Weaving in the Garden: A Workshop at Pythouse Kitchen Garden

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July 09, 2026 2 min read

Ellie helping a group of workshop participants with their weaving under a covered outdoor space, seen through surrounding foliage

Joanna Sullivan PhotographyWeaving under the covers at Pythouse Kitchen Garden, sunshine and greenery on all sides

I ran this Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving workshop back in April and fully intended to write about it straight after, but spring and summer got away from me. I've since found the file of Joanna Sullivan's photos from the day, which reminded me how much this workshop deserves its own post, and what an incredible place the Pythouse Kitchen Garden is.

Joanna Sullivan Photography - A few glimpses of the wider walled garden, from the path down to our workshop space to the seedlings coming up in the greenhouse

Pythouse Kitchen Garden, an eighteenth century walled garden restaurant near Tisbury, and one of the loveliest settings I've taught in. The restaurant holds a Green Michelin Star, awarded for genuine commitment to sustainability, and this shows in everything from the produce to how the site is run.

A stretch canvas canopy at Pythouse Kitchen Garden surrounded by trees and alliums, with workshop attendees seated underneath

Joanna Sullivan Photography - The covered space we wove under for the day, tucked into the walled garden

Blessed with the most glorious sping sunshine, the day started with tea and cakes before wandering down to the garden to get settled in under their outdoor canopy. A collage of images from Pythouse Kitchen Garden, including a plated dish with edible flowers, glasses of Sprig garnished with rosemary and lemon, and a "Garden to Glass" neon sign among the planting

A few glimpses of the food and drink, including the Sprig drink we were brought midway through the morning

Midway through the morning we had the Pythouse's own Sprig drink served to us in the garden, made from produce grown in the garden, and after the workshop we went up to the restaurant for a delicious three course lunch.

Weaving outdoors, with birdsong instead of the usual studio hum, changed the pace of the whole session. The group worked through the fundamentals of frame loom weaving, from planning a warp and dressing the loom through to a range of simple weaving techniques, using naturally dyed linen, recycled cotton, flax and other fibres.

Three close-up shots from the workshop, hands weaving on frame looms, workshop attendees at their tables and baskets of coloured yarn balls

Joanna Sullivan Photography - Hands at work on the frame looms, with baskets of yarn to choose from throughout the session

The looms we use on our workshops are the same wooden frame looms available on our website, in sizes from small through to extra large. The yarns are chosen with the same care: recycled cotton from Hooked, alongside Mum's naturally dyed linen and flax fibres, all available through our website.

Two woven baskets filled with skeins of naturally dyed linen yarn in a range of pinks, oranges, blues, greens and golds

Baskets of Mum's naturally dyed linen, some of the yarn used on the day

Some finished their wall hangings and samples on the day, while others chose to take their loom home to finish at their own pace.

A grid of seven finished frame loom weavings from the workshop, in a range of colours, patterns and styles

A selection of the pieces made on the day, from technique samples to finished wall hangings

Pythouse Kitchen Garden run workshops and courses across a range of disciplines throughout the year, alongside their restaurant. You can find out more on their website: Pythouse Kitchen Garden.

Some of the photographs in this post were taken by Joanna Sullivan Photography, a Wiltshire based commercial photographer.

If you'd like to join us for a future workshop, head over to our website for upcoming dates: Elka Textiles.