Whether you are a complete beginner or a professional, coming on your own, with a partner, family or friends, a personalised course offers you maximum flexibility in terms of subject and dates.

One-to-one tuition represents the highest quality tuition in terms of individual attention from the tutor.

Weave Galician Felpa (Spanish Loop-Pile Fabric) Those with basic 4-shaft weaving experience will enjoy learning this simple, tactile and decorative pile weaving technique which was commonly used by Galician women to weave heirloom coverlets. 1 day is sufficient for sampling the technique on a pre-prepared loom. A 5 day course is recommended for those who wish to learn how to set up a loom to weave felpa, produce samples and design and weave a cushion cover or wall-piece.

Sustainable “Orchil” Lichen Dyeing The precious purple and rose-pink orchil dyes extracted from certain lichens were valued for centuries and were once the subject of much secrecy and intrigue. Tuition in lichen dyeing explains the extraction and dyeing processes, includes a theory section with identification of lichens and information about ethical lichen dyeing practices + a field walk to learn how to identify several different species of lichen. (Minimum 2 days).

Introduction to Natural Dyes (Minimum: 4 x mornings) Learn how to prepare woollen yarns for dyeing, apply fixers, extract dyes from different natural dyestuffs and extend the colour range achieved through the application of simple, natural colour modifers. Students take home a sample card of glorious colours with accompanying dye recipes.

1-day Weaving for Beginners – It´s easy to weave your first fabric on a four-shaft Louet Kombo loom all ready prepared for you!

5-day Introduction to Weave Course – Learn to weave fabric from scratch. Prepare a Louet Kombo four-shaft loom, weave samples and then design your own final piece of work. Course includes a short introduction to understanding textile drafting.

Costs:

Weaving / dyeing Tuition at Casa dos Artesans
One-to-one - 90€ per day
Group of 2 - 80€ per person per day
Group of 3 – 70€ per person per day
Group of 4/5 – 60€ per person per day
Specialist Courses for Larger Groups – by arrangement. Max. group 8

Times / Dates:
By arrangement in advance. Prices of courses / tuition at Casa dos Artesans exclude cottage rental.

Cost of Materials: varies according to tuition. Please check.

Cancellations:
31 days or more prior to the start date of the course: Either we can return your deposit cheque minus 40€ administration fee or transfer your booking to another course of the same duration or longer free of charge. Cancellations made 30 days or less before the start date of the course: Sorry, we do not return deposits for last-minute cancellations of 30 days or less.

This inclusive week is ideal for those who want to try out all three crafts on offer at the Casa dos Artesans craft workshops and have time to explore this spectacularly beautiful part of north Spain.

The craft taster week also includes extras, within the price, designed to make it easier for independent travellers coming by public transport instead of hiring a car. There is also an optional day out in Ourense city for those who like the idea of shopping, sight-seeing and relaxing in one of the city´s thermal spas (bring swimming costume and flip-flops or beach sandals).

A family member, partner or friend is welcome to come without participating in the courses (see separate tariff). The ideal chance to unwind, go walking or study!

You don´t have to be a spinner to appreciate the charm of the traditional “Spinners Basket” (Cesto do Fiar) which even complete beginners will be able to make during the one-day basket making course. And whether you are a novice or already have some experience you will enjoy weaving your own fabric on pre-prepared looms … using yarns dyed by hand during the natural dyeing course.

Course Programme:
Dyeing Wool with Natural Dyes (2 mornings)
Weave Your Own Fabric (1 day)
Basketry: Make yourself a Ribeira Sacra “Spinning Basket”

The fee includes: * 3 craft courses with materials included (natural dyes, basketry and weaving)
* Accommodation in Casa dos Artesans in shared or individual room (see tariff) with free use of the spacious kitchen to prepare meals
* Provision of simple breakfast and lunch ingredients
* Transfers between Ourense or Monforte stations and Casa dos Artesans at the beginning and end of the course.
* Welcome supper
* Coffee / tea and biscuits

Food Note: We aim to provide simple range of healthy and fresh ingredients for you to make your meals (including some local specialities such as local cheese and chorizo). Fruit & vegetables, rice, potatoes, bread and pasta, pulses, breakfast cereals, olive oil and some dairy products. If you require soya instead of dairy milk please let us know.

Optional Day Out in Ourense (28,50€ per person)
Ourense is an attractive city 45 minutes from Cristosende which is increasingly becoming known for its naturally hot thermal waters. It is also home to international fashion houses such as Adolfo Dominguez and Zara. The day out in Ourense includes travel to and from Ourense, free time to explore the city, plus entrance to one of Ourense´s thermal spas and a light lunch.

Note: The fee does not include the cost of international travel to Santiago, or Santiago – Ourense (a regular coach service operates between the two cities and details of coach travel will be facilitated to all participants).

Cost:
Craft Taster Week (5 nights in own room in Casa dos Artesans) – 750€
Craft Taster Week (5 nights in shared room in Casa dos Artesans) - 850€
Partner Rate– includes suppers, transfer to / from Ourense and provision of breakfast and lunch ingredients – 375€

Dates
Thursday 28 May – Tuesday Wednesday 3 June 2009

Schedule
28 May – Arrival / Collection from Ourense Stations / Welcome supper
29 May – am – Free Morning pm – Basketry
30 May – am – Basketry / pm – Natural Dyes
31 May – am – Natural Dyes / pm – Free Afternoon
1 June – Free Day (optional day out in Ourense city)
2 June – am / pm – Weaving
3 June – am - Finish – Drop-off at Ourense station

Reservations: lluisyanna@terra.es

Payment:
Deposit - 35% of fee is payable at the time of booking to confirm your place.
Balance – 65% is payable at the start of the week in euros.

No. of Places:
5

Cancellations:
31 days or more prior to the start date of the course: Either we can return your deposit cheque minus 40€ administration charge or transfer your booking to another course of the same duration or longer free of charge.

30 days or less prior to the start date of the course: It is not our policy to return deposits for last-minute cancellations.

We do not operate the Craft Taster Week on a “minimum numbers” basis so even if you are the only participant we will still run the course. In the unlikely event of having to cancel the week for other reasons we will inform you immediately and return your full deposit fee.

Accommodation in Santiago de Compostela: If you require overnight accommodation in Santiago de Compostela on day 8 we are happy to facilitate an accommodation list.

The popular, low-cost, intensive 3 week assistantship is now in its fourth year. It offers you the chance to learn both weaving and natural dyeing within the context of a working textile studio.
The key to its success is the 50:50 balance of individual tuition with assisting in all aspects of Anna's own work to enable you to learn how a professional textile studio works in practice.

NOTE: The assistantship is designed as a special opportunity for complete or near beginners with a serious interest in learning to weave and use natural dyes. If you already have experience why not consider the Flexi-Week or individual weaving or dyeing tuition?

Assistants’ Learning Programme includes:
Yarn preparation and Natural dyeing
4-shaft loom preparation and weaving
Cloth sampling and record keeping
Textile analysis and pattern drafting
Final project work

Assistant work may include:
Batch dyeing and fibre preparation
Loom preparation, sampling or simple product weaving
Cloth finishing and packaging
Yarn Calculations
Administrative Support

Cost: 1165€ includes self-catering accommodation in Casa dos Artesans.

Materials: Yarns used in assistants´ own weaving projects are costed by weight.

Dates
13 March – 3 April 2009
31 October – 21 November 2009

Reservations: Please write to Anna about your interest in the assistantship, mentioning any craft interests or experience you may have.

Payment:
Deposit - 35% of the value of the assistantship (408€) is payable at the time of booking.
Balance – 65% - (757€) is payable at the start of the assistantship in euros.

No. of Places:
2 maximum

Cancellations:
If you cancel and we are able to fill your place we return your deposit minus a 40€ administration fee. In the event of the assistantship being cancelled we provide a full refund of your deposit.

Whether you are a complete beginner or a professional basketmaker, coming on your own, with a partner, family or friends, personalised tuition offers you maximum flexibility in terms of subjects and dates.

One-to-one tuition represents the highest quality tuition in terms of individual attention from the tutor.

Tuition Options Include -

North Spanish Split Wood Basketry – Wide Strip Technique or Narrow Strip Technique. A wide variety of different basketry forms and techniques can be learned either using pre-prepared wood strips (beginners upwards) or using local wood cut and prepared from scratch (some green-wood experience is preferable).

Catalan Willow / Willow and Mediterranean cane (arundo donax) Basketry - including the Catalan twisted border (intermediate level), Catalan “sparrow hop” base (all levels), and specific forms e.g. lidded rabbit baskets, double “pela patatas” basket (advanced), shopping basket (advanced), mushroom basket (intermediate).

Galician “Celtic” Willow Basketry (beginners upwards) – The curious Muros basket is made “upside down” (starting with the border not the base), similar to Irish creels.

Spanish Gypsy Basketry (beginners upwards). Willow.

Willow Table Mats (all levels)

Willow Basketry (all levels) including rectangular / lidded baskets for those with some previous experience.

Costs:

Basketry Tuition at Casa dos Artesans
One-to-one - 90€ per day
Group of 2 - 80€ per person per day
Group of 3 – 70€ per person per day
Group of 4/5 – 60€ per person per day
Specialist Courses for Larger Groups – by arrangement. Max. group 8

Times / Dates:
By arrangement in advance. Prices of courses / tuition at Casa dos Artesans exclude cottage rental.

Cost of Materials: approximately 3€ per willow basket, 7€ per split wood basket depending on size.

Cancellations:
31 days or more prior to the start date of the course: Either we can return your deposit cheque minus 40€ administration fee or transfer your booking to another course of the same duration or longer free of charge. Cancellations made 30 days or less before the start date of the course: Sorry, we do not return deposits for last-minute cancellations of 30 days or less.

The Flexi-Week offers you best value and flexibility. Enjoy up to 6 days in our basket-making, weaving and natural dyeing workshops to devote to your own projects , learn something new or refresh your skills with some additional, optional craft tuition.

The flexi-week also offers the possibility to make new friends, renew old friendships, enjoy evening conversations over a glass of local wine or aguardiente and (if you can tear yourself away from the workshops) go walking to enjoy fantastic views over woodland, vineyards and the spectacular River Sil Canyon.

The week includes up to 5 days of unlimited and independent use of the craft workshops including use of tools, equipment and books (materials are costed according to use). If you would like extra tuition to refresh or enhance your skills then you can take advantage of our specially reduced rate. Tuition is offered in all our subject areas (see Basketry, Weaving, Natural Dyeing Tuition section) on a first-come-first-served basis as our availability is limited.

BASKETRY SUGGESTIONS – Practice split wood or willow basketry or book some tuition to refresh your skills or learn new basket forms / techniques. Visit the basket gallery on www.lluisgrau.com for inspiration! If you are a complete beginner why not book a day´s tuition and make your first Spanish willow or split wood basket? Lluis specialises in Catalan willow and cane work, Galician “Celtic” basketry, and north Spanish split wood basketry and can teach at all levels. He also teaches willow table-mat making.

WEAVING IDEAS
Practice your skills or book some tuition to guide you through a new project from scratch or revise areas where you are lacking in confidence. Are you a complete beginner? Book a day´s tuition to weave fabric on a pre-prepared loom. Are you more experienced? Learn to weave loop-pile fabric (Felpa - the easily-learned and highly decorative technique which was used here to weave traditional coverlets) or simply enjoy an blissful, un-interrupted week of workshop time to devote to your own projects. Warp up one of our 4 or 8 shaft Louet Kombo table looms with their built-in raddle; Learn or revise textile analysis and drafting, Weave with linen yarns available from the workshop. Visit www.annachampeney.com to see examples of felpa weaving and linen and wool textiles.

DYEING IDEAS
Dye and wind your own felpa yarns with wool singles and a natural dyes available at the textile studio or book tuition in sustainable lichen dyeing or an introduction to natural dyeing (using woollen weaving yarns). Visit www.annachampeney.com to see textiles and yarns with natural dyes.

The Fee Includes:
* 7 nights self-catering accommodation in Casa dos Artesans in shared or individual room (see tariff)
* Full use of the spacious cottage kitchen-dining room to prepare meals (food not included).
* ½ day visit to Castro Caldelas market town (for food shopping + sight seeing)
* 4/ 5 days unlimited use of the workshop facilities –including tools, equipment and books.
* Transfers between Ourense / Monforte and Casa dos Artesans at the beginning and end of the week.
* Welcome and Farewell suppers with local wine.
* Coffee / tea and biscuits

Optional Extras

Spa and Shopping Excursion to Ourense City - Those who fancy a mid-week break can opt for the day out in Ourense city with its old quarter, cafes, shops and spas with their deliciously-hot thermal waters (bring swimming costume and flip-flops / beach sandals). The cost of the day out includes travel to / from Ourense, entry to the spa (excluding flip-flop hire) and a picnic lunch.

Individual Basketry, Weaving, Dyeing Tuition
Take advantage of our reduced rates of tuition during the flexi-week. Tuition days are limited and as such are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Flexi-Week Basic Cost:
Flexi-week in shared room – 499€
Flexi-week in individual room - 599€
Companion rate (in shared room, excluding workshop use) - 350€
Flexi-week (without accommodation)– 280€

Optional Extras
Craft Tuition – 90€ 75€ per person per day
Excursion to Ourense – 28,50€ per person


Materials are charged according to use.



Dates
23 – 30 June 2009 7 – 14 September 2009

Schedule
Day 1 (23/6 or 7/9)– Arrival and transfer from Ourense or Monforte to Cristosende / Welcome supper
Day 2 – am – Visit to Castro Caldelas.
pm – Workshop / tuition time.
Days 3 – 7 Workshop / Tuition time (with optional day visit to Ourense)
Day 8– am – Workshop / Tuition time. pm (30/6 or 14/9) Departure – Drop-off at Ourense / Monforte stations.

Reservations: lluisyanna@terra.es

Payment:
Deposit - 35% is payable at the time of booking to confirm your place.
Balance – 65% is payable at the start of the week in euros.

No. of Places (with accommodation):
5

Cancellations:
31 days or more prior to the start date of the course: Either we can return your deposit cheque minus 40€ administration fee or transfer your booking to another course of the same duration or longer free of charge. Cancellations made 30 days or less before the start date of the course: Sorry, we do not return deposits for last-minute cancellations of 30 days or less.

We do not operate the Craft Taster Week on a “minimum numbers” basis so even if you are the only participant we will still run the course. In the unlikely event of having to cancel the week for other reasons we will inform you immediately and return your full deposit fee.

Accommodation in Santiago de Compostela: If you require overnight accommodation in Santiago de Compostela on day 8 we are happy to facilitate information.

A unique chance to learn either Catalan Spanish willow (and cane) basketry or Spanish split wood basketry over a 3 week period. During the assistantship you work alongside Lluis – spending half the day helping him in all aspects of his own work and the other half enjoying a personalised programme of basketry tuition to enable you to learn Spanish basketry techniques in depth.

Note: The assistantship is suitable for both beginners and those with experience - with a serious interest in learning Spanish basketry techniques.

Learning Programme:

OPTION A Catalan Willow (and mediterranean cane) Basketry
Materials – characteristics, preparation
Tools – Knowledge, usage
Different Forms and Shapes
Range of Weave Structures and Borders

OPTION B Split Wood
Materials – characteristics
Splitting and planing
Different forms, shapes and finishes

Assistance Work may include:
Collection, cultivation or preparation of basketry materials
Assistance in the assembly of simple pieces or their respective elements.

Cost: 1165€ includes self-catering accommodation in Casa dos Artesans.

Dates:
31 October – 21 November 2009

Reservations: Please contact Lluis in writing to express your interest in the assistantship and mention any basketry interests or experience you may have.

Payment:
Deposit (35%) 408€ is payable at the time of booking.
Balance – (65%) 757€ is payable in euros at the start of the assistantship.

Materials: Commercial material used in your own projects during the assistantship is costed by weight . Example: Willow basket – approx. 3€, split wood basket – 7€.

No. of Places: 2 maximum

Cancellations:
If you cancel and we are able to fill your place we return your deposit minus a 40€ administration fee. If the assistantship is cancelled we provide a full refund of your deposit.

2009 CALENDAR
Courses & Events

      MARCH / APRIL    

13 March - 3 April
TEXTILE ASSISTANTSHIP at Casa dos Artesans
The popular, unique, low-cost, 3-week opportunity to combine learning-on-the-job in the textile studio with individual tuition.
For those with a serious interest in learning to weave. 2 places (apply in writing)

29th March – 3 April
Basketmakers´ Association Spring School in York, England.
Lluis teaches split wood basketry forms from north Spain.
Contact: h.dawe@btopenworld.com

Casa dos Artesans available for rent (with optional craft tuition)

Lluis teaches Catalan willow and cane basketmaking in Denmark
(course in English. April Dates t.b.c )
Contact: jettemellgren@mail.dk

      MAY / JUNE    

28 May – 3 June
3-CRAFT TASTER WEEK
Our inclusive, residential craft week at Casa dos Artesans with three craft courses and a chance to explore the area.

Casa dos Artesans available for rent (with optional craft tuition)

23 June – 30 June
FLEXI WEEK     NEW
Best value and flexibility for those wishing to come and spend a week with us in the craft workshops at Casa dos Artesans.
(with optional craft tuition)

      JULY / AUGUST      

Casa dos Artesans available for rent (with optional craft tuition)

1 – 31 August (Tuesday – Sunday)
Summer Exhibition + Open Workshops at Casa dos Artesans Craft Workshops

  SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER / NOVEMBER  

Casa dos Artesans available for rent
(with optional craft tuition)

7 – 14 September
FLEXI WEEK     NEW
Best value and flexibility for those wishing to come and spend a week with us in the craft workshops at Casa dos Artesans.
(with optional craft tuition)

3-4 October (tbc)
International Basketry Fair, Salt (Catalunya)
Fly to Girona or take a train from Barcelona to enjoy this major basketry event where you can see and buy Lluis´ baskets. t.b.c.

31 October – 21 November
TEXTILE ASSISTANTSHIP at Casa dos Artesans
The popular, unique, low-cost, 3-week opportunity to combine learning-on-the-job in the textile studio with individual tuition.
For those with a serious interest in learning to weave. 2 places (apply in writing)

31 October – 21 November
BASKETRY ASSISTANTSHIP at Casa dos Artesans
Learn Spanish willow or split wood basketry from scratch with experienced maker Lluis Grau.
For those with a serious interest in learning basketry. 2 places (apply in writing)

ABOUT YOUR BASKETRY TUTOR - LLUIS GRAU

Lluis is an experienced professional basket maker with over 20 years experience.

He specialises in traditional Catalan basketry and Spanish split wood basketry which he makes for sale and to commission.

As well as offering specialist tuition at Casa dos Artesans Lluis teaches internationally at all levels, most recently at Bamboozle (International Basketry Event), Cornwall, UK 2007 and in Ireland (Irish Basketmakers´ Association), 2007.

www.lluisgrau.com

ABOUT YOUR WEAVING AND DYEING TUTOR - ANNA CHAMPENEY

Anna set up her own professional weaving studio in 2006 in Galicia, Spain.

She specialises in making hand-made Galician pile fabric (felpa) – from cushions to innovative wall pieces.

Anna designs and weaves a range of own label textiles including linen scarves and towels. In her work she unites her love of both contemporary and traditional Spanish textiles.

Anna is also a textile researcher and freelance writer and was tutor at the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, UK, in 2007.

www.annachampeney.com