Handwoven – September 2019

“Green and Yellow Book,” and it is a treasury of almost 400
four-shaft weaving draft s. Th rough her research, Davison
discovered and preserved draft s for long-forgotten fabrics.
According to Amazon, Deborah Chandler’s book Learning
to Weave has sold more than 150,000 copies, one of which
was mine. Th e book starts with the assumption that the reader
knows absolutely nothing about weaving. Deborah’s friendly
style of writing, along with clear drawings and excellent
photos, makes warping and weaving an understandable
process. She breaks processes down to simple components
that make it possible to learn to weave without an actual
teacher, class, or YouTube video. She was also a founding
member of Weave a Real Peace (WARP). In 1999, she moved
to Guatemala and became the director of Mayan Hands, a
fair-trade organization providing a way for Mayan women
weavers to earn a living though their weaving. Welcome,
Deborah, into the Weaving Hall of Fame.
Have you ever gotten lost during an instructor’s explana-
tion of a weaving draft? I have, and I don’t think I’m alone.
I have heard that my next nominee, Carol Strickler, could
simply look at a draft and see a mistake, the perfect skill for
her stint as Handwoven technical editor. Many personal
weaving libraries include her book A Weaver’s Book of
8-Shaft Patterns. To explore the possibilities for using
diff erent weave structures, 266 weavers wove samples and
sent in draft s for her book. If you need inspiration, you’ll
always fi nd it here.
My guild tried to appoint a “Weaving Wizard” at each
meeting to answer questions from new weavers. No one ever
wanted this title. Even experienced weavers felt insecure about
their knowledge. If Madelyn van der Hoogt had been a
member of the guild, we wouldn’t have had this problem. She
is the world’s Weaving Wizard. As former editor of Prairie
Wool Companion, Weaver’s, and Handwoven (see pages 4 and
26), she has long been a star in our weaving universe. We read
her magazine articles, watch her videos, buy her books, and
attend her weaving school, all in the quest to acquire her
knowledge. Th is may take some of us a few lifetimes. Con-
gratulations, Madelyn!
Our last nominee has done the impossible. For modern
American handweavers, weaving and sewing have not always
been the best of friends. Daryl Lancaster changed that. She
has crisscrossed the country off ering workshops in garment
construction. Her “Daryl” jacket, made from a custom-fi tted
pattern, hangs in many of our closets. She is there to support
us with workshops, webinars, and monographs on sewing

with handwoven cloth, and inspires us with her own wearable

art. Th rough her keynote speeches, workshops, personal

awards, and published work (see page 18), many of us feel as if

we know her. I think we can agree that she belongs in the

Weaving Hall of Fame.

Already I can hear my fellow weavers loudly off ering their

own suggestions for our hallowed hall. Yes, there are many

more who deserve this honor, but I have chosen these

nominees for a reason. Th eir contributions to my personal

weaving world are as much a part of my weaving as the fi ber I

use. So, as I offi cially induct them into my Weaving Hall of

Fame, I want to personally thank each one for helping me

discover the joy of this ancient craft . 

RESOURCES:

wChandler, Deborah. Learning to Weave. Loveland, Colorado:

Interweave Press, 1995.

wDavison, Marguerite Porter. A Handweaver’s Pattern Book.

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania: Marguerite P. Davison, 1944.

wStrickler, Carol. A Weaver’s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns. Loveland,

Colorado: Interweave Press, 1991.

Detail from original samples from A Weaver’s Book of 8-Shaft

Patterns. Woven by Karen Wiley.

PH

OT

O^

BY

M

AT

T^ G

RA

VE

S

Have you ever gotten lost

during an instructor’s expla-

nation of a weaving draft?

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 HANDWOVEN | 15