East Lansing Makers: The Weavers Guild

When Heidi Butler moved to the area 12 years ago, she knew she wanted to explore her creative side. But as a single mother, the East Lansing resident had little time to do so.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, that changed. Butler learned that the Greater Lansing Weavers Guild was meeting on Zoom, giving her the opportunity—and the time—to join the community.

Since 1955, the Greater Lansing Weavers Guild has promoted and educated area makers about hand weaving. Today’s iteration is a surprisingly diverse group.

“We have some retired folks who’ve been involved for decades, including people who have been weaving since the 1970s,” Butler said. “Some people, like me, get into weaving as a side hobby to knitting or sewing. I actually learned how to weave in high school before I learned how to knit, but there was a long gap between learning and becoming a weaver again.”

Butler said the youngest member of the guild is about 30, and several men have been involved over the years.

The guild celebrated its 70th anniversary last year with an exhibit at Capital Area District Libraries, where looms were set up for public use. Members also showcased their work at a fiber event at the fairgrounds in Charlotte.

To teach the public about their craft, the guild partners with the East Lansing yarn store Woven Art to offer beginner weaving classes. Held one weekend each month, the classes introduce basic techniques, and participants go home with a finished scarf they made themselves.

“I took a weaving class at Woven Art in downtown East Lansing in 2019,” Brincks said. “I had developed tendonitis from the fine motor movements of knitting and was looking for a fiber art that would be easier on my body. I loved weaving immediately and bought a rigid heddle loom within a week of taking that class.”

Nearly seven years later, Brincks now has six looms, ranging from a large floor loom to a small inkle loom.

It doesn’t take a large investment to start weaving, Butler said. 

“There are many simple ways to start,” she said. “Small hand looms, like potholder looms or frame looms, are easy. What we teach at Woven Art uses rigid heddle looms, which are basic but versatile. You can make placemats, scarves, and other usable items.”

At the other end of the spectrum are floor looms, some of which are so complex that computers are attached.

“With creativity and a pair of scissors, you can get started for free,” Butler said. “You can turn a cardboard box or old picture frame into a loom and use household supplies. People weave with cut-up T-shirts or scrap fabric.

“Of course, you can spend thousands of dollars on fancy looms, but you don’t have to. Michigan has a strong fiber arts history, including loom manufacturers in the past. Used looms are often available.”

Butler purchased her own floor loom for $150—a used loom that had been housed at the Hannah Community Center. New floor looms can range from $500 to several thousand dollars, she said. Most are designed to fold up for transport.

“I can fit mine in the back of my Prius,” she said.

At guild meetings, members focus on smaller projects, samples, stitching techniques and finishing work. Butler said the group also hosts guest speakers and holds an annual “dye day” at a member’s home, where participants dye fiber and finished works.

“I find so much inspiration from my fellow weavers in the guild,” Brincks said. “I leave every meeting with a long list of ideas for what I want to try next.”

Brincks said the guild challenges her in ways she does not experience when weaving on her own, exposing her to new tools, fibers and techniques.

“Learning in community has an organic ebb and flow that is really natural and lovely,” she said. “I’ve borrowed countless tools and books from guild members, brought small looms to meetings for help when I’m stuck, and taken on projects that I wouldn’t have tried on my own. Our guild has such a variety of expertise—someone always knows the answer to my question and is happy to help.”

Butler agrees, adding that the guild may also appeal to people striving for more sustainable lifestyles.

“Weaving builds the skill of making your own things, supporting local fiber producers and independent businesses,” she said. “It moves people away from fast fashion and throwaway consumerism.

“There are also mental health benefits. Historically, handcrafts, including weaving, were used in physical therapy after World War I, and weaving is still used in neurological rehabilitation. It involves crossing the midline and coordinating hands, feet, eyes, and brain, similar to playing a drum kit. It’s beneficial for wellness on many levels.”

The Greater Lansing Weavers Guild meets the third Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to noon at the Sam Corey Senior Center in Holt. Membership costs $20 per year and includes a membership to the center.