The Art of Weaving
by Betty Briand

Betty Baird covers the subject of weaving, from the anatomy of a loom to designing your own fabric, using staging an opera as an analogy. It is a hefty book that includes engaging text, explanatory illustrations, and color photos that inspire. It is geared toward floor loom weaving with four to eight harnesses. The book is broken into three parts:

Part 1 Setting the Scene to Weave

• The Main Characters: The Loom, the Tools, the Materials
• Fabrics: Behind the Scenes--how to choose yarns, structures, setts, and sizes
• The Reading and Writing of Weaving--reading a draft and making a drawdown
• Staging Without Stage Fright: Dressing the loom--winding the warp, threading the loom from back to front, tying up the treadles
• And Now to the Stage: Let the Weaving Begin--good weaving techniques, correcting mistakes, and tips from an expert

Part 2 The Melody of Weaving: Structures

• The Basic Structures: Perfect Harmony--plain weave, twill, and satin, as well as variations of these
• A Proliferation of Structures--summer & winter, overshot, lace, waffle weave, doubleweave, Moorman technique, and more

Part 3 Taking a Giant Leap

• Looking at the Bigger Picture, Sketching Your Design--profile drafts, fabric analysis, weaving software, finding inspiration around you
• Details that Change Everything: Mastery Becomes Possible--advanced techniques such as adding a supplementary warp, rotating a draft, and network drafting

Throughout, the tone of the text is friendly and upbeat, like a cheerful teacher who is helping you get through the challenges without getting frustrated.

Hardcover, 282 pages