14 students learning Chilkat weaving gather in SEARHC's board room

This Chilkat weaving class began Monday, August 16th with 14 students.   This is the largest class I’ve ever taught, only because I have an assistant, my own daughter, Lily Hudson.  Teaching a class with my special assistant is sooo nice – I’m able to relax more each time I make my rounds with each student and I like that Lily’s knowledge of Chilkat weaving is increasing as well.  She is a fine teacher.

This class is unique in that there are four mothers with their four daughters whose ages are 6, 9, 13 and 16.  Before this class, I’ve only taught 2 children under the age of 16 (and I have discovered that teaching children is much easier than teaching adults!).

Gabrielle George gifts a cloth to fellow student Amber Baker

When Chilkat weaver, Shgen George and her daughter Gaby returned recently from their year in Japan, they brought beautiful cloths as a gift to each student in this Chilkat weaving class!  These cloths are to cover our weavings.

Lily Hudson demonstrates measuring warp using a pre-cut cardboard warp board

My Chilkat weaving teacher, Jennie Thlunaut from Klukwan, had many tricks-of-the-trade including her convenient “warp board” – the device that measures consistent lengths of a weaver’s warp.   Each student was given their warp board.  Using pre-cut cardboard cut to the proper length of the weaving, they wrapped their warp, cut one end, and “dressed” their looms!

Pam Credo-Hayes wraps her warp around the board following the direction of the arrow, a guide to keep us in the right direction!

Amber Baker is organizing her warp into bunches of five because her warp size is 10 e.p.i. (warp ends per inch)

Fellow Chilkat weaving student/teacher, Ricky Tagaban teaches eager Amber Baker how to weave Chilkat. Ricky was a student in the previous Chilkat weaving class held in July.

Lily and I invited Ricky Tagaban to come to class and be our assistant-to-the-assist teacher – he’s just plain fun to have around, let along a pretty dang good weaver for a beginner!

Trisha Makaily has moved a project from one weaving loom to another - here she is re-hanging the warp using the cotton cord anchoring strand

Lily guides Michaela Martin weaving her "anchoring row", the first strand on the weaving project that holds all the warp ends in place. Davina Barril, Jessica Isturis, Crystal Rogers and Jackie Kookesh pay close attention.

Lily demonstrates Jennie Thlunaut's unique fingering - notice how some of the weaver's hands are imitating the motion! Crystal Rogers, Charlene Baker, Michelle and Michaela Martin, Jessica Isturis, Debra O'Gara, Davina Barrill and Marsha Hotch laugh at how smooth Lily's fingers fly through the warp - like how can THEY ever achieve that motion, huh!? They'll soon discover!

Pay attention to 9-year-old Amber Baker, a member of the next generation of Chilkat weavers!

Students in this class are:  Gabrielle and Shgen George, Michelle and Michaela Martin, Charlene and Amber Baker, Atricia and Leandra Makaily, Jessica Isturis, Crystal Rogers, Davina Barril, Debra O’Gara, Marsha Hotch, Lorraine DeAsis and Jackie Kookesh.  The class is for two weeks ending on Sunday, August 29th.