Weaving & fibre workshops in Nelson, BC
There’s
room at
the loom.
Small, friendly workshops for complete beginners, happily obsessed fibre people, and everyone in between. Come learn real skills, make beautiful things, and spend a genuinely lovely day working with your hands.
BEGINNER-FRIENDLY✦SMALL CLASSES✦REAL SKILLS✦BEAUTIFUL CLOTH✦KOOTENAY-MADE
You belong at the loom
Creative enough
to feel magical.
Practical enough
to use every day.
23+years working with fibre
6or fewer students in most classes
1beautiful project made in a day
You don’t need to be “artistic.” You don’t need to know what a heddle is. You only need to be curious.
My workshops are relaxed, hands-on, and deliberately small. I’ll give you all the help you need without hovering ominously over your shoulder. You’ll make something real from the very first day.
The studio is a place for colour, concentration, laughter, tea, useful mistakes, and that rather magical moment when a bundle of yarn becomes actual cloth.
See what you can make →
Choose your next making day
Follow the thread
at your own pace.
September workshopsNow booking in Nelson
Six one-day weaving workshops in my new studio at 606 Arts Space.
See the datesSeptember 2026
The looms
are ready.
All workshops run from 9am to 4pm at 606 Arts Space in Nelson. Classes are deliberately small, all equipment is provided, and complete beginners are very welcome.
Handwoven Tea Towels
$115 · materials includedColour & Weave — Log Cabin
$100 + materials
Most popularBeginner-friendly practical weaving
Handwoven Tea Towels
Spend the day making practical, beautiful cotton cloth and discovering why handwoven tea towels are weirdly addictive. Complete beginners are absolutely welcome. If you’re feeling nervous or would prefer the gentlest possible first step, Introduction to Weaving is a lovely place to begin.
One day · 9am to 4pm$115 · materials included
Ask about this class →Rigid heddle learning path
Introduction is the gentlest start, but complete beginners are welcome in Tea Towels too.
01Start here · no secret prerequisites
Introduction to Weaving
Never touched a loom? Perfect. I’ll teach you to warp and weave on a rigid heddle loom, and you’ll head home with a scarf or throw pillow you made yourself. Yes, in one day!
One day · 9am to 4pm$100 + materials
Ask about this class →
02A gentle next step
Lace Weaving Basics
It looks complicated, but it is delightfully easy and a perfect next step for emerging weavers. Learn how to create light, open patterns one simple row at a time. Choose the usual workshop yarn, or try hemp for a fun extra challenge.
One day · 9am to 4pm$100 + materials
Ask about this class →
03Clever pattern play
Colour & Weave - Log Cabin
Two colours and one very clever sequence create an optical pattern that looks delightfully more difficult than it is. Make a graphic pillow or scarf while learning how colour order changes cloth.
One day · 9am to 4pm$100 + materials
Ask about this class →
04For pattern-loving brains
Colour & Weave - Gamp Wall Hanging
Bring several colour-and-weave ideas together in one glorious sampler. You’ll make a graphic wall hanging full of pattern, and probably spend the drive home thinking about the next combination.
One day · 9am to 4pm$100 + materials
Ask about this class →Other excellent rabbit holes
A different branch of weaving
Tapestry Basics
Slow down, play with colour and shape, and make a small tapestry with absolutely nowhere else to be. No weaving experience needed. Just bring a willingness to fuss happily with yarn for a day.
One day · 9am to 4pm$100 · materials included
Ask about this class →
Fluff becomes yarn (somehow!)
Introduction to Spinning
Begin with a drop spindle, then settle in at the spinning wheels so you can try both. You’ll learn how twist turns fluffy fibre into actual yarn and discover which method makes your fibre-loving heart happiest.
One day · equipment providedDetails with each date
Ask about this class →Waffle weave, transparency, mohair shawls, and other delightfully niche rabbit holes will wander onto the calendar throughout the year.
Yarn, tools & Ashford equipment
Good yarn.
Good tools.
A loom of your own.
The shelves are growing with yarns for weavers, knitters, crocheters, rug hookers, and anyone else who sees yarn and immediately imagines a project. I also have fibres for spinners. If I don’t have what you need, ask. I can often order it in for you.
Ashford retailer
Fall in love with weaving in class? You can buy your own loom right here. I sell Ashford looms, spinning wheels, stands, shuttles, reeds, tools, parts, and accessories, including items I don’t keep in stock.
- 01 Yarn for weaving, knitting, crochet, rug hooking, and more
- 02 Anything Ashford, from looms and wheels to parts and accessories
- 03 Special orders when the thing you need isn’t already on the shelf
- 04 Practical help choosing materials, without the yarn-snob nonsense
Meet your teacher
Hi, I’m
Sheleigh.
I’ve spent more than twenty-three years following thread wherever it leads, which, it turns out, is usually into another delightful textile rabbit hole.
I started spinning at twelve after a fantasy novel convinced me it was basically magic. I’ve been proving it right ever since. These days, I move happily between rigid heddle weaving, tapestry, spinning, textile history, and the occasional project that becomes far more ambitious than planned.
I love the clever bits: how structure creates pattern, why one yarn behaves differently from another, and the long history tucked inside ordinary cloth. I don’t believe learning should feel intimidating. My job is to make the complicated parts make sense, give you room to experiment, and help you leave surprised by what your own hands can do.
Sheleigh Fibre artist · teacher · lifelong maker
A familiar little flock
A little flock with
a life of its own.
These woven birds have wandered surprisingly far around the internet. Every so often, someone recognizes them in person. It never stops being a little surreal and very lovely.
What a workshop feels like
Welcoming
Come exactly as you are. Questions are encouraged, mistakes are useful, and nobody is going to quiz you on weaving vocabulary at the door.
Thorough
You won’t just follow mysterious steps and hope for the best. I explain what’s happening underneath, because understanding is much more useful than memorizing.
Satisfying
There is something extraordinary about leaving with real cloth or yarn in your hands, made by you in one wonderfully fibre-filled day.
Before your first workshop
Questions are
always welcome.
Here are the things most new students want to know.
01I’ve never woven before. Can I really do this?+
Yes, genuinely. I don’t mean ‘beginner’ in the way that secretly means you should already know the basics. Introduction to Weaving starts right at the beginning, and I’ll be beside you for every step.
02Which workshop should I take next?+
Introduction to Weaving is the gentlest place to begin, especially if you’re nervous or unsure. Complete beginners are also very welcome in Tea Towels, which is a standalone practical project. From there, the natural rigid heddle path is Lace, Colour & Weave - Log Cabin, then the Gamp Wall Hanging. Tapestry and Spinning are their own happy rabbit holes.
03Do I need to own a loom or wheel?+
Nope! I provide the equipment for the day. If you fall head-over-heels for weaving or spinning (it happens), I’m an Ashford retailer and can help you choose the right loom, wheel, or accessories and order them for you.
04What should I bring?+
You’ll receive a materials list when you reserve, in case you’d like to bring something from your own stash or buy it elsewhere. I’ll also have every yarn needed for the workshop available to purchase, including on the day of your class. Workshop participants receive 10% off materials purchased for their workshop. Bring a lunch, wear something comfortable, and I’ll put the kettle on.
05How do I reserve a seat?+
Choose a September date above and click Reserve your loom to send me a message. You’ll hear back from an actual human, me! You’re welcome to ask as many questions as you need.
06Where are workshops held?+
I’m based in Nelson, British Columbia, at 606 Arts Space in the old Kootenay School of the Arts building. Full arrival details are included with each workshop booking.
Come on in
Pull up a chair.
There’s room at the loom.
Tell me which workshop has caught your eye, or simply tell me that you’re curious and have no idea where to begin. I’ll answer your questions and make sure you know when new dates are announced. No sales pitch, no pressure, just a real conversation.
Questions are always welcome. You’ll hear back from Sheleigh herself.