weaving


Pool-Inspired Towels

Weaving inspiration can come from anywhere as Connie Westbrook shows in her Pool-Inspired Towels that she based on the tiles in the pool where she swims. The 8-shaft turned twill pattern mimics the lanes in a public pool and also the tiling around the edg

The Culture of Spindle and Distaff

In this excerpt from “How to Spin Balkan-Style with a Distaff,” by Bruce Engebretson with Norman Kennedy, which was featured in the Winter 2017 Spin Off, Bruce explains the cultural significance of a spindle and distaff.

Ask Madelyn: Troubleshooting Weaving Density Issues

I can see where I have advanced my warp because the weaving density of the cloth is different after I’ve advanced. Is this a warp tension issue?

Inspired by Color Towels

You never know how two colors will react with one another in weaving until after a few throws of the shuttle. It took Sarah H. Jackson a few tries to find just the right design for her gorgeous Inspired by Color Towels from Handwoven May/June 2018.

Travel Shawl

I travel a lot by train and airplane, and there have been many times when I have wished I had a cozy shawl like Deborah Jarchow’s Travel Shawl woven on a rigid-heddle loom.

Double Gray Hayes Foulard

Two project designers in Handwoven May/June 2018 chose to weave their projects in overshot-patterned doubleweave, a four-shaft technique. One of them was Marcia Kooistra, who wanted to pay homage to Bertha Gray Hayes by weaving one of her designs.

Black Windows Pillow

Because most of our readers are rigid-heddle or 4- or 8-shaft weavers, we don’t feature many projects in Handwoven that require more than 8 shafts. However, I found the 12-shaft Black Windows Pillow by Lea Vennix from Handwoven May/June 2018 compelling.

Ring of Fancy Bath Mats

It’s easy to feel that your first weaving projects are too simple, or that you’ll never be able to weave complicated patterns and complex cloth of your dreams. You will love the inspiration behind Marty Benson's Ring of Fancy Bath Mats from Handwoven

California Quail Scarf

Looking at Donna Wildearth’s California Quail Scarf in Handwoven May/June 2018, I can’t help but grin. Even though the California quail is a different breed from the ones in my backyard, the color and designs in her scarf evoke those funny birds.

Huck Towels with Color-and-Weave Effects

Before the creation of every great piece of art, the artist asked, “What if?” What if I use dots instead of brush strokes when painting a picture? For his huck towels in HandwovenMay/June 2018, Tom asked “What if” .