Clotilde BarrettReviews

Patterns and directions

Boundweave is a book that explores the design potentials of twills, twill deriviatives, and some basic two-tie block weaves. The technique of boundweave produces weft-face fabrics with pattern floats over two or more threads and is suitable for rugs, tapestries, and a variety of other fabrics.

Most of the designs discussed can be woven on a 4-shaft loom. The patterns are controlled by the draft and by the colour selections of the weft. The principle of shaft switching is included, since shaft switching greatly increases the design potentials for 4-shaft boundweave. Included in the book are explorations of the design possibilities of 3-, 6-, and 8-shaft drafts, tapestry and dye techniques, and coloured photos that display boundweave projects by contemporary weavers.

In-depth study of the structure of Summer and Winter and the multitude of other weaves that can be woven on a S&W threading. A wealth of different textures from gauzes to pile weaves can be woven on a 4-shaft loom Additional shafts increase the design possiblities.

from introduction " The words "Summer and Winter weave structures" bring to mind certain old American coverlets. These were often woven in blue and white or natural. The cloth has a plain weave foundation for which the fiber is cotton, linen or both. The pleasing geometric patterns are woven with an indigo dyed wool. The pattern weft makes short floats which appear either on one side or the other of the foundation cloth. These floats are held down with great regularity by certain warp ends which are called the tie-down warp. Often the colored pattern weft floats more frequently on one side of the coverlet than on the other. This accounts for the lighter and darker sie of the coverlet and for the name Summer and Winter.

The popularity of the weave must be related to its tremendous design possibilities, especially if the weaver has a loom with more than 4 harnesses. The name Summer and Winter may be American in origin, but the weave structure is found among a variety of ethnic cultures. Summer and Winter is unusual in Sweden, but it is often seen in Findland where it is named "kuvikas". Certain Navajo Indian double-faced rugs and saddle blankets have the structure of the weft face Summer and Winter weaves without tabby........."

95 min

Definitive work

Newsletter #54, May 1997

Carol Greenwald

90 min., 19.95

signed by author, 24.00

85.00