Woven to Wear

Woven to Wear presents more than 20 designs and ideas for designing one’s own simple garments. Author Marilyn Murphy and several contributors at the forefront of handwoven wearables will offer straightforward patterns and guidance for weaving scarves, wraps, shawls, capelets and other garments, along with advice for finishing, cutting and sewing the fabric, adding edgings and closures, and possibly combining woven fabrics with other techniques such as knitting and patchwork.

The featured designs are influenced by a global melting pot of traditional folkloric costume and ethnic fabric mixes in which silhouettes are roomy, layered, and flowing. All of these elements easily translate to woven wraps that allow the cloth to take center stage. The contributing designers are known for a particular approach, and discuss their work, and offer advice, tips, or patterns.

In addition to featuring a variety of finishing techniques, Woven to Wear offers basic sewing techniques for weavers who don’t sew, and information on sizing and fit where appropriate. Woven to Wear also discusses yarn types and yarn properties for fabrics, and offers advice and info for substituting yarns.

Going beyond offering only patterns, Woven to Wear encourages a mindful approach to the craft. Rather than simply following instructions and using what the loom produces, readers are prompted to produce fabric they want, through yarn selection, weave structure, and deliberate finishing techniques.

Expertly woven and constructed, the projects vary from the very simple to more challenging, with very few patterns requiring any additional sewing after they are woven.