducing supplemental warps and all the lovely projects you can weave with supplemental warps including velvet, terry cloth, shibori and turned drafts! Wet your weaving whistle with these fun weave structures.
Color in Weaving - 4 options ALL OPTIONS AVAILABLE AS ON-LINE CLASS VIA ZOOM
Advanced Beginner through Advanced Experience
30-60 Minute Guild Program Presentation on Color Value in Weaving OR Color Value for Fiber Artists- Available as add on to guild workshop weekend or as a stand-alone guild presentation via Zoom
Half Day Class - Color for Fiber Artists This class is an introduction to color theory for weavers and fiber artists. We discuss color theory, working with different color combinations and how color value effects your projects from knitting to spinning to weaving.
Full Day Class - This class includes the information from the half day class and color interactions and using inspirations to create color combinations in weaving.
2 Day Class - This class includes the full day class plus weaving samples in color combinations based on the student's color inspiration in different weave structures in one warp.
2024-2025 Teaching Schedule
(updated November 2024)
January 18, 2025 - Weavers Guild of St Louis
Intro to Supplemental Warps Guild Presentation via Zoom
February 4, 2025 - Toledo Weavers Guild
Intro to Supplemental Warps Guild Presentation via Zoom
February 5, 2025 - Warp and Weft Weavers Guild
Intro to Supplemental Warps Guild Presentation via Zoom
February 6, 2025 - Whidbey Weavers Guild
Guild Presentation TBD
March 27 - 30, 2025 - Seattle Weavers Guild
Color in Weaving 2 day in person class and Guild presentations
June 26-29, 2025 - MAFA Conference
Exploring Profile Drafting - 2.5 day class
July 8 - 13, 2025 - NEWS Conference
Twill Be Magic! 2.5 day class
October 7, 2025 - Toledo Weavers Guild
Profile Drafting Guild Presentation via Zoom