Textile Weaving Workshop ~ Prato & Florence, Italy 2023

We had 2 fantastic groups for Pat Kinsella’s textile weaving workshops this May, with weavers from USA, Australia, UK, New Zealand and Belgium. Great to catchup with familiar faces and also welcome some new weavers and their partners.

Hannah spinning recycled plastic

“The field trips were really great. Pat is such a wonderful teacher. I was happy to have space to play and find what I wanted to learn. The conversation around sustainability was great. Learning about what Pat does was great. I am a better weaver for attending.” – Shannon, New Zealand

Karen @theoregonweaver

“Hearing about Pat’s life as a sample weaver for industry, having conversations about reducing textile waste, hearing about Prato’s textile industry past and present, and touring the rag picker, met all my hopes for this experience. Pat had many project activities ready for us to sample and remarkably they all helped reduced her textile “waste” in her studio too. Imagining new uses for bits of weaving projects that might have been discarded can be fun! 

Getting to know each of the tour group members added a rich texture and those connections certainly add to the experience. 

Having you, Sarah, and Valeria, guiding us through these adventures has been stimulating and wonderful. I will continue to share the textile tours with others.” - Karen, USA

Hannah wearing Karen’s @theoregonweaver experimental textile

“I loved the workshop with Pat, giving so much thought and ideas about recycling materials that I had never considered. Valeria was an excellent guide, she is so enthusiastic and went above and beyond to ensure we all got the most out of our time in Florence. She was an absolute delight. Wishing you and Simon the very best of health and happiness and I very much look forward to another tour studio experience.” – Gail, Australia

Mary @maryhandweaver

Pom pom Karen @theoregonweaver

Rag Rug Weaving Workshop ~ Glimåkra, Sweden 2022

Thanks very much to Marie Rolander and VävstolsMuseet at Glimåkra, Sweden for hosting our Rag Rug Weaving Workshop for 7 weavers from USA, Australia and Latvia. We’re looking forward to more workshops at VävstolsMuseet in 2023.

Workshop instructor Marie Rolander and some of our weavers (Photo: Tommy Svensson)

(Photo: Tommy Svensson)

Thank you so much for this great experience in Sweden. It was so much fun to spend time with you both again. You both go to great effort to make the experiences for your guests exceptional and I really look forward to more fun with The Tour Studio in Italy next year. It was a privilege to be on this tour with you. Many thanks for a fabulous experience.
— Gail, Australia

(Photo: Tommy Svensson)

I want to thank you so much for the lovely experience! I am really excited for the things we have experienced….everything has been so lovely and well organised/memorable. Thank you again for a wonderful experience!
— Sarah, USA

(Photo: Tommy Svensson)

(Photo: Tommy Svensson)

Thank you for all your efforts, you have done an amazing job. If you have another weaving tour in Sweden, you can put my name on the list now. I look forward to joining you on another weaving tour, take care and thank you for a lovely tour!
— Linda, USA
I’d like to say thank you for an incredible experience. The trip was a wonderful learning opportunity and I’m so grateful that I got to take part. Thank you for making a wonderful experience for us. We will remember it always - it’s been a dream come true for me.
— Susan, USA

Patricia Kinsella Textile Weaving Workshop ~ Florence, Italy 2019

Pat Kinsella’s Textile Weaving Workshop at Tessilarte in Florence was a huge success. We had a fantastic group of participants from USA, Canada, Australia and Ireland including absolute beginners and highly experienced weavers. Here are the scarves and samplers. Grazie mille Pat, we’re looking forward to next year’s workshop!

NL Pat & Mary.jpg
NL Gail silhouette.jpg
I really loved it all, and the light touch you and Simon bring to a tour. To me it was essentially so much more wonderful than I dared to imagine! Thank you!
— Mary, Australia
IMG_0943.jpg
NL closeup Mary's weaving.jpg
I have been thinking a lot about Florence and the workshop, and I just loved every minute of it. The accommodation was perfect and in a great location, and the tours were great. Now to the workshop with Patricia: there is only one word: FANTASTIC! Everybody loved it. You and Simon were so caring and organised as well that you made every day just wonderful…. As much as I am trying to think about, there was nothing negative at all! Thank you again for a wonderful time
— Michele, Australia
NL Mary & her scarf.jpg
NL Judith weaving 2.jpg
After experiencing your wonderful tour in Florence I’m so impressed with the standard of your tours
— Gail, Australia
NL Michele on loom.jpg
NL Pat & Michele.jpg
IMG_1130.jpg
IMG_0909.jpg

Handwoven Textiles ~ Fondazione Lisio Workshop, Florence Italy 2019

Thank you Eva and Cecilia at Fondazione Lisio for another wonderful textile weaving workshop. Our weavers found the workshop challenging and rewarding, producing some fabulous samplers on Lisio’s incredible antique jacquard looms. We’re looking forward to returning next May.

NL Lisio GM2.jpg
NL Gail fabric and digi version.jpg
This was the trip of a lifetime for me! I love Italy, weaving and history, so the tour was the perfect combination. Highlights for me were the class at Lisio, getting to design and weave a project on a Jacquard loom was a dream come true. I also loved the places that you arranged for us to visit, an amazing variety of experiences. Getting to meet and interact with the owners and family businesses was so exciting. I thank you for a wonderful tour and hope our paths cross sometime
— Jennie, USA
NL Sharon on loom.jpg
NL Sharon fabric and digi.jpg
So happy to have been able to weave on these looms!!
— Sharon, Canada
NL Sharon closeup velvet.jpg
NL Group Lisio.jpg
An awesome experience
— Gail, Canada
NL red loom.jpg
NL Lyn design and more.jpg
Instructor Eva Basile

Only 2 places left in our 2020 Handwoven Textiles ~ Fondazione Lisio Workshop. Signup now.
Read more about this workshop and tour from our 2018 weavers HERE