Weaver's Idea Book

As a guide for beginners and practiced weavers Jane Patrick’s book is inspirational. Although specifically aimed at the rigid heddle loom, the 200 pages hold a wealth of information on weave structures and patterns that can be used on many looms. The spiral bound, textbook-style layout is good, with clear section separation, and the chapters take you up a hierarchy of difficulty. I felt comfortable with plain, finger-controlled and pick up weaves, then I marvelled in awe at sections on warp and weft-faced frabrics and working with two heddles. There is a nod to garment and item construction in the guise of a few set pieces, but the book’s real strength is in opening a treasure chest of weaving possibility to new or relatively inexperienced weavers. Each section provides a soft kaleidoscope of samples which I have already been tempted to replicate. The book will doubtless remain a good source book to refer to for new creative ideas and inspiration. However, the book might give the absolute beginner a puzzle at times, as it is not always clear and sometimes repetitive. Generally though, the book was a joy to read and is unlikely to gather dust on my bookshelf.-Journal for Weavers Spinners & Dyers

Jane Patrick is the former editor of Handwoven, and vice president of sales for Schacht Spindle Company in Boulder, CO. She is the author of Time to Weave (Krause Craft, 2006).