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HHH Studio Calendar
Register Online Now through April 26 , 2025.
Join us for Lei Haku-making with Maile Sakamoto.
Get in touch with your inner hula dancer and learn how to make a Hawaiian-style lei. We will be making a "haku" lei that braids ti leaves and ferns and other greenery. This is a good style for those who might not want to wear flowers (the Lei Wili class will use flowers). Students must know how to make a three-strand braid.
There are many styles and techniques for lei-making; this is an introduction to just one of them. Students will learn the basics of the haku technique. The emphasis will not be on finishing a lei, but rather to solidly learn the technique so it can be replicated at home. Patience and attention are required! We will discuss various plant materials. If time allows, students might also learn how to make a twisted lei (lei hilu).
The $15 supply fee includes all lei materials: ti leaves, ferns, other plant material.
What to Bring:
• $15 supply fee (cash)
• Scissors
• A drink and a snack
• Dress comfortably
If you have access to ti leaves, ferns, or kukui leaves, please feel free to bring, but it is not required.
Hawaiʻi Handweavers' Hui members receive a discounted class fee. If you are interested in becoming a member please click HERE.
This class is open to adults, and minors ages 12-17 when accompanied by a parent or guardian. If you are interested in taking the class with your child, please register online and add your child as a guest. Those registering for a Hawaiʻi Handweavers’ Hui class may add one guest based on availability.
We require a minimum of three participants for each class. A full refund will be issued to those registered, if class is cancelled by Hawaiʻi Handweavers’ Hui. Refunds for class registration cancellation by participant will be issued in full only if the cancellation is made more than 14 days before the class begins.
MAP Downtown Art Center
Click for information on Parking at DAC
MAP to HHH Classroom
For more information contact: classes@hawaiihandweavers.org
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HHH TERMS OF USE_CANCELLATION POLICY 5_2023.pdf
Register Online Now through April 27, 2025.
Join us for Lei Wili-making with Maile Sakamoto.
In this intro class, all skill levels are welcome! Get a jump on graduations (or other occasions) and learn how to make a Hawaiian-style lei. We will be making a "wili" lei that binds leaves and flowers onto a backing. (If you are interested in a lei without flowers, please see the description for the Lei Haku class).
There are many styles and techniques for lei-making; this is an introduction to just one of them. Students will learn the basics of the wili technique and make a kupe`e (wristlet or anklet). The emphasis will not be on finishing a lei, but rather to solidly learn the technique so it can be replicated at home. Patience and attention are required! We will discuss various backings and plant materials. Students will be able to take enough supplieshome to make a lei on their own. (including any leftover flowers from class). The $15 supply fee includes all lei materials: backing, raffia and some plant material.
What to bring:
If participants have access to flowers or ferns, they are welcome to bring, but not required.
Register Online Now through April 29, 2025.
Join us for Overshot with Linda Hee.
Overshot was a typical weave structure used in Early American Coverlets. It is a very rhythmic weave structure which provides a strong ground cloth with short supplementary weft pattern floats. This is a 2-tie unit weave structure, where two shafts are used to form the sturdy ground cloth and additional shafts can be used to form the pattern blocks. Once the weaver understands this concept, you will be able to design your own patterns or expand on existing patterns.
A four yard warp will be placed on the loom. The first section will be used to practice and sample the overshot technique with a variety of weft yarns. You will then design a pillow cover or a project of your own choice that is 15" - 20" wide, depending on the pattern(s) chosen.
There will be an additional supply fee of $20 paid to the instructor on the day of class. The fee includes warp and weft yarn supplied by the Hui. You may choose to bring your own weft yarn. This class is open to students who are able to wind a warp and dress a floor loom.
Example of an advanced overshot weaving project turned into a jacket
Provided Materials:
*Textbooks are not required for class A Handweaver's Pattern Book by Marguerite Porter Davison. A Weaver's Book of 8-shaft Patterns edited by Carol Strickler (only if you are using an eight harness loom).If you have one of these two textbooks, feel free to bring it to class. The hui has one copy of each for students to look at during class.
Instructor Bio:
Linda has a BFA in weaving from the University of Hawaii. She has been weaving for about 50 years and still enjoys it. She mainly weaves presentation pieces, but can occasionally produce a functional household item.
This class is open to adults from age 18.
How do I get to the Studio? From the Chinatown Gateway Garage, take the elevator to the 2nd floor and walk to the large double doors on the left. Enter the gallery and turn left; we are the last door on the left, past the kitchen. If you are parked elsewhere, walk up the steps to the DAC gift shop, go past it to find the elevator, and follow the instructions above to access the studio. There is a handicap ramp if you cannot walk up the stairs for the DAC building on the Nu'uanu entrance side. Walk towards the street lights, and you will see the ramp; you will need to walk through the courtyard to the elevator.
Register Online Now through May 1, 2025.
Join us for Inkle Loom Band Weaving with Barbara Long.
Come play with color and yarn while learning to thread and weave on an inkle loom. We will briefly discuss the history and uses of band weaving while introducing and move on to color, design, threading and weaving.
Weave with colors of your choice using yarn from the studio and the instructor's stash. Colors are the stars in inkle weaving. Looms may be taken home allowing students to make multiple projects during the class. Given time and interest, we will also cover pickup patterns and finishing options, including the use of hardware. Students will leave with completed band(s), instructions for warping and weaving, and a resource list for exploring further.
Dress comfortably, if you are easily chilled, bring a sweater as the room is air conditioned. All supplies are included in the price of the class.
Barbara's interest in the magic of turning simple threads into fabric is life long. She especially enjoys small and simple tools, color, and seeing eyes light up in others as they discover the delight of creating objects fun and beautiful with thread.
Register Online Now through May 3, 2025.
Join us for Woven Ribbons on the Rigid Heddle with Helen Rau
Join us for a creative and hands-on class where you’ll learn the art of weaving a beautiful, textured ribbon on a rigid heddle loom. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to refine your weaving skills, this class will guide you through the process of transforming yarn into a functional and decorative ribbon.
In this workshop, you’ll explore the basics of rigid heddle weaving while creating a ribbon that can be used for a variety of projects – from accessories like bookmarks or headbands to embellishments for garments or home decor. We’ll cover techniques for color blending, pattern design, and finishing to ensure that your ribbon is as stunning as it is versatile. All supplies are provided.
Scissors
Artist Bio:
Helen Rau has been weaving since 1995. Her favorite process of weaving is warping, and she loves creating kitchen towels, rag rugs, and scarves. Initially working on a floor loom, she transitioned to Rigid Heddle to save on space. Helen lives part-time in Portland, Oregon, and her other passions are spinning cotton, and spending time in her kitchen!
MAP Downtown Art Center - Parking, Enter the Chinatown Gateway Garage from Bethel Street. All transactions by credit card.
Register Online Now through May 7, 2025.
Join us for Rigid Heddle Weaving I with Reina Young
This class introduces new weavers to the portable rigid heddle loom. Weavers have the option to create a scarf, table runner, or placemats. We will go over different pattern techniques, play with color palettes, experiment with various fibers, and learn how to warp and dress the loom.
The rigid heddle loom is essentially a rectangular, wooden frame loom. However, it differs from the simple frame looms that are now readily available and often used for tapestry, as it has space for a heddle/reed, making it capable of producing sheds (gaps or spaces) to weave through. It is a 2 shaft loom, but has further reaching capabilities.
This class is open to any skill level. There will be an additional supply fee of $20, to include yarn and weaving tools, payable to the instructor on the first day of class. All supplies and materials will be provided.
Instructor Bio
Reina Young is a multi media artist based in Hawaiʻi who specializes in fabric arts, digital illustrations and handmade, artisanal goods. With a background in graphic design, her passion is to create, teach and bring beauty and vibrancy into people’s lives through art and crafting.
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Register Online Now through May 10, 2025.
Join us for Beginner Basket Weaving with Cynthia McCreedy
Learn to make a simple round basket! We will make one or two small baskets using natural and dyed round reed.
No weaving experience necessary. There is a $10 supply fee payable to the instructor at the beginning of the class. It includes the reed necessary for making one or two round baskets.
*The instructor will bring a few pairs to share during the class, if you do not own any.
Cynthia McCreedy began her journey as a weaver in 1973 when she took a basket making class. She soon went from basket weaving to loom weaving, attending weaving and fiber arts classes at Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She still loves to learn new weaving techniques in both basket and loom weaving, as she continues on her lifelong weaving journey.
Register Online Now through May 11, 2025
Join us for Hanging Basket with Elaine Imoto
Weave industrial waste of white or black plastic bale straps into useful hanging baskets! Air plants love these baskets and bromeliads thrive in a soft mossy bed.
Hanging plants will need a mesh insert for holding in potting mix. Larger baskets can hold green plastic store pots. Customize future sizes to your personal space. The tiny 4” x 4” footprint size makes this project a snap to finish in under 3 hrs! A second basket kit will be provided to make in class or at home! Tin snips will provided by instructor.
Instructor Elaine supplies all bales (OK to bring personal stashes) tape measure, rulers, and limited clothes pins ( return at end of class).
This is an easy beginner project and open to all skill levels to get you hooked on making more baskets. Extra kits will be sold at class (if available). Elaine is teaching techniques learned from Professor Gaye Chan's demo during the 12-2021 Artists of Hawaiʻi Now exhibition held at the Honolulu Museum of Art.
Weave, Reuse, Recycle!
A long time Honolulu Museum of Art (HOMA) volunteer, Elaine Imoto learned to weave baskets with bale straps from Professor Gaye Chan of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Imoto took Chan’s reuse & recycle class in the December 2021 HOMA Artists of Hawaii Now program at which these weaving materials (the bales) were handed out.
This class is open to adults from age 18. Those registering for a Hawaiʻi Handweavers’ Hui class may add one guest based on availability.
Register Online Now through May 17, 2025.
Join us for Rag Rugs with Reina Young & Helen Rau
Learn how to weave a rag rug. Have fun repurposing old materials to create something new. Draft your own unique rug design and bring it to life using a variety of plain-weave patterning techniques. Instructors will introduce the parts of a loom, explain how they work, and demonstrate how to measure a warp and dress the loom for weaving a rag rug.
By the end of the class, participants will know the basics of weaving a rug on a floor loom, and they will take home a one-of-a-kind approximately 2'x3' creation.
There will be an additional $25 supply fee, payable to the instructor on the first day of class, which includes 2-3 yards of rug warp and weft material
Instructor Bios
Reina Young is a multi media artist based in Hawaiʻi, she specializes in fabric arts, digital illustrations and handmade, artisanal goods. With a background in graphic design, her passion is to create, teach and bring beauty and vibrancy into people’s lives through art and crafting.
Register Online Now through May 21, 2025.
Join us for Floor Loom Weaving with Joan Namkoong
A basic weaving class for people who want to learn to use a floor loom. You will learn the basics of setting up a floor loom: measuring a warp, dressing the loom (beaming the warp, threading heddles, sleying the reed, tying on) — all in an orderly manner so you can weave cloth. You’ll learn basic weave structures — plain weave, twill, basketweave. We’ll explore how to use different fibers, how to determine the sett of cloth and how handwoven cloth is made from start to finish. You will weave a sampler and a short piece that can be used as a runner or wall hanging. Students who have taken any of our Basic Weaving classes are welcome to take this class to practice their skills and work on a project to be discussed with the instructor.
By the end of class, weavers will have their one-of-a-kind project to take home.
Joan Namkoong is a 30 year plus weaver who lives on the Big Island. She weaves and sells functional textiles like scarves, shawls, towels, rugs, runners and yardage for household use. Silk is her favorite thread followed by cotton. Plain weave is used most of the time on her 8- shaft Gilmore loom. She also uses a drawloom to weave complex images and patterns.
Register Online Now through May 23. 2025.
Join us for Looping with Joan Namkoong
Looping is an ancient fiber technique where one thread travels in and out and crosses itself to form a stitch that does not unravel. Looping can form bags and vessels, surround an object or become an art piece. It's a simple and relaxing technique with few rules, uses just a needle and thread and lots of your creativity!
Register Online Now through May 24, 2025.
Join us for Hand Brooms with Joan Namkoong.
Simple hand brooms using broom corn and tampico fiber are useful around the house, office and weaving loom for dusting off bits and pieces! Learn to tie a turkey wing broom and a hawk’s tail broom — a simple process that’s fun and quick. You’ll make at least 3 or 4 during our session. All supplies and equipment provided.
Register Online Now through June 14, 2025.
Join us for Double Heddle Tube Bag with Helen Rau
In this class, you will warp and weave a two-layer fabric on the rigid heddle loom. We will be warping on two 10 dent reed heddles. Three projects can be woven on 80” warp. Because of the nature of the double heddle, as we weave our project, the two ends will be woven together, creating a tube. No sewing necessary! After adding your woven strap, (optional) Voila! You have finished making an advanced woven bag all by your hands!
There will be an additional $25 supply fee for yarn and weaving tools that is paid to the instructor on the first day of class. Supply fee includes 2 1/2 yards of 8/4 cotton in two reeds for warp, and two strands of 8/2 cotton or single strand 8/4 carpet warp for weft. All supplies and materials will be provided; however, students may bring their own yarn* and rigid heddle loom.
*Upon checking with instructors to confirm the yarn is appropriate for class use.
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Downtown Art Center,
1041 Nuʻuanu Ave, Second Floor,
Honolulu, HI 96817
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Hawaiʻi Handweavers' Hui is a founding member of the Downtown Art Center. www.downtownarthi.org
Hawaiʻi Handweavers' Hui is supported in part by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.