The Weaver's Studio: Woven Shibori - Book Review

Title: The Weaver’s Studio: Woven Shibori: Revised and Updated
Author: Catharine Ellis
Published by: F+W Media, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-63250-354-9
Format: Paperback, 128 pages
Published: July 21, 2016

The Weaver’s Studio: Woven Shibori by Catharine Ellis, published by F+W Media, Inc., is a comprehensive guide of Woven Shibori, a process of weaving and resist developed by Catharine Ellis. While traditional Shibori uses folding, stitching, wrapping, or tying to manipulate fabric before dying, Catharine’s method lets weavers work the resist threads directly into the cloth while it’s on the loom.

Excerpted from The Weaver’s Studio: Woven Shibori: Revised and Updated Copyright © 2016 by Catharine Ellis and published by F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Photos courtesy of Joe Coca and Ann Sabin Swanson.

There is a ton of information in Woven Shibori about the different techniques and about how Woven Shibori came about. There are also a lot of great tips to help you get started on working with different dyes and fabrics.

Here are the different sections you will find in Woven Shibori:

I: Background
II: Woven Designs
III: Transformative Processes
IV: Dye Recipes
Resources

Catharine includes many photos and graphs to help with the different woven designs. She talks about recording your work so that you know how to repeat your pattern in the future. Catharine encourages experimentation with different fiber, patterns, colors, and textures to discover new combinations. After all of the tips, advice, and information, Catharine includes Dye Reference Charts and answers some Frequently Asked Questions about Woven Shibori.

I love the techniques described in this book. I had not heard of Woven Shibori before reading this book and I am in awe of the beautiful results. If you are a weaver, this is definitely something to try!

If you want to read this book for yourself, you can get your very own copy of The Weaver’s Studio: Woven Shibori by Catharine Ellis from the Interweave Store for $34.99.