With comprehensive text, diagrams, drafts, and examples of fine woven fabrics, this book about the art and craft of weaving offers complete coverage of the materials and equipment, the techniques and the creative possibilities of the medium. Now in its fourth edition, this indispensable handbook is a must-have resource for weavers of all skill levels. This timeless classic now features examples of contemporary work and discusses the use of digital tools for hand-weaving. Chapters include the fundamentals of weaving, as well as looms and other equipment, yarns, how to design a warp and warp the loom, drafting, the basic weaves, pattern weaves, and how to apply this knowledge to discover the many faces of weaving. Weave structures covered include tapestry techniques, knotted, pile, flat-woven rugs, and two- and three-dimensional wall hangings.

According to the Navajos, the holy people Spider Man and Spider Woman first brought the tools for weaving to the People. Over the centuries Navajo artists have used those tools to weave a web of beautyÑa rich tradition that continues to the present day. In testimony to this living art form, this book presents 74 dazzling color plates of Navajo rugs and wall hangings woven between 1971 and 1996. Drawn from a private southwestern collection, they represent the work of sixty of the finest native weavers in the American Southwest. The creations depicted here reflect a number of stylesÑrevival, sandpainting, pictorial, miniature, samplerÑand a number of major regional variations, from Ganado to Teec Nos Pos. Textile authority Ann Hedlund provides an introductory narrative about the development of Navajo textile collectingÑincluding the shift of attention from artifacts to artÑand a brief review of the history of Navajo weaving. She then comments on the shaping of the particular collection represented in the book, offering a rich source of knowledge and insight for other collectors. Explaining themes in Navajo weaving over the quarter-century represented by the Santa Fe Collection, Hedlund focuses on the development of modern rug designs and the influence on weavers of family, community, artistic identity, and the marketplace. She also introduces each section of plates with a description of the representative style, its significance, and the weavers who perpetuate and deviate from it. In addition to the textile plates, Hedlund's color photographs show the families, landscapes, livestock, hogans, and looms that surround today's Navajo weavers. Navajo Weaving in the Late Twentieth Century explores many of the important connections that exist today among weavers through their families and neighbors, and the significant role that collectors play in perpetuating this dynamic art form. For all who appreciate American Indian art and culture, this book provides invaluable guidance to the fine points of collecting and a rich visual feast.

Modern weaving projects like you've never seen—within easy reach of anyone. Weaving is a satisfying hobby for making home or clothing accessories that look plucked from your favorite stores. Here are Pinterest-worthy projects for creating earrings, clutches, pillows, wall hangings, and more, all organized by skill level. From complete beginner to intermediate, Weaving Within Reach allows you to craft at your comfort level, even if you don’t yet know the difference between the warp and the weft. Lacking a loom? Most of the materials can be woven on found objects—such as an embroidery hoop or cardboard box—or achieved with a simple over-under pattern using no loom at all. As you progress, there are plenty of exciting designs for a frame loom to keep you inspired. With a detailed introduction, stunning lifestyle and step-by-step photographs, and a helpful resource section, Weaving Within Reach unravels the possibilities of the beautiful things you can make with your hands.

This survey of textile fundamentals and methods, written by the foremost textile artist of the 20th century, covers hand weaving and the loom, fundamental construction and draft notation, modified and composite weaves, early techniques of thread interlacing, interrelation of fiber and construction, tactile sensibility, and design. 9 color illustrations. 112 black-and-white plates.

A colorful guided tour from an expert, enabling weavers, textile lovers, and art lovers to notice and appreciate what tapestries can do and how they do it. This guide from expert tapestry weaver and historian Sidore gives how-to strategies enabling weavers and nonweavers to notice and appreciate the meaning of these artworks. You'll discover much to enjoy in photos of more than 300 tapestries from the 12th to the 21st centuries. Sidore enables you to think about the weavings in ways you have never before considered as she groups pieces that talk with each other--and that also converse with the viewer. Enjoy learning basic elements of weaving to help you become increasingly sophisticated in understanding what you're seeing. Then, learn six ways in which tapestries can call attention to themselves as cloth. This eye-opening guide to seeing explains the great range of materials and visual themes, the use of trompe l'oeil, the importance of the direction in which the weaver weaves, and more. After this learning experience, you'll bring smarter eyes to your museum wandering, deeper enjoyment to your collection and purchases, and surprising new skills and creativity to your weaving of fibers . . . and of life.

This classic book has everything a weaver needs to know about weaving rag rugs, from basic information to drafts for 20 traditional two- and four-shaft patterns. Topics include materials, rag preparation, weaving and finishing hints, design, and information on antique looms, suppliers and a glossary.

Illustrated guide for step-by-step beginning and advanced weaving. 424 pages; over 600 illustrations; indexed

A New Deal for Navajo Weaving provides a detailed history of early to mid-twentieth-century Diné weaving projects by non-Natives who sought to improve the quality and marketability of Navajo weaving but in so doing failed to understand the cultural significance of weaving and its role in the lives of Diné women. By the 1920s the durability and market value of Diné weavings had declined dramatically. Indian welfare advocates established projects aimed at improving the materials and techniques. Private efforts served as models for federal programs instituted by New Deal administrators. Historian Jennifer McLerran details how federal officials developed programs such as the Southwest Range and Sheep Breeding Laboratory at Fort Wingate in New Mexico and the Navajo Arts and Crafts Guild. Other federal efforts included the publication of Native natural dye recipes; the publication of portfolios of weaving designs to guide artisans; and the education of consumers through the exhibition of weavings, aiding them in their purchases and cultivating an upscale market. McLerran details how government officials sought to use these programs to bring the Diné into the national economy; instead, these federal tactics were ineffective because they marginalized Navajo women and ignored the important role weaving plays in the resilience and endurance of wider Diné culture.