The Weaving Explorer: Ingenious Techniques, Accessible Tools & Creative Projects with Yarn, Paper, Wire & More
The Weaving Explorer: Ingenious Techniques, Accessible Tools & Creative Projects with Yarn, Paper, Wire & More book cover

The Weaving Explorer: Ingenious Techniques, Accessible Tools & Creative Projects with Yarn, Paper, Wire & More

Hardcover – November 26, 2019

Price
$25.50
Format
Hardcover
Pages
320
Publisher
Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1635860283
Dimensions
8.25 x 0.9 x 10.25 inches
Weight
2.51 pounds

Description

"Dedicated and newbie weavers will find their dream projects in this lushly photographed primer on using everything from yarn and paper to wire and more to create unique and creative projects...xa0. Ideal for hobbyists and artists alike, Jarchow and Steege’s smart and beautiful volume will find its way to the keeper shelves of many craft aficionados."xa0— Publishers Weekly "Weaver authors Jarchow and Steege count on the basics to create polished, professional-looking pieces. Each of the 40-plus projects features step-by-step photographs, tips forxa0 success, and a design notebook explaining what an author did to create/finish the pattern in addition to the project instructions. Here, it's easy to see why a 25,000- year-old craft has survived and thrived."xa0 — Booklist, starred reviewxa0 "This beautifully photographed collection of crafts features projects that can be created with homemade looms or even without a loom—perfect for those new to the art of weaving."xa0— Library Journal "The book’s range of innovative weaving projects for garments, jewelry, household objects, and art employs an assortment of techniques and materials. Generous photographs illustrate the projects—based on traditional weavings... and other, more challenging crafts projects that transform the traditional styles. Not your grandma’s crafts book, The Weaving Explorer is an imaginative, fun, and accessible collection of projects to cozy up to this winter."xa0 — Foreword Review “ The Weaving Explorer is the best new book on simple loom weaving. The material is approachable to the novice weaver, but also appealing to the more seasoned. Projects have a fresh look and include instruction that is helpful and clear.” — Jane Patrick, author of The Weaver’s Idea Book and creative director of Schacht Spindle Company “An exciting look at the art of weaving that is perfect for beginners and fascinating enough to take experienced weavers on their next journey.”xa0— Barry Klein, yarn and knitwear designer xa0"Dedicated and newbie weavers will find their dream projects in this lushly photographed primer on using everything from yarn and paper to wire and more to create unique and creative projects...xa0. Ideal for hobbyists and artists alike, Jarchow and Steege’s smart and beautiful volume will find its way to the keeper shelves of many craft aficionados."xa0— Publishers Weekly "Weaver authors Jarchow and Steege count on the basics to create polished, professional-looking pieces. Each of the 40-plus projects features step-by-step photographs, tips forxa0 success, and a design notebook explaining what an author did to create/finish the pattern in addition to the project instructions. Here, it's easy to see why a 25,000- year-old craft has survived and thrived."xa0 — Booklist, starred reviewxa0 "This beautifully photographed collection of crafts features projects that can be created with homemade looms or even without a loom—perfect for those new to the art of weaving."xa0— Library Journal "The book’s range of innovative weaving projects for garments, jewelry, household objects, and art employs an assortment of techniques and materials. Generous photographs illustrate the projects—based on traditional weavings... and other, more challenging crafts projects that transform the traditional styles. Not your grandma’s crafts book, The Weaving Explorer is an imaginative, fun, and accessible collection of projects to cozy up to this winter."xa0 — Foreword Review “ The Weaving Explorer is the best new book on simple loom weaving. The material is approachable to the novice weaver, but also appealing to the more seasoned. Projects have a fresh look and include instruction that is helpful and clear.” — Jane Patrick, author of The Weaver’s Idea Book and creative director of Schacht Spindle Company “An exciting look at the art of weaving that is perfect for beginners and fascinating enough to take experienced weavers on their next journey.”xa0— Barry Klein, yarn and knitwear designer Create Your Own Woven Wonders The process – over/under – is ancient. The results – from perfectly practical washcloths, bookmarks, and note cards to wonderfully whimsical wall hangings, paperweights, and vessels – are beautiful, bold, and timeless. Veteran weavers Deborah Jarchow and Gwen W. Steege introduce you to inventive methods of weaving without a loom and challenge you to take traditional on-loom techniques in fresh directions. Whether you're looking for a new creative outlet or want to launch your weaving to new levels, you'll find inspiration in these 32 projects. Deborah Jarchow is a full-time weaver and artist who teaches and lectures on fiber arts,xa0creates and sellsxa0wearable art, and exhibits her workxa0at galleries and museums across the U.S. Her commissioned pieces are held by churches as well asxa0in many private collections. Since 2004, she has been an artist in residence, teacher, and weaver at Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo, California. Gwen W. Steege has been weaving for nearly 35 years and has exhibited her work in western Massachusetts, where she lives. For many years she acquired and editedxa0a line of craft books at Storey Publishing focused onxa0spinning, dyeing, knitting, crochet, and weaving.xa0In addition to editing fiber crafts books, she is the author of a number of knitting books, including The Knitter’s Life List (Storey, 2011). Read more

Features & Highlights

  • Weaving is a highly accessible craft — over, under is the basic technique — but the stumbling block for many would-be weavers has been the high cost of a commercial loom.
  • The Weaving Explorer
  • removes that barrier, inviting crafters and artists to try out an amazing range of techniques and creative projects that are achievable with a simple homemade loom, or no loom at all! Weavers Deborah Jarchow and Gwen W. Steege take inspiration from the world of folk weaving traditions, adding a contemporary spin by introducing an unexpected range of materials and home dec projects. From sturdy rag fabric grocery bags to freeform wire baskets, delicately woven thread bracelets to colorful woven rugs, crafters will delight in exploring the opportunities to make their own personal variations on these beautiful — and functional — creations.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(123)
★★★★
25%
(51)
★★★
15%
(31)
★★
7%
(14)
-7%
(-14)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Inspiring, Fun, and Varied Projects

This is a very interesting book that presents different weaving techniques and various projects you can do at home. I had gotten the book out of the library first and then decided I wanted my own copy, so I purchased it.

The book focuses on small loom weaving which doesn't require floor looms, or for that matter, even smaller table top looms, and in this way it stretches the sense of weaving to whatever the weaver can come up with in her mind that will hold a warp and allow a weft to be woven in. Some of the projects included in this book include a God's Eye, delicate (and small) "Dorset" Buttons, a lovely round weaving (pictured on the cover) using an embroidery hoop as a frame, a kumihimo braid, patchwork pillows and a patchwork scarf made from pin-loom squares, free form tapestry pendants (to which beads galore could be added), biased woven wash cloths, woven wristlets made on a birch bracelet loom, a woven parachute cord mat made on a frame loom, a colorful tote bag made with fabric strips and also woven on a frame loom with techniques for joining the different strips of fabric, tapestry projects woven on frame looms and tree branches, along with an overview of tapestry techniques, a nice explanation of backstrap weaving with a Leno scarf project, card weaving projects, frameless weaving projects, including a lucet-braid floor mat which looks like it may have been crocheted but was made with a "lucet", a device used by the Vikings for making a long, sturdy braid which is then hand-stitched into a round or oval rug, plus other loom-free techniques. There are too many to list all of them in this review.

In addition to the information about the different techniques and the projects, the authors also include "Spotlights" of masters of each type of weaving along with pictures of their work. For example, for the circular weaving, you have the lovely creations of Tammy Kanat, for the pin loom weaving, there are very cool animals designed by Deb Essen, for the card weaving, there is the exquisite work of John Mallarkey, for the tapestry weaving, inspiring examples from Rebecca Mezoff, Michael Rohde, Sarah Swett, and Rachel Hine, and for paper weaving, lovely paper creations from Helen Hiebert. These examples offer ideas as to what can be done with the techniques they illustrate in addition to showing what is happening in the weaving world today.

The book is well illustrated and delves into types of weaving found all over the world! For me, it is a treasure trove of ideas that helps spark the small loom weaving I do in my free time and a treat for me to browse through when I just want to sit back and relax.
12 people found this helpful
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Perfect title!

I love this book! It is chock full of so many techniques that you wouldn't find in weaving books like Dorset buttons, Lucet braiding, Kumihimo braid, pin looms, backstrap loom, frame loom, no loom!, knotless netting, Viking knitting (making a metal chain!), card weaving, paper weaving (Danish & Swedish stars), Sashiko stiching...
Most projects include tips for success and all projects include the yarns and fibers used for each. The above techniques will provide the reader with enough information to complete a project as well as inspiration for further exploration on the topic. So it is really is the Weaving Explorer.
11 people found this helpful
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The Weaving Explorer book inspires creations

This book is abound with creative looms made from things found right around the home: paper, wire, twigs and even cardboard. Weaving is done simply, i.e., a lot of patterns made with one's own fingers. Projects include useful things, which I enjoyed. Why bother spending time making something if it's not useful? Pictures and hang-arounds are nice, but one can't use many if there is not much wall space. Nice, well-written book with lots of colorful pictures.
3 people found this helpful
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Quite Thorough.

It was what I expected and more. I have used several techniques before. This book makes me want to pick some of them back up. And there are several methods I am anxious to try. Well done.
1 people found this helpful
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Very thick book! More than I thought I was getting!!!

This is a BIG book! It’s much bigger and has way more patterns than I expected. Very happy with my purchase.
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Lots of ideas!

I’ve really enjoyed this book and it has inspired me to try new things.
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book is beautiful but...

there were about 10 pages in the center of the volume that were wrinkled, creased, and damaged. It looks to be a production issue not a moisture issue in shipping. For this price, I would have preferred a 'perfect' book.
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New ideas for weavers

This is a very well written book, and inspirational as well. The projects are exciting and could be for experienced weavers or beginners, or those who want to break out of a craft rut.
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I would buy this again

Lots of new ideas
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How Inspiring and Wonderful

This book is all about the love of making. From making seats for stools, to delicate necklaces, to scarves, and Scandinavian stars. Notecards, paperweights, tapestry weaving, and washcloths. Pendants and project bags. It’s all here, clearly explained and photographed. The authors urge you to experiment with filaments, yarn, rags, papers, beads, and herbs — and shine spotlights on various inventive weavers. I really appreciate the clear glossary, and the nuts & bolts sections on measuring, making certain knots, and showing materials and tools. It’s a great book.