In the northern hemisphere, winter is bearing down on us. With COVID and colder weather keeping us home, I am digging through my “to be read” shelves and making stacks around my favorite reading spot.* I thought you might like a few possibilities for your own favorite reading spot so I’ve listed some of my current favorites below. These are fiber-related books but I definitely have a good mix of other types in my stack. These books are also all more process-oriented. I have some history-of-fiber or tapestry books queued up to talk about soon.^
Anatomy of a Tapestry by Jean Pierre Larochette and Yadin Larochette
If I had to pick one new fiber book from 2020 that I absolutely fell in love with, it might be this one. This book is a gorgeous look at tapestry through the eyes of a 60+-year practicing artist and teacher of Aubusson weaving (Jean Pierre) and an artist and textile conservator (Yadin). It is not a how-to manual really though it does include wonderful samples and diagrams that allow you to practice some techniques. It is more about describing what Aubusson tapestry is. The authors do this masterfully through beautiful prose, an astounding collection of example weavings and small tapestries, and some great advice about conservation of tapestries. I reviewed this book HERE.
The Nature of Things by Tommye McClure Scanlin
Okay, this book might tie Anatomy of a Tapestry for most-loved book of 2020. This book enchanted me in ways both similar and different to the Larochette book. It is a set of essays by tapestry artist and educator, Tommye Scanlin. It is not a memoir but Scanlin does a fantastic job of connecting events in her life with her artwork. It is a thoughtful look at her inspiration, process, and finished work in tapestry through essays largely divided by the subject matter of her work. As the title implies, most of her subject matter is related to nature. This book has brightened my year both in the joy of reading it and in the way Tommye’s thoughtful narrative about her own work has influenced how I approach my own. I reviewed this book HERE.^^
How to weave a Navajo Rug by Lynda Teller Pete and Barbara Teller Ornelas
Lynda and Barbara are sisters who spend much of their time teaching other people about Navajo weaving. This is the first how-to book every written about Navajo weaving BY Navajo people. It is a beautiful look at tradition and technique and you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to warp and weave on a Navajo loom. I reviewed the book HERE.
The Art is the Cloth by Micala Sidore
This book both delights and challenges me! I think anyone interested in tapestry should own this book. I think that because it is a gorgeous compilation of tapestry images which are well-reproduced and representative of tapestry from all over the world from a wide range of time periods, this book definitely sparks creativity just in terms of understanding what tapestry weaving can be. I have been frustrated that Schiffer Publishing did not include an index in the book, but a recent conversation with the author assured me that she has produced an index and it will soon be available on the Schiffer website as well as Hawley Street Tapestry Studio, her studio website.
The subtitle of the book is, How to Look at and Understand Tapestries and so I was expecting a book with text that approached that subject in an academic way. This book does not do that. Instead it suggests ways to experience tapestries and leaves the questions up to the viewer to answer themself. I reviewed this book HERE.**
Ikat: The Essential Handbook to Weaving Resist-Dyed Cloth by Mary Zicafoose
This is definitely a fiber/weaving book and I loosely categorize it as a tapestry book mostly because Mary Zicafoose is an acclaimed tapestry weaver. This book is about the process of ikat and if you love process, you’ll appreciate this volume. Ikat has been used as a dye technique all over the world and Zicafoose celebrates that in this book. It includes chapters about equipment, materials, methods, and how to do the dyeing. It also includes some interesting essays from people weaving with this dye technique. And it includes a long section of projects which walk you through the practice you’ll need to master this conceptually simple but practically complicated technique.
Weaving books that provide more casual fun
Innovative Weaving on the Frame Loom by Noreen Crone-Findlay
I know Noreen through the fiber world and have been consistently delighted by her innovative ideas both in terms of design and hacks to make things easier. Need a way to get heddles on your Mirrix without tearing your hair out? Noreen probably has a tip for you on her YouTube channel.
Her new book this year is about weaving projects on simple looms. She uses the inexpensive, sturdy, and easy-to-acquire loom by Schacht Spindle Company, the Easel Weaver, for most of the projects in the book. I can confidently say that this book is full of Noreen’s problem-solving genius. There are tips everywhere for how to make materials behave nicely and even how to make your own tools. Noreen is an innovator in the best sense of the word, so the title of this book is absolutely spot on. Seriously, everything from making string heddles to copying four-harness drafts on a simple peg loom. She covers inlay, lace, weaving modules and sewing them together, weaving triangles on a square loom (!!!) and then a long selection of imaginative projects. I’m literally giggling at the number of things she has managed to make on a Schacht Easel Weaver loom. If you love a freeform, crafty approach to your work, Noreen is your gal. It is written for adults, but if you have grade school or middle school kids around this holiday season, there are some great projects here you could do together. See gallery for images.***
The Weaving Explorer by Deborah Jarchow and Gwen Steege
This book has a similar intent to Noreen’s book above with a little broader focus. Jarchow and Steege have written a book that is a fun romp through a wide variety of weaving techniques. If you’re looking for a book that has projects the family can dive into or that might broaden your practice through experimentation, consider this book. I reviewed it HERE.****
Books by Rebecca Mezoff (that’s me)
And of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t include my own books. One was just published and if you read this blog, you know all about The Art of Tapestry Weaving. It is a comprehensive tapestry techniques book which can guide you in learning the basics of tapestry weaving and then become a trusted reference for your whole tapestry career.
The other is my tapestry tips book, Untangled: A Crafty Sheep’s Guide to Tapestry Weaving. This 40 page book contains the tips I tend to throw out when I teach workshops in person. It is illustrated with some adorable sheep drawn by the artist and children’s book illustrator, Molly McNeece.
Unfortunately you cannot order both of my books from the same place. Untangled is a self-published book and I will ship it to you myself (so if you want it autographed, indicate that on the order form!). The Art of Tapestry Weaving was produced by Storey Publishing and is available everywhere books are sold, but you might start HERE.
Happy reading!
Weaving books from 2020 to help pass the winter.
In the gallery below, click to enlarge, hover to see the captions, arrows to scroll.
*Dear reader, I want you to believe I only have one pile of books waiting to be read, but I have a bookshelf’s worth of such books tucked in corners all over the house and studio. I maintain they were just waiting for a winter like this.
^Have you seen the new book by Virginia Postrel, The Fabric of Civilization? I can’t wait to read this one. This is top on my “learning about the world of fiber” pile.
^^We’ll be talking to Tommye further in the Design Solutions for the Artist/Weaver, Season 2 about this book and her upcoming book about tapestry design. See note below for more information about the Design Solutions course.
**I can also tell you that we’ll be talking to Micala further in an interview in Design Solutions for the Artist/Weaver, Season 2 which starts in January of 2021. It was a wonderful talk where Micala used the categorization of tapestry concept she is putting forth in this book to talk about other tapestries and tapestry design. Make sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter to get updates about this course. It will start January 11th and registration will open early in January. I will have Design Solutions, Season 1 featured in my Fyber Monday sale on November 30th, so if you want a 20% discount on that class so you can be ready for Season 2, those codes will also be in my newsletter, so sign up HERE.
***I haven’t written a review of this book because I haven’t actually done any of the projects. It arrived a few days ago and a Saturday morning spent paging through it left me giggling and quite delighted. I loved the image of the pouch in the gallery above partly because the bag had that cute doll in it. Knowing Noreen a bit, I thought, I BET there is a pattern for that doll in this book also. Sure enough, a few pages later, there was the doll pattern. My Easel Weaver may see something besides tapestry soon.
****Full disclosure: Gwen Steege was one of my book’s editors and in the section of the book about tapestry, there are two pages about my work. It was published by Storey and therefore is a beautifully produced book.