Handwoven November/December 2023

In the initial stages of planning the photo shoot for this issue, I mentioned that of the issues I had worked on, I felt the projects for this one were the most personal. Cloth woven by hand always has an intimacy, but combining cloth with elements that reflect the weavers’ other passions made this group of projects feel special. I first had that feeling while reviewing proposals. Probably the one that made me smile the most was Gwen Anderson’s reference to her “totally ridiculous love for [her] five grandboys.” Gwen wove a set of scarves for those grandsons and generously shared the pattern with us for the issue. Another standout was Ilze Tomsevics’s. Ilze loves to bake and make bread. Her contribution? Bread bags. She makes the storage bags in…

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 Bast and Friends For our first issue in 2024, we will look at bast and other types of plant-based fibers—alone, in yarn blends, or in combination with other types of yarns. The issue will include articles about plant-based fibers, their cultivation, their historical significance, and their position in today’s fiber world. MARCH/APRIL 2024 Flights of Fancy Sometimes something simple will spark an idea. This issue based on flying and the concept of flying will look at things such as the feathers on a bird, a twill pattern in an airplane seat cushion, the feeling of looking up into a cloud of butterflies, the passing of time, or the perfect V of a flock of geese flying at sunset that can be the source of a weaver’s inspiration. MAY/JUNE…

Easier Way to Tie up Treadles? I’ve been dreading tying up treadles (bad back, bad knees, old age). So, one day I sat and looked at my Gilmore loom and thought, “What if… ?” What if I remove the reed, pull the reed beam forward, and with soft knees, bend over the breast beam (now I know why it’s called a “breast” beam). Yes! By reaching between the cloth roll and the heddles, I could easily reach the treadles to retie. (I use arrow pegs and Texsolv cords.) I needed my short reaching tool to pick up treadles that weren’t tied. Now, even with a pulled hamstring muscle, it was a supereasy task. I set up one Gilmore for twill and the other for plain weave. I will never need…

Travel the World Satisfy your sense of adventure with this dainty pair of scissors from Brooklyn Haberdashery, perfectly sized for clipping tails close to the cloth. Shaped to resemble the Eiffel Tower, the scissors are 4 inches long and crafted from nickel- and 24k gold-plated carbon steel. Keep them at your loom or tuck them and their protective paper sheath into your project bag to accompany you on your next crafting expedition. brooklynhaberdashery.com A Welcome Respite Take a break at your loom and remind others of your favorite hobby—and your need to concentrate—with this Tahoma Vista Fiber Mill ceramic mug. Enjoy 11 ounces of your favorite hot beverage while you get creative and maybe even try out the weaving sequence on it as well. Looks like a rosepath twill! tahomavistafibermill.etsy.com…

Weaving with Wire: Creating Woven Metal Fabric Christine Miller The ingenuity and determination of weavers never stop surprising me. The other day, I heard about a weave structure new to me—and new to the person describing it. Like a dog who couldn’t let go, she was scouring the internet for information in her quest to develop a draft. Her next step was putting thread on the loom. This same sort of curiosity and willingness to explore is the hallmark of Christine Miller’s contributions to the weaving world over the last 30 years, using wire in her many sculptural pieces, her teaching, and now this book, Weaving with Wire. I found this book inspiring not just because of the beautiful pictures of weaving, of which there are many, but because Miller approaches…

In the 1940s and 1950s, weaver and designer Dorothy Liebes (1897–1972) decided to eschew the subdued colors of the California Modernist style in favor of a more colorful palette. The result is what she coined the “California Look,” a style that became so closely associated with Liebes that it’s sometimes called the “Liebes Look.” If you can’t get enough of this style, whatever the name, the Cooper Hewitt’s latest exhibit might be for you. Examples of this look will be on display at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York in an extensive exhibition focused solely on Liebes. Showing until February 4, 2024, A Dark, A Light, A Bright: The Designs of Dorothy Liebes solidifies Liebes’s reputation not only as an experimental textile designer but also as an…