Gift suggestions for a beginning weaver
January 25, 2021 7:00 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for suggestions for gifts for my wife, an experienced sewist who is getting into weaving.
My wife has been quilting and making clothes for many years and in the last few months has gotten interested in weaving as well. She took a tapestry weaving basics class at our local fiber arts shop/studio which came with a kit with a small loom and a variety of fiber. I'd like to get her something else relating to weaving. Is there a book you love which has great project ideas for a beginner? Or a tool that she would want to move forward? Something else I'm not thinking of? Thanks very much for any thoughts!
My wife has been quilting and making clothes for many years and in the last few months has gotten interested in weaving as well. She took a tapestry weaving basics class at our local fiber arts shop/studio which came with a kit with a small loom and a variety of fiber. I'd like to get her something else relating to weaving. Is there a book you love which has great project ideas for a beginner? Or a tool that she would want to move forward? Something else I'm not thinking of? Thanks very much for any thoughts!
You could get into spinning.
posted by aniola at 7:47 AM on January 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by aniola at 7:47 AM on January 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Can you figure out the make and model of the loom she has? There are loom-specific accessories for some.
A subscription to Handwoven or Piecework would be good for fairly wide-ranging inspiration.
posted by tchemgrrl at 7:55 AM on January 25, 2021
A subscription to Handwoven or Piecework would be good for fairly wide-ranging inspiration.
posted by tchemgrrl at 7:55 AM on January 25, 2021
Annie Albers' book On Weaving is a classic. It's not necessarily a beginner's book, but it's a great condensed history of weaving traditions and processes and a foundation text for textile artists.
posted by niicholas at 8:07 AM on January 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by niicholas at 8:07 AM on January 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
Came in to recommend the Anni Albers book. It is a treasure.
posted by mumimor at 8:38 AM on January 25, 2021
posted by mumimor at 8:38 AM on January 25, 2021
Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions so far! The loom she has is the one pictured here, so I think it is Funem brand.
posted by rustcellar at 8:41 AM on January 25, 2021
posted by rustcellar at 8:41 AM on January 25, 2021
Get a sturdy, big picture frame from a thrift shop, covid permitting. Nail some finishing nails into it at equal intervals on two sides. Voila! You just built her a bigger loom!
posted by aniola at 8:59 AM on January 25, 2021
posted by aniola at 8:59 AM on January 25, 2021
I imagine she’ll want a bigger loom soon (but let her pick it out)! If she doesn’t already have them, a comb and pickup stick would be nice additions to the class kit. And certainly more fiber- search for “weaving fiber pack” on Etsy.
posted by rebeccabeagle at 10:44 AM on January 25, 2021
posted by rebeccabeagle at 10:44 AM on January 25, 2021
I'd hit the craft store and pick up a couple of packs of raffia (it's that long grass stuff that they sometimes use for package ribbon). It's comes in a bunch of different colors and is super cheap, like 3 bucks for a big bag. It's not precious, so it's really good for just jumping in and trying all different stuff, and it's big, so you can see what you're doing. I've used it for a ton of theatrical stuff, either woven or knotted like macrame or bundled and bushy... it's just fun to work with. You can even make baskets with it. Tell her I said it's great for working out new patterns and stuff and figuring stuff out... like the weaving equivalent of muslin.
posted by sexyrobot at 2:38 PM on January 25, 2021
posted by sexyrobot at 2:38 PM on January 25, 2021
What is your wife looking to get out of weaving? That tapestry kit/class seems to be more of making an art piece (which is cool!) but you mention she makes her own clothes and quilts. Does she want to weave to maybe make her own textiles for more practical uses? And also ... importantly, what's your budget? This is a hobby that gets pricey quickly, especially with hardware.
I do agree she's quickly going to want a bigger loom, but that's why it's important to have some idea of what she wants to do. I had the 10-inch version of this rigid heddle loom (well, I guess I still have it somewhere) and it's a decent enough beginner's loom -- I made some scarves and placemats and such with it. It's not as easy to use as some more expensive rigid heddle looms but it's inexpensive enough that I learned I enjoyed it and wanted more. I learned a lot using it and it was fun!
(I've graduated to 24-inch loom now and currently working on a set of tea towels.)
That's not to say there aren't cool things to be done on a tapestry loom, but mostly, those things are going to be more decorative (although not always or necessarily). But if she wants to continue with tapestry, she'll still want something bigger (you can always weave smaller on a larger loom, after all).
Weaving is a really cool hobby and I want more people to do it.
posted by edencosmic at 4:17 PM on January 25, 2021
I do agree she's quickly going to want a bigger loom, but that's why it's important to have some idea of what she wants to do. I had the 10-inch version of this rigid heddle loom (well, I guess I still have it somewhere) and it's a decent enough beginner's loom -- I made some scarves and placemats and such with it. It's not as easy to use as some more expensive rigid heddle looms but it's inexpensive enough that I learned I enjoyed it and wanted more. I learned a lot using it and it was fun!
(I've graduated to 24-inch loom now and currently working on a set of tea towels.)
That's not to say there aren't cool things to be done on a tapestry loom, but mostly, those things are going to be more decorative (although not always or necessarily). But if she wants to continue with tapestry, she'll still want something bigger (you can always weave smaller on a larger loom, after all).
Weaving is a really cool hobby and I want more people to do it.
posted by edencosmic at 4:17 PM on January 25, 2021
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Their whole Weaving section seems focused on the kind of tapestry weaving your wife's been doing, so there might be good things there, too! It looks like they have two books on offer, as well as a (currently sold-out) magazine.
posted by kalimac at 7:31 AM on January 25, 2021 [1 favorite]