Studio Membership Q & A
FIND ANSWERS TO COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR OUR NEW WEAVING STUDIO MEMBERSHIP THIS AUTUMN
How does studio membership work?
Studio membership is £100 a week (our introductory offer) and is bookable up to 4 months in advance. Membership is available for 1 Week or we have discounted pricing for our 4-Week or 8-Week passes which are great for members wishing to visit on an ongoing basis to improve their weaving. The 4-Week and 8-Week passes can also be shared between friends and family.
As a Studio Member you have access to a whole host of benefits. You can find the full list here. But essentially members can book a loom, access our yarn shop, use our weaving equipment, access our learning resources and become part of fun weaving community.
How do the 4-Week and 8-Week passes work?
The 4-Week and 8-Week passes work the same as for regular 1 Week memberships except that they offer discounted pricing and can be shared with friends or family members to make your membership more fun or to ensure you can support each other during your time weaving.
For example, if you and a friend book 2 looms in one week, you will use 2/4 of your passes and will have 2 passes remaining to use at another date of your choosing.
We ask that at the time of booking your loom on the Loom Booking Calendar you indicate who is the Lead Member and who is the Associate Member. The Associate member must also attend the 1-Hour Studio Induction and follow the guidelines set out in our Studio Membership Handbook.
Is studio membership suitable for complete beginners?
Membership is based on the motivation and ability of each individual to weave independently and unsupervised. Weavers who benefit most from membership are hobbyists and current or former weave students with some experience of hand-weaving or tapestry weaving who are able to set up a warp and weave independently.
To encourage participation, we run private weaving workshops to help complete beginners learn how to weave or to refresh their skills as well as hosting our Intro to Weaving and Intro to Contemporary Hand-weaving workshops, held throughout the year, to ready students for membership.
Is there weaving support in the studio?
Support is available to members during our 3-hour, monthly drop-in session where members can get help with specific weaving questions or projects. This support is available to members in the month they have booked their membership and the 2 subsequent months following their time at The Oxford Weaving Studio. We wish to support our members as best as possible to ensure they progress with their weaving.
Alternatively, members have daily access the studio and we encourage members to support each other during studio hours whenever possible to create a strong community of weavers.
When can I access the studio?
The studio is accessible Monday - Sunday from 6am to 11pm and members share use of the equipment. Restrictions or a booking system may apply if the studio reaches capacity or during scheduled workshops (dates published 3 months in advance).
Is membership suitable if I am interested in both hand-weaving and tapestry weaving?
Yes! Both styles of weaving are supported (and encouraged!) in our studio as we have all the equipment and materials readily available. We carry 2 sizes of frame looms and accompanying tools for those keen on tapestry weaving and access to these are included in the membership. The frame looms are also an excellent resource for hand-weavers looking to sample projects before comitting to booking a hand loom.
Can I join as a member even if I don’t want to rent a loom from the studio?
Yes. Some members have a hand loom or tapestry loom at home, however they benefit greatly from membership as they have access to all the supporting weaving, sewing and fibre-related tools and equipment in the studio, a large choice of high-quality yarns for their projects, a montlhy drop-in session to troubleshoot their weaving, access to our weaving library, growing online video library, dedicated members-only Facebook page (coming soon) and a friendly community of weavers to learn from.
What happens when I join?
Each new member will have a mandatory 1-hour induction to the studio which will outline the Studio Membership Handbook, be briefed on the looms and equipment, be given a tour of the Makespace Oxford building and be given the keys and codes for studio access.
How far in advance can I book my membership?
We open our booking calendar for studio membership and rental bookings 4 months in advance to help our members plan their weaving projects around their other commitments.
How does the Loom Booking Calendar work?
Bookings for the looms are on a first come first served basis. Membership runs on a weekly basis, so if you wish to book access to a loom for one week in a month, you must first join as a member selecting from our 1-Week, 4-Week or 8-Week passes and adding this to your cart. You can then book the loom and week(s) you wish to weave. We track all bookings so that if you have purchased a 4-Week pass but haven't yet booked all your dates, you will have a credit with the studio and can book this at any time, provided there is availability.
Please note: We block book our looms for 1 week a month for our Open Weaving Sessions. Please check the calendar for these dates.
Can I book onto a loom if I am not a member?
No. Access to our Loom Booking Calendar is a benefit of becoming a member of The Oxford Weaving Studio.
What happens if I know how to weave, but have never used the looms in your studio?
The looms we have available in the studio are popular models which have been used to teach in many of the colleges and communities around the UK. However we understand that not all looms are alike! We ask at the time of your Studio Membership booking if you have used your selected loom before and if you are confident to set up and weave on it independently. If you answer no to either of these questions, then it may benefit you to visit the studio beforehand or to book a private weaving workshop at the time of your booking to ensure you understand how to set up and weave on your desired loom so as not to waste your booked week. Alternatively you can book onto our quarterly Intro to Contemporary Hand-weaving workshop which will give you all the skills you need over a 2-day period. You can book this workshop here.
Should I visit the studio before joining as a member?
Yes! As this is a working studio where members share the weaving equipment and space, we love to meet new prospective members to give them a tour, answer their questions and find out how we can help them get the most out of their weaving membership. If this is not possible, please get in touch and we would be happy to discuss other arrangements.
Is the yarn in your studio included in the membership?
Yes. We understand that it is difficult to obtain a variety of weaving yarns at affordable prices, so we include the yarns on our shelves for you to experiment with in your weaving projects as part of our membership.
We carry a broad range of weaving yarns suitable for both warp and weft. From finer cottons, wools, linens and silks suitable for a warp to chunky wool roving, fancy yarns, paper and wire for the weft, we encourage members to explore the materials in the studio for their projects. Members searching for specific yarns are welcome to access our database of preferred suppliers for any additional yarns they may wish to purchase.
Please note: If you are wishing to undertake a specific project and wish to see the yarns we have available or need advice, please visit us during our Yarn Shop which takes place twice a month. You can book your visit here.
Can we take the yarns home with us?
Yes, however we ask that all members not remove larger cones of yarns from the studio. By winding a warp in the studio and winding smaller quantities of weft yarns onto cheeses, all members will have equal access to the yarns on the studio shelves.
Sounds like fun and you want to become a member of the Oxford Weaving Studio?! Then you can BOOK HERE. Can't wait to see you!