During this masterclass, you will experience what it is like to create something entirely from scratch. A threaded loom with wool warps is ready for you. You start by weaving the back side. You choose a color and learn how to wind a bobbin. Then you begin weaving with a shuttle. The foundation is the simplest weave structure: plain weave. After that, you will try your hand at creating small patterns. If this works out, you design what the front of your cushion should look like and weave it. After the festival, the cushion will be sewn together for you and sent to you by post.

Weaving is Mirja Wark’s great passion. After studying weaving in the United States and Belgium, she ran the hand weaving school De Binding in Utrecht. She lived for many years in Venezuela, Oman, Syria, and Libya. There she researched traditional textile techniques, organized textile journeys, and designed unique woven artworks. She also created the book Si’ira, about the belt weavings of the Wayuu weavers from the Guajira region, the northern border area between Venezuela and Colombia.

Since 2011, Mirja has been running the weaving center Golden Haand, where you can learn the basics of weaving as well as more complex techniques and ethnic patterns. She weaves functional textiles and occasionally an artwork. In 2026, her guide Learning to Weave will be published, a step-by-step guide for anyone who wants to get started with weaving.