About Robyn Spady
Weaving has always been a part of my life. It started with my baby blanket handwoven by my great-grandmother. While growing up, it helped instill in me a sense of creativity and confidence at a time when my self-esteem was developing. During my years while working, in what I like to call "Corporate America", weaving helped give me sanity and feel a sense of productivity, which was very important while working on long-term projects when day-to-day progress was not evident.
In 2001, changes in my life provided me the opportunity to dedicate myself to weaving fulltime. One of the earliest undertakings, that has had a huge impact on my life and my weaving, was tackling the Handweavers Guild of America's (HGA) Certificate of Excellence in Handweaving (COE-W). In October 2002, I successfully completed the Level 1: Technical Skills in Handweaving. In October 2004, I successfully completed Level II: Master in Handweaving with the specialized study Loom-controlled Stitched Double Cloth.
I am fascinated by the infinite possibilities of crossing threads and love coming up with new ideas to create fabric and transform it into something that has never existed before. My intrigue with stitched double cloth encouraged me to explore the many ways to weave double-faced fabrics as a way to create versatile fabrics that are reversible, self-lined, etc. In addition to double-faced fabrics, I love to discover uncommon and unusual weave structures, especially if they can be woven on only four-shafts. Recently, I've also been studying how elaborate trims can be woven on narrow warp weaves.
In 2016 I launched Heddlecraft®, a digital magazine for handweavers. I believed there was a void in educational resources for the intermediate-to-advanced weaver (and adventure-seeking beginners).
For many of us, weaving is a type of circle of life. The loom my great-grandmother used to weave my baby blanket on over 50 years ago is in use on a daily basis helping me transfer my inspirations into new fabrics and inspiring new generations of weavers.
Non-Heddlecraft® articles by Robyn Spady
“Deciphering Drafting Notation,” The Wheel, Issue 32, 2020/2021.
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“Rose and Star Overshot Towels,” Handwoven, May/June 2014.
“Yarn Lab: Happy with Hemp,” Handwoven, March/April 2014.
“4-Shaft M-and-W Twill Dish Towels,” Handwoven, Nov/Dec 2013.
“Fabric Analysis 102,” Handwoven, Sept/Oct 2013.
“Generational Dish Towels,” Handwoven, March/April 2013.
“Fabric Analysis 101,” Handwoven, March/April 2013.
“Embellish as you weave: A primer of inlay techniques,” Handwoven, Nov/Dec 2012.
“You can take it with you . . . A portable marudai for kumihimo,” Handwoven, May/June 2012.
"Two Blocks of Doubleweave on Four Shafts for Table Mats” Handwoven, November/December 2011.
“Twill and Basketweave Stripes on Four Shafts,”
Handwoven, March/April 2011.
“Materials Matters - Jewelry from Thrums,”
Handwoven, March/April 2011.
“Small-scale Velvet for an Evening Bag,”
Handwoven, January/February 2010.
“Organizing a Certificate of Excellence Level II Study,”
Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Fall 2009.
“Striped Corduroy Throw Pillows,”
Handwoven, November/December 2008.
“Reflections on a COE Journey,”
Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Summer 2009.
“Leno Lace on a Rigid Heddle Loom,”
Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Summer 2009.
“Selecting a Digital Projector,”
Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Winter 2008/2009.
“The Seven Deadly Sins when Creating Proposals for Convergence,” Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Fall 2008.
“A Twill Color Gamp Doubles as a Cozy Studio Nap Blanket,” Handwoven, Nov/Dec 2008.
“Showing Off Novelty Yarns,” Handwoven, May/June 2008.
“Weaver-manipulated Lace Weaves,” WeaveZine, Premiere issue, Spring 2008.
www.weavezine.com
“A Tale of Two Weavings,”
Handwoven, Jan/Feb 2007. (Endnotes column, pg 96)
“Big Impact from Small Looms,” Strands, 2006.
“Loom-controlled Stitched Double Cloth,”
Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Winter 2006.
“Small Loom for Big Ideas,” The Wheel, Issue 17, published by Ashford Handicrafts, Winter 2005.
“Marketing and the Fiber Artist,” Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Spring 2003.
“Shopping on the Web,” Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Fall 2002.
“Weaving on the Web,” Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Summer 2002
“Dream Catchers,” Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Summer 2002.
Education
University of art and design,
San Francisco