The Loom Shed

A place to immerse yourself in textile crafts with exceptional textile workshops, courses and events in Devon and online.

Come and spend time learning from some of the best textile makers and teachers. Explore weaving, spinning, natural dyeing and other fibre crafts, discover new techniques and ideas, and meet people who share your love of making.

Immerse yourself in our forest of looms and enjoy time to focus on making beautiful textiles by hand. There’s nothing quite like spending time in the company of other people making, sharing joys and posing questions. All accompanied by a good cup of tea

Learn more about us →

Upcoming Textile Experiences

Hosted both online and in our education centre in Devon, we offer workshops, courses and more.

See calendar
What's On
Ten Weeks of Weaving
Jan 7
Ten Weeks of Weaving

Learn to weave or improve your weaving skills during our ten weeks of weave. Your tutor, Louise Cottey will guide you through all the steps of setting up a four shaft loom for the first time before learning to weave well.

For the more experienced weaver, find your new challenge, try a different loom or get answers to things you’ve always wondered about.

Read more →
Open Up Your Knitting 2027 • 3-month online Knit-a-long workshop • Emma Vining
Jan 11
Open Up Your Knitting 2027 • 3-month online Knit-a-long workshop • Emma Vining

Join us for our fifth fabulous Emma Vining knit-a-long-workshop this time exploring openwork knitting. We’ll knit a Gentle Rain Shawl or Scarf together over five one-hour online sessions, exploring multiple openwork techniques and building up a stitch library of openwork patterns. Push your knitting knowledge and design skills with Emma’s expert guidance and a group of like-minded enthusiastic knitters.

We look forward to this workshop every year and it gets us through the long winter nights after Christmas and when we finish the daylight hours are longer. Emma’s patterns are always addictive and thoroughly enjoyable and she gives us food for thought each week.

Read more →
Introduction to Weaving • Louise Cottey
Mar 20
Introduction to Weaving • Louise Cottey

Introduction to Weaving • Louise Cottey

Read more →
Dyeing for Handweavers with Debbie Tomkies • 3rd & 4th July • 10am - 4pm
Jul 3
Dyeing for Handweavers with Debbie Tomkies • 3rd & 4th July • 10am - 4pm

Join master natural dyer Debbie Tomkies for an immersive, hands-on course exploring the art of natural dyeing specifically for handweavers. This course is designed to deepen your understanding of colour, fibre, and process, and to give you the confidence to dye your own warps and wefts for weaving.

Read more →

Feed your textile curiosity

The Loom Shed is for people who love textiles – whether you’re an experienced maker, relatively new to your craft, or simply curious about where it might take you next.

We bring together wonderful tutors, makers and textile enthusiasts for workshops, study groups, talks and events. You might come to deepen your weaving, learn to spin, spend a year exploring natural dyes, discover an entirely new technique, or meet a maker whose work sends you off in a completely new direction.

Because one thing tends to lead to another.

We rarely meet a weaver who doesn’t also knit or spin. We’re yet to meet a spinner who doesn’t want to turn their handspun treasure into something else. And once you start exploring colour, fibre, structure and technique, there is always another question to follow.

In a world that can feel overwhelming sometimes, The Loom Shed strives to provide an ocean of calm.

See What's On

Follow Us on Instagram

View fullsize Happy Monday! My sparkling new website isn’t 100% talking to it’s domain. So you may see this pop up. I’m on it and am hoping to show you the new site very soon. Apologies for any inconvenience, Louise #theloomshed #weavingworksh
View fullsize Back to the socials after a fab half term. I made the deal with my son that we could go to the House of Marbles and while we’re there we could see the much talked about Kudzu exhibition at MAKE Southwest. It was fabulous as everyone I spoke t
View fullsize I’m in a bit of an anti-social, social media place at the moment, hence the lack of posts. There’s a heap of stuff going on at the laptop, but very little I can share yet. But soon! However, I did finish setting up this loom, which feel
View fullsize
View fullsize Lots of plates are spinning behind the scenes at The Loom Shed HQ. Most of it admin based, which doesn’t make for an interesting social post. But 2027 planning is underway. If there is a workshop you’d like to see us offer, or a tutor y
View fullsize
View fullsize I thought I'd share a few photos that I took during our Tablet Weaving workshop last Saturday. Sue Day was a great tutor, plenty of inspiration, guidance and fun. She brought plenty of her own braids, some of which were naturally dyed, for inspirat
View fullsize Tempted to learn the perfect craft to see you through the winter? Spend a day playing with woollen fleece, learn to card then spindle spin, before trying a spinning wheel. If you're new to spinning this workshop is perfect, but if you have a wheel
View fullsize Another fabulous Somerset Art Weeks exhibition this week. Work by Alice Crane, Sue Green and Lucy Brown at Cotley Barn near Chard. It’s a perfect marriage of farming and art. Bear with me. I think there’s something about both those voca
View fullsize
View fullsize Someone once told me to combine something that you don’t want to do with something you do. So I combined a trip to the dentist with a trip to a rather fab textiles exhibition. Stitch, Stone, Soil is a group exhibition by A.R.T (Artists in Res
View fullsize I'm looking forward to welcoming Amanda Hannaford back to The Loom Shed on the 18th October. This time she's teaching complete beginners (or those who need a little refresher or a confidence boost). She'll show you how to card fleece into rolags an

  • "It's been a revelation for me to come and learn weaving from you. It's been absolutely amazing."

    Taz

  • "Weaving is an absorbing world. Louise's calm, clear teaching allows you to learn at your own pace - weaving becomes a soothing challenge."

    Loom Shed Visitor

  • "Thank you so much for another wonderful workshop. I had a wonderful time on Sunday with the flax. You have created such a lovely venue - and you are great hosts."

  • "Thank you both, and to Jane (Deane) and Debbie (Bamford), for making the two natural dye study groups happen (protein and cellulose).  It was a good learning environment without pressure, enjoyable and great that the experts were so willing to share their vast experience. "

  • “Many thanks for yesterday’s work shop. I found it very interesting and learnt a great deal. Amanda is extremely knowledgeable and a patient teacher. Your lunch was delicious too!” MT

  • "One thing that sets this course ( Natural Dye Study Group)  apart from others is the lectures about the dyes. I so enjoy hearing about the background - the chemistry, the history, how the plants are grown and harvested, etc. I cannot finish without giving high praise to Jane- she is  so knowledgeable, so clear with her instructions and so very helpful"

  • "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Lovely company, lovely food just a lovely day! What’s next? "

  • "Thank you Louise and Liz for running this weaving course. . . so well planned and taught that I could keep with the pace and comprehend all the steps involved. I met a great bunch of like-minded people and came away with the knowledge to plan and create a warp and get it onto the loom. Plus I would like to include a thank you for the lunch and flow of tea. Hope to see you soon."

  • "I have found weaving a wonderful break from a stressful life and have been amazed at the beautiful things I have managed to create. I have gained real inspiration both from Louise and the other students, and hope to continue weaving for many years to come."

  • "Weaving is an absorbing world. Louise's calm, clear teaching allows you to learn at your own pace - weaving becomes a soothing challenge."

  • "Fabulous day discovering the alchemy of natural dyeing. We did so many things - and it was a real voyage of discovery. Especially finding black. Thank you (Debbie Tomkies) , for your patience and thorough explanations."

  • "Thank you Louise, Liz and Jane for the wonderful day of indigo dyeing yesterday. So insightful and exciting."

  • "Saturday’s lectures were very informative, and somehow for me widened out or opened out the range of issues surrounding natural dyes. One can become very narrowly focussed, and it is good to see your “craft” in a wider context. I was interested in the subject of foraging, for instance."

    2024 Natural Dye Symposium 

  • "Wit, verve and a healthy dose of practicality"

Join our Newsletter

Our newsletter is the best way to hear about our events and workshops

Sign Up Here