The Art of the Loom: Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing across the World

By Ann Hecht

Book Overview

Colorful and sometimes complex textiles are still produced in many parts of the world using only the simplest tools and equipment. The Art of the Loom focuses on eight areas of special interest--Navaho weaving in North America; bedouin textiles in the Middle East; West African narrow-strip weaving; Indonesian textiles; "kasuri" resist dyeing in Japan; inlay weaving in Nepal; brocaded motifs from Guatemala; and Peruvian tapestry weaving--and describes the fibers used, the methods of spinning and dyeing, the types of loom and the techniques of weaving. Examples of the best textiles from each area are supplemented with numerous photographs of spinners, weavers, and dyers at work, and diagrams showing how the various effects are achieved. As well as providing students and anthropologists with a valuable insight into working methods in a wide variety of traditional communities, this book and the exciting textiles it illustrates will be an endless source of ideas and ispiration for practising weavers.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0295981393
• ISBN13: 9780295981390
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: University of Washington Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Across the world and across time

This fact-packed book has plenty to say. It is not a how-to book, but you will find some drafts that you can take straight to the loom. Many other tips can be directly applied to your skills. However, this book is primarily a travel book; we are carried through different cultures to see how they are similar: North America -The Navajo The Middle East – the Bedouin West Africa – Narrow-strip weaving South-East Asia – Indonesian Textiles East Asia, the Islands of J-a-p-a-n – Kasuri resist dyeing South Asia – Inlay weaving of Nepal Central America – Brocaded motifs from Guatemala South America – Peruvian tapestry weaving There are many color pictures of finished products with descriptions of what you are looking at. There are also many diagrams and hand-drawn images. I am just getting into dying and still using Kool-Aid. However, for people interested in colors in general and who find this book interesting, I suggest you read “A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire” by Amy Butler Greenfield, ISBN-13: 9780060522759