art/craft studio in historic downtown Silver City, NM
We have a new scheduling system in place!

You can now make an appointment to weave ahead of time online--anytime! 

Easy and convenient, just select an option, then select your day and time,
​give us your name and contact information, and you're done!

Here are the links (click on either to be taken to the correct scheduling page):

Freestyle Weaving for Everyone

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At The Makery, we have a different approach to weaving, the freestyle approach. In freestyle weaving, there are no rules, no mistakes, no patterns--just joyful weaving from the heart. We celebrate what others might consider "mistakes" as your own unique expression of what makes you, you. We are living, breathing human beings, not machines, so why try to re-create what a machine can do? We cherish the imperfect, the wavy edges, the loopy, the thick-and-thin, the tight-and-loose that makes your weaving your own. We sit and weave with no expectations other than enjoying the process of weaving, of creating something from your heart and your soul and your hands.

Easy Weaving--and Fun!
We make it easy to start, with the warping of the loom (the hardest part) already done for you. We also have a large selection of weaving yarns (and don’t forget our treasure baskets!) for you to weave with. With just a minimum amount of basic instruction and time (as little as five minutes), you can sit down at our prewarped looms and just weave your heart, with no concerns for doing it "right" or "wrong"--just enjoy the process, and you will enjoy the outcome!

Explore Freestyle Weaving
If you would eventually like to learn to warp your own loom (that is, thread the yarn on the loom--the threads that go longways), we can teach you to do that, as well. But if you never want to learn to warp, you can always just sit down at our looms and weave (the threads that go crosswise). We can also teach you new freestyle weaving techniques, if you so desire. Our goal is to empower you to weave your heart, in whatever way that works best for you. Freestyle weaving is ideal for people of all genders, all backgrounds, all abilities, and all ages (as long as you can reach the pedals, you can weave by yourself--and we have some nice adjustable looms that are appropriate for small children. Even if you can't reach the pedals, we have ways of working around that!). Our looms are super easy to use, too.
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Introductory Session
When it comes to weaving in our studio, you have a couple of options. If you have never woven in our studio before, you will start off with an introductory instruction session. You can do individual instruction on a drop-in basis during our Public Weaving Sessions (as long as a loom is available -- or reserve a loom), or you can contact us to set up Weaving by Appointment. (You can also use either of these links if you would like to come in with a friend.) We are currently limited on the number of looms we have available, so, if you want to be absolutely sure that there is a loom available for you, you may want to use the link above to reserve a loom online ahead of time.

Public Weaving Sessions
Once you have gone through an introductory instruction session in our studio, you can then come in any time during our Public Weaving Sessions and just weave as you please (as long as there is a loom available--open in two-hour blocks). Reserve a loom here! We will provide creative support and instruction for any new techniques you wish to learn. At any time, if you wish, you can get more instruction on new techniques (weaving, warping, or finishing and sewing your woven fabric).

Public Weaving Session Times
(Open to all ages, from 4 to 104)

Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Thursdays at 2 p.m.
Every first and third Saturday at 10 a.m.
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(All of the above times are for 2-hour sessions.)

Kids' Weaving Times

Thursday, Noon to 1:30 (during summer school vacation)
Thursdays, 4 to 5:30 (all other times of the year)

Want to come weave, but our Public Weaving Session times don't work for you? Use our new Weaving by Appointment option to arrange a time that is more convenient for you!

Start Now, Finish Later
One of the benefits of our looms is the ability to take your project off and store it in our studio to work on or finish the next time you come in. So you can either just come in one time and weave and finish one small piece in a couple of hours (like a small wall hanging), or we can take your piece off the loom, store it, and put it back on the next time you come in (subject to availability). In this way, you can work on larger pieces, such as a scarf or fabric for things like clothing, pillows, curtains, or larger wall hangings. It's up to you.

We hope to see you in our studio soon!

Public Weaving Sessions — Freestyle Weaving

Available for all ages after you have gone through an introductory session, see schedule above (2-hour session, subject to loom availability). Refresh basic freestyle techniques, learn new ones, or just weave your heart on our prewarped looms, with our large selection of weaving yarns available to you. Anybody present during Public Weaving Sessions benefits from our roaming instructional style, as well as learning from (and sharing with) other weavers in the studio. There are no beginner or advanced weavers here, and we inspire one another. Come in once, or save your weaving to come back and work on later (we will hold your weaving for up to four days, or until the equipment is needed). 

During our Public Weaving Sessions, we can teach you any of the freestyle weaving techniques found hanging on the samplers in our studio. We practice and encourage freestyle weaving at The Makery—no rules, no mistakes, no patterns, just joyful, relaxing, meditative weaving from the heart. At the end of your weaving session, you’ll take your piece home, or perhaps you’ll choose to leave your piece on the loom and come back soon to finish a longer piece.

  • Offered in two-hour blocks (the length of time we have found necessary to get at least a placemat or wall hanging-sized piece woven)
  • Cost is $20 for two hours, plus $2 an ounce, weighing your piece when we take it off the loom
  • ​Except for your introductory session, your time allotment includes weaving time only. The time it takes to finish your piece (cut it off the loom, tie knots or make fringe, etc.) is not included in your weaving time, and is complementary. (Your Introductory Session does include time set aside for instruction on how to finish your weaving.)
  • Due to scheduling restrictions, we are unable to add time on to this two-hour block. If you feel like you might want (or need!) more time, please consider scheduling Weaving by Appointment at a time convenient to you.

We also offer Kids’ Weaving at set times (Thursdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. during the school year; from 12 to 1:30 p.m. during the summer) at $15 total, including materials. Kids weaving at any other times will follow the regular Public Weaving Session guidelines.

Introductory Freestyle Weaving Session

Available for all ages (as long as you can reach the pedals!) during Public Weaving Sessions (as long as there is a loom available), the first time you come to weave at our studio, even if you have woven before, you will be given basic instruction on how to use our looms.  We will also go through basic freestyle techniques with you.  This introductory session may be repeated, as necessary.

It takes about 15 minutes of instruction to get you started, and we can teach you any of the freestyle weaving techniques found hanging on the samplers in our studio, too! We practice and encourage freestyle weaving at The Makery—no rules, no mistakes, no patterns, just joyful, relaxing, meditative weaving from the heart. At the end of your weaving session, you’ll take your piece home, or perhaps you’ll choose to leave your piece on the loom and come back soon to finish a longer piece. (See "Public Weaving Sessions" for more information.)

Supplementary Instruction

Available for all ages on an appointment basis. Instruction for when you want to learn how to warp the loom, or finish and sew your fabric.
  • Rate for one 2-hour block: $35 (materials fee charged if you take your warp home with you to weave at home; if you leave it here to continue working on it later, the materials fee will be charged when you are finished warping or weaving it), plus an additional $7.50 per half-hour increment (full or partial). It is likely that a warping session will take at least 3 hours.
Contact us directly to arrange a time for supplementary instruction.

About All of Our Instruction

There is absolutely no experience required to come and weave in our studio, and there is no beginner or advanced weaver here.  You will be weaving within minutes of starting, and we all learn from and inspire each other.

​Weaving in our studio is really about playing with yarn.  We encourage you to just have fun and try new things as they come to you.  Our guidance is gentle and meant to supplement and encourage your own exploration.

​Materials fee--In addition to the fee for using the loom, you will also pay by weight once your piece is complete and cut off of the loom.  The materials fee is $2.00/oz.  Average cost for materials for a scarf-sized piece is about $8-$12.
*Prices are subject to change and will have 8% NM gross receipts tax added on at checkout.
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