The Weaving Book: Patterns & Ideas

Rating:
Summary: Must-have for the novice weaver, very useful for all
Review: Helene Bress' incredible accomplishment in THE WEAVING BOOK can hardly be understated. She has compiled thousands of samples of handweaving that illustrate the basic weave structures, and the myriad variations thereto that make handweaving a lifelong avocation of learning and discovery.

Weaving theory is presented in a clear & straight-forward text. What is the most valuable are the photos of the samples themselves (the weaving the work of a small group of weavers, including Doromay Keasbey, and the photos the work of Allen Bress, the author's son). As a beginning weaver, it is often very hard to visualize a fabric from a draft, and until you learn to do that, drafts are nearly useless. These thousands of samples are presented in a way that makes the relationship between draft and fabric clearer. Not only will a novice find plenty of inspiration here for original projects, but will come away from working with this book better able to understand and productively use the classic pattern books, as well as those books which treat in depth the weave structures introduced here.

A greedy reader (like myself) could wish that the samples were illustrated in color -- the color pages of examples are tantalizing -- but the author and her colleagues wisely understood that color reproduction would have made the book far too expensive. Even with the significant discount available from Amazon.com, THE WEAVING BOOK is still a serious investment. If you are a novice weaver, buy this book before almost any other. If you are an experiecned weaver, there is plenty within its covers to make it a valued reference and idea source.

Rating:
Summary: Must-have for the novice weaver, very useful for all
Review: Helene Bress' incredible accomplishment in THE WEAVING BOOK can hardly be understated. She has compiled thousands of samples of handweaving that illustrate the basic weave structures, and the myriad variations thereto that make handweaving a lifelong avocation of learning and discovery.

Weaving theory is presented in a clear & straight-forward text. What is the most valuable are the photos of the samples themselves (the weaving the work of a small group of weavers, including Doromay Keasbey, and the photos the work of Allen Bress, the author's son). As a beginning weaver, it is often very hard to visualize a fabric from a draft, and until you learn to do that, drafts are nearly useless. These thousands of samples are presented in a way that makes the relationship between draft and fabric clearer. Not only will a novice find plenty of inspiration here for original projects, but will come away from working with this book better able to understand and productively use the classic pattern books, as well as those books which treat in depth the weave structures introduced here.

A greedy reader (like myself) could wish that the samples were illustrated in color -- the color pages of examples are tantalizing -- but the author and her colleagues wisely understood that color reproduction would have made the book far too expensive. Even with the significant discount available from Amazon.com, THE WEAVING BOOK is still a serious investment. If you are a novice weaver, buy this book before almost any other. If you are an experiecned weaver, there is plenty within its covers to make it a valued reference and idea source.

Rating:
Summary: Sensory Overload!
Review: I haven't done much weaving in the past 15 years, so I looked for my old favorite, Key To Weaving. Along the way, I ran across this book and found so much great, technical info. It was especially inspiring as I was looking to learn about color-and-weave effects, and huck lace. Forget Key To Weaving. This book has taken its place.

Rating:
Summary: Sensory Overload!
Review: I noticed this book when I looked for my old favorite, The New Key To Weaving. I had found so much thorough, technical info there and was eager to replace my copy. Forget Key To Weaving. This book has taken its place on my bookshelf. Two years later, I still can only read a few pages at a time before I dance off to implement the ideas her book stirred up in me.

Bravo, Helen! Thank you for all the detailed photos, numerous drafts, and nuts-and-bolts theory that you provided.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Resource for Weavers
Review: The Weaving Book is one of the most used volumes in my fiber library! Ms Bress illustrates four common threadings on the loom and then demonstrates the myriad possibilites by altering only the treadling and tie-ups. The book has many, many photographic illustrations and is easy to read. A tremendous resource.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Resource for Weavers
Review: The Weaving Book is one of the most used volumes in my fiber library! Ms Bress illustrates four common threadings on the loom and then demonstrates the myriad possibilites by altering only the treadling and tie-ups. The book has many, many photographic illustrations and is easy to read. A tremendous resource.