Customer Testimonials

AVL counts among its customers some of the most renowned artists and thousands of professional and hobby weavers all around the world. We place a high value on our customers. Here's what some of them have to say about AVL.

"The week in Chico passed way too quickly. The students were wonderful, and your hospitality was very much appreciated. Thank you so much for the rides, the dinner, and especially the welcoming atmosphere at AVL. The loom [Jacq3G] is going to be a winner, and I look forward to seeing many new jacquard weavers as a result."

Alice Schlein -- AVL40; Guest Lecturer

Looms

"What amazes me is how AVL keeps on coming out with wonderful new ideas. You already are at the top, but continue to go up higher. Other companies just stagnate or even lower their standards, but not you! Keep it up and thank you."

Anita Bell; Lubbock, Texas

"Thanks very much, Pam. You provide good service. I love my AVL! In fact, since my husband and I are retired now, we're downsizing and with two large looms the decision was to sell one so I would only devote one room in the house to a large loom, rather than two. The choices were the AVL and a 10 shaft solid oak Gilmore style loom which my husband had built for me in the late 70's... all hand made with small woodworking tools, plus a storage bench with a seat that reversed to be flat or angled, and with height variations. I decided to keep the AVL. It was very difficult to let go of the handmade, beautiful loom, but I found someone who cherishes it, and sold it to a lady in Austin, Texas. The AVL gives me so much more versatility, and I don't have to memorize long treadling sequences. And it's so much fun to design on the computer and so much faster. Thanks for making all that possible!"

Gerry Woodhouse

"A-Series...way above expectations - The lift on 24 (harnesses) is lighter than my 16 (harness) Folding Loom. I'm impressed. I was ready to brace myself for an exercise program in strength training or hip replacement, but it is actually an easier lift than the 16. I've been weaving twills so its not exactly a balanced weave but its not a tied weave. That will be my next trial. Thank you for the great products!! I enjoy every minute I weave. I even enjoyed assembling my loom. I'm not a mechanical whiz, but I understand the process..."

Diane Ayers

"I love the four-box shuttle - after a few months I'm completely comfortable with it and the shifter is very smooth."

Christopher Granger

"I love my AVL. Never had any real problems with it besides the "operator error" kind. Plenty of those, but usually only once per error type - I try to learn from my mistakes!...Mine is a 48-inch, 24-shaft, Compudobby II, with overhead beater and single-box fly shuttle, and automatic warp advance system. DH has added a motor shaft lifter system, which is a godsend. First because I do a lot of multilayer stuff, and my right knee was beginning to refuse to cooperate when I had to lift 22 shafts at once. Second because the motor ensures that the [virtual] left treadle action is always consistent, so I have no problems with sheds not opening right because the previous shed didn't get cleared completely...I weave a lot, and can't imagine maintaining a high volume of production without the AVL. No other loom I know of is such an efficient production tool. Your mileage may vary, but I come from a long line of artisans whose motto inevitably was "get the best tools you can, and keep 'em in good running order, because they'll help you do the best work you're capable of."

Sandra Rude

"The Story of HOPE LOOM….A friend of ours wanted Neil to weave a bedspread that was larger than any loom we owned. We told him that the only way to do the project was to buy a bigger loom. He told us he would buy the loom as part of the payment. So we went to the bank and together with our friend we borrowed enough money to purchase HOPE LOOM. Every month our friend sent us a check and we made the payment on our beautiful AVL. She is quite large and she wouldn’t fit in our home, so we rented a studio to weave the bedspread. Neil worked 8 hours a day as a hand weaver, then came home and wove 2 or 3 extra hours on HOPE every weekday and every weekend. We found that we had extra bills with keeping the studio rent and utilities paid, so we started greeting the public from the studio, and folks loved the beautiful cloth we made.

Then one day, the checks from our friend stopped coming. We had enough money in the bank to make one payment, so we did, and the next month there was still no check to pay the loan for the loom. We named her HOPE at that time because we could only HOPE to make the payments. Six months passed and one day we had a call from our friend. He had been in a terrible truck wreck and was finally able to call us. We told him that we were able to make the payments quite well with our little business and to forget the payments. We were on our own.

Since then we have paid off that loan and moved to our own studio. In 1996 when our studio was hit with a tornado, Neil was weaving a large bedspread for a customer. He wove the first half and then the storm hit. It is the only coverlet HOPE has ever woven with a tornado in the middle. We now have only 2 years left to pay on the studio with the help of AVL and HOPE LOOM. Thank you AVL for your help all these years."

Neil Colmer

"...wanted to let you know that the dobby parts arrived Friday afternoon, went right on, and the dobby is walking forward and backwards without a skip, just as if it had not had a Compu-Dobby on it for the last decade and a half. This is such a great loom - It has been shipped around the country from coast to coast, set up in many different studios, sat in a foot of flood water, and the thing just tunes up and marches along. I hope you all did well at Convergence - you have a fine product."

Francis Dorsey; 16H Prodution Dobby Loom (predecessor to the A-Series 16 harness)

"I am a very happy weaver! It is a joy to weave a scarf from beginning to end without having to frequently unweave. The e-lift makes weaving almost effortless. The AVL-40 and I are quickly becoming good friends and I hope that our friendship will continue."

Janet Stollnitz; AVL-40 (predecessor to the A-Series 40 harness)

"Not every weaver needs or wants a loom of this quality, but for those that do I can recommend the 40 harness AVL Loom. One weaver I talked with had one on order and I told her she would love it. The loom is a joy to weave on. The detached bench is easily removed and a lower stool can be put in place for ease of threading."

Cynthia Broughton; A-Series 40 harness

"I own the first AVL A-Series loom sold in the US. Prototypes usually have issues but there were none with this loom. On the third day I wove and the first words out of my mouth were, "NOTHING WEAVES LIKE AN AVL!". Now, almost three years later, I am still astounded by how consistently well this loom performs and how simple the AVL advanced technology is, both for upkeep and use. I am still saying, "NOTHING WEAVES LIKE AN AVL!". Thank you AVL!"

Jo Bradfield; A Series 60" 24 harness CD III

“I love my loom...it's perfection. I have woven about 4 warps on it now,and not one broken warp thread in all that time! perfect tension, beautiful selvedges. Cannot believe how fast a warp is woven. Now I know why people put 100 yard warps on, because when I put my 2nd warp of 6 yards, I just got started and was finished with it before I knew it. I'm the type of weaver that by the time I've woven my 100th shot, I'm already thinking about the next project...drives me crazy, but with this loom, I can weave off fast and go on to the next project!

Mary Rios; 24 Harness A-Series Loom

“…I was doing the same type of weaving on my 8 shaft Glimakra and could do a place mat in about 80 minutes. …with my AVL …I can finish 3 place mats in three hours including loading shuttles.”

Melody Messinger; 16 Harness A-Series

“I've been an AVL owner since the early 1980's, and I am now weaving on my third AVL loom. On my current loom, an AVL40, as on my previous two looms, I love the speed at which I am able to bring my ideas from concept to cloth. I specifically love the eLift motor, which allows me to design cloth with any number of shafts lifting at once with no stress whatsoever. And the new automatic cloth advance is awesome - after 30+ years of weaving, I am finally able to weave fine cloth with a consistent beat!”

Alice Schlein; AVL 40 Loom (predecessor of the 40 Harness A-Series Loom)

“…I want you to know how great your AVL looms are supporting our work.”

Eduardo Portillo, Morera Studio; Technical Dobby Loom (predecessor of the 24 Harness A-Series Loom)

“I call it my Cadillac of Looms. It works so nicely. It’s the biggest, and the best of what I have!”

Carolyn Shure; 12H Dobby Loom (predecessor of the A-Series Loom)

“…There are many of us diehard AVL fans. I still find the loom amazing after [having had] the loom for a few years. I have always been pleased with the support behind the product. The company has been run and has an outstanding reputation. I had the pleasure of speak with Sue Luna. She was quite helpful and knowledgeable. I am very happy that she is on board with you…”

Harriett E. Ringold; 16H Production Dobby Loom (predecessor of the 16 Harness A-Series Loom)

“What I love about my AVL? It allows me to do so many things. I can move forward and keep tension. I can advance the warp and not lose tension.”

Nancy Rovin; 16H Production Dobby Loom (predecessor of the 16 Harness A-Series Loom)

"I was diagnosed with MS just two months after I got my loom built and running. At first I had some serious concerns about being able to continue with my weaving dreams. My concern was primarily answered by the thoughtful design of my AVL. After taking more patience and time in understanding how to utilize my loom's design, my husband and I were able to devise a few innovations that best fit my needs. Above all, it is the design of the AVL that allows me to improvise and it is the quality of the workmanship in my AVL that contributed to my ability to trust my loom. I strongly encourage everyone at AVL Looms to continue making the best weaver's loom that I know of. I would have each of you know that, no matter what your position of responsibility, it is all the individual steps that have made my first six months with my AVL so successful."

Saundra Lee Terry; Thornton, Colorado

"My new 40" small frame loom arrived (very quickly, thanks!) and went together without a hitch. It is always nice to start something up and have it work on the first try. The AVL 40" small frame 16 shaft with Compu-Dobby® attached did just that! Compliments to the AVL team for a well built product ... thanks for all your efforts."

Nancy Peck
Dearborn, Michigan

"I own a 20 shaft AVL with Compu-Dobby®, 60" wide. I love my loom!!!"

Cynthia Crull
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

"I love AVL looms!"

Wendy Berkowitz
Flushing, New York

"I surprised myself at how fast I was approaching the end of the warp."

Mary Sue Foster
Wichita, Kansas

"The manual for putting together our AVL loom was better than the manual for putting together our log home!"

Chris Erickson
Hanover, Pennsylvania

"I really like my new AVL loom. I like the way it looks and the way it works. The loom makes it easy to turn out beautiful weavings."

Renee Delight-La Torre
Stanwood, Washington

"Hi Bob and all you nice people at AVL. It is raining hard outdoors, but I am "shooting the shuttle [through] the shed and humming a happy song. I have put a warp on my beautiful little Four Harness, Six Treadle AVL Home loom. It is a beautiful, gorgeous, marvelous, little gem. This is my second home loom, and it is absolutely the most well designed of all the handweaving looms I have ever used. The side tie-up and the tension braking system are terrific---I do not think that any other loom has anything nearly as good. Wishing all of you good health and lots of orders for little Home Looms…”

Polly Roberts; Home Loom

"Yes, I love it! I have woven a variety of items from mug rugs to wall hangings...I like the ease of lift of the harnesses no matter how many are tied to the same treadle...I like the side tie-up...…”

Kathy Fennell; Home Loom

“…I looked at many looms before deciding to come back to AVL. What made me decide to come back to AVL was the enormity of knowledge Sue Goodmundsen taught me…Having worked with Sue as a teaching assistant, I grew in my knowledge of the AVL products and what they could accomplish. I wracked my brain to decide which one I should get again and decided on the home loam since it was the most versatile for my needs at the moment. Also, compared to other looms, it had one BIG advantage: SIDE TIE-UPS!!!! I refuse to crawl under a loom. I looked at the Harrisville Looms as I was there in May. I was not happy with their product [I looked at their Rug loom] as I felt it did not suit my needs, both creatively and logically. Thus, I came back to AVL.”

Doug Masury; Home Loom

“…In addition to weaving on the AVL-40, I have been weaving some scarves on the Workshop Dobby Loom. It is a very, very nice little loom!”

Janet Stollnitz; Workshop Dobby Loom

“I weave on an AVL Folding Dobby Loom with Compu-dobby which I have owned since 1995. I couldn't be more pleased with my loom. I have upgraded it with the new Auto-Advance, single box fly shuttle and 1-yard sectional beam. Last summer, because of health problems I added the air assist for harness lifting. With all of the upgrades and changes the loom continues to work as it should and I weave from 4 to 6 hours most every day. With the air assist and the flyshuttle I can weave at about 50 - 60 picks per minute. Not bad for an old man with heart problems, eh? I really like my loom. It does everything I could want. It's easy to setup and even easier to weave on. And it fits in my available space. The Norse God THOR has a magic hammer named 'MJOLNIR' that will do THOR's bidding. 'MJOLNIR' is the name of my loom. It does whatever I want, whenever I want and then it is ready for more. Sorry, Peter, I'm happy enough with this loom that I don't plan to buy another one. But if I do you can bet it will be an AVL. ”

Dick Lindell; Folding Dobby Loom

“…I made the jump to purchase an Industrial Dobby Loom in the beginning because I knew that I was in it for the long haul and the IDL saves the body."

Kathy Stotler; Industrial Dobby Loom

"The Textile Department at Georgia Tech is making headlines with its early adoption of new technology, including AVL's newest loom, the Industrial Dobby Loom."

Georgia Tech

WeavePoint Software

<"I absolutely love the WeavePoint software. I’m finding it not difficult to understand."

Barb MacIntyre

<"I am so impressed that AVL and Bjorn were able and willing to address this problem so quickly. Now I can go to class on Friday and teach the software and block weaves the correct and best way. Many thanks and my greatest appreciation to you all."

Susan Sklarek, Senior Critic in Textiles, Rhode Island School of Design

“…It [ed. WeavePoint Software] really makes design and weaving faster and more pleasurable!”

Gerry Woodhouse; WeavePoint Software

Accessories

“…I continue to rave about the Warping Wheel and all that it can do, as well as the CompuDobby and the production looms to whoever wants to listen. I am a very enthusiastic user of your products, and remain a loyal customer. Thanks again.”

Lynn Smetko, L. S. Designs; Warping Wheel

“…My Warping Wheel is fabulous and I couldn't do without it.”

Natalie MacKenzie; Warping Wheel

“I love the pressure roller since I weave almost exclusively on rayon chenille. The pressure roller gives me that added pull that prevents slippage on a large warp.”

Georgia Van Pelt; A-Series Pressure Roller

“The AA is all installed and working like a charm. On Saturday I wove 5 place mats and 52 inch table runner. This is a personal best. After the place mats, my foot was falling asleep and I was hungry, I looked up to see the clock expecting it to be around 2:00 and saw that it was 4:00 and that I had completed all FIVE place mats. So stopped for "lunch" and went back to do the runner. Yesterday I wove again and today too. I am impressed with the loom and the Automatic Advance.”

Melody Messinger; Auto Advance

“And one of my favorite things on the loom, after the Compu-Dobby, of course, is the automatic warp advance. My weaving is so much better than it has ever been that I am enjoying weaving more and more. For the first time in years, I have purchased a large supply of yarn, and am looking forward to weaving a lot.”

Jean Bartos; CompuDobby & Auto Advance

"We are enjoying the ease of operation especially the Air Assisted Shuttle and lifting mechanism. Comments on the improvement over our old looms and all the positive aspects of the AVL would fill several pages!"

Ingrid Hague
Moser Industries
Wadeville, Republic of South Africa

"John and Tracy Porter design hand painted furniture, accessories, and more from the wilds of rural Wisconsin, all with AVL software."

John and Tracy Porter, Stonehouse

"I adore my AVL shuttles. They are joy to work with, The weight and the way they handle (my hand EFS ones especially) is perfect for my needs. My AVL looms are the crowns of my studio! You guys have great products and I will continue to purchase them as needed."

Karen Zuchowski; Endfeed Shuttles

Workshops, Classes and Courses

"Sue is terrific. So much knowledge and so very helpful."

Kate Banner; Basically AVL

Service

"Hi Peter, We have liftoff! Thanks for your help - one can always count on AVL for solving one's problems. Thanks again."

Gail Fromson-Aasen

"Hi Sue, I wanted to stop for a minute and send you a note to say thanks! I can't tell you how much I appreciate the experience and advice you've shared with me... For instance your advice on the warping wheel... OMIGAWSH - for sampling I love it so much more than using a warping board, it just WORKS for me. I can't put my finger on it, but it just works. And for my warps that are built up of color patterns that don't repeat, it's just the easiest thing and lets me concentrate on the colors rather than the mechanics of warping. Truly, it's been such an amazing change. That's just a for instance, there is certainly more not the least of which is your kind patient manner. So, know that you are appreciated and thought of regularly in (AT THE LEAST) this weaver's studio!"

Christopher Granger

"She [Pam Stoesser] has been just great practically anticipating my phone calls and having answers ready. She makes me feel like I've been working with you folks forever. This purchase of my 24" workshop dobby loom has been personal and fun with no downside and I look forward to dealing with Pam and AVL for a long time! I just wanted you to know how you're doing - A+."

Loretta Veenstra

"AVL is the best because its employees are the best! Its always a pleasure to talk with intelligent, informed, and extremely helpful folks. I am looking forward to my warping wheel, another great innovation from AVL."

Charlotte Mixon

"The customer service and support of AVL is one of the nicest things about owning an AVL loom. Since AVL Looms are such good products, I have not had many problems, but when I have, the staff has always been committed to helping solve those problems and answering my questions.

Once again, thank you for your prompt response to my problem. I think AVL is doing a great job in helping its customers reach the 'satisfaction super-highway'."

Vickie Van Fechtmann

"I knew I was investing in a World Class loom and that I would get what I paid for. What I was not counting on was a relationship with a first class company who understand and cares about their customers. I sincerely appreciate you."

Arlene Jayme

"CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! I ordered the auto denter on December 21st and I received it on Dec 24th. That's fantastic service. AND it cost me less for S& H than these kinds of things ever did before from AVL. Way to go!"

Dick Lindell

"By the way, the new, improved Web site is great."

Janet Stollnitz

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