Madelyn van der Hoogt

This book is a compilation of articles from the defunct “Weaver’s” magazine. There is a fantastic array of techniques for weavers with 2 to 16 shaft looms. Deflected double weave and differential shrinkage are both covered in this book, but there is much more to explore. Ribs & cords, honeycomb & waffle and pleats, ridges & furrows each have their own section.

This is a book for the adventurous weaver and no matter whether you are in your first years behind the loom or have been show more weaving a very long time, there are places to go that I would be willing to bet you haven’t gone before. Armed with the projects in this book you can take the plunge and weave something completely outside the box. show less

This book is a bit hard to review because it is so specific to handweavers but, the following quote may give you some idea about the contents. “The Complete Book of Drafting includes all of the ways in which weave structures can be illustrated on paper”

For centuries, handweavers have had their own methods of putting down on paper, all of the details that are needed to weave different woven structures and patterns. Most modern weavers learn to read weaving drafts, but more knowledge is show more needed in order to create your own and to go beyond the basics. Madelyn van der Hoogt is one of the most weaving literate weavers today and this book has become a handbook for all weavers interested in designing their own cloth and recording it for other weavers.

The book could certainly be classified as a textbook and is divided into four sections.

Part one covers basic weave structures and the principles of drafting. There is a page that identifies the different types of structures and underneath each of those headings are examples of specific structures related to the type. A list of basic drafting words is handy, especially for new weavers. Chapter one gets you into reading weaving drafts, the parts of these drafts and variations in how other cultures may have drafted..

Part two covers “Blocks” and what they mean to the handweaver. A chapter is devoted to “Reading Profile Drafts” and how this shorthand can be used for many different structures.

Part three is about “Unit Weaves” and how to understand and draft them. This includes lace, damask, tied weaves, and more.

The last part of the book gives explanations about how to turn a draft and why you might want to learn this skill. Also, understanding blended and network drafting. Finally, understanding and using fabric analysis.

Throughout the book there are practice pages for you to try your new drafting skills, graph paper to copy and design sheets. There is also an answer section to help you verify that you have done the practice sections correctly.

Working through this book would make an excellent study group project. It is also an invaluable reference and should probably be on every serious weaver's bookshelf. show less

An excellent introduction to deflected doubleweave. Madelyn shows a great many examples, shows how to design with weaving software and how the structure works. In addition, there is a segment about weaving, changing colors and how to finish the cloth. The DVD has a pdf file and wif files to accompany the tutorial. Highly recommended.

With The Complete Book of Drafting, you'll not only learn to use drafting tools-warp and weft drawdowns, warp and weft corss sections, and block profile drafts-you'll also learn how to design with pattern weaves. Under one cover find the steps for drafting and weaving any profile design in any unit weave. Divided into four sections, there are two chapters on basic weaves for the novice, three chapters on blocks and six on unit weaves for the intermediate weaver, and finally a chapter on show more extras for those weavers ready to forge ahead show less