Weaving Patterned Bands: How to Create and Design with 5, 7, and 9 Pattern Threads Hardcover – August 28, 2018

If you want to learn band weaving or want a welcome into the larger world of weaving, this is the book.From her considerable research and experience, Susan has selected, organized and presented everything you need and much you never knew would please a deep part of your creative self. In contrast, other teachers throw in anything they can glean from others, organize it very roughly, have no idea what skill level they are addressing, and get right in the way between the topic and the reader to swan around showing off their ego. You have to put up with them and the publisher’s formula for lavish pictures with text that is an immature collection of ideas patched together with rough editing. Do they ever ask themselves how to honor both their subject matter and their readers, how to connect the two and what their role is? Most do not think beyond marketing and their books are not something you want to own and refer to. Susan’s work, by high contrast, is an oasis among so many disappointing craft and history books. It is something to own, to treasure, to gain from.I had spent decades in serious fiber work in several fields, but never was tempted to weave. I happened to intersect with Susan’s earlier, self-published books and watched her videos on YouTube. Her presentation switched me to a new path that branched into new ways to use color, new understandings about yarn structure, new ways to use textiles.But there is more. I find her presence to be inspiring and calming. I appreciate her keen mind, her elegance, her clarity. Much is made of women who excel at things men have traditionally done, but how much more I respond to women who excel at things women have traditionally done. She has rescued this once ubiquitous and essential craft from historical obscurity and restored it to its place, which women will understand is from our hands and hearts, before our eyes in daily life.The time I have spent band weaving, from learning to doing to appreciating the tools and history, to owning bands I love, it has all been a gift from Susan J. Foulkes. She is a role model of womanhood. Look through this book even superficially and you can see that she has left no detail to chance. No doubt her publisher loved having nearly everything done for them in advance. I also appreciate a glimpse into her life, like the photo on page 25. The furnishings in her home, her lovely self, how things are brought together and presented at their best, with such a great sensitivity to style and beauty, she brings bandweaving from cultures where it is known to soon-to-be weavers who are reviving it. Bands are small but not trivial. Without Susan's efforts, I would have missed so much.Her bio says she is working on another book. It will come from the best research and expertise and will enrich our lives. Meanwhile, we have this work to read, re-read and be grateful for.

If you're a newbie looking to begin patterned band weaving, then this is the place to start, and there is enough here to take you far beyond the beginner's realm. The author's instructions are clear and thorough, and she includes links to her video tutorials which are equally good. In addition to some historical context, the book includes many, many pattern samples with tips on how to put together your own designs, including a variety of borders. You'll reach next level quickly.

I had never done any weaving and this book was a great guide for me to jump right in! I have done numerous belts by now and I am in love with this old craft.This book has wonderful array of color photos of Scandinavian, Sami and Baltic woven belts and a nice introduction to the history of this beautiful tradition. The author does a perfect job instructing the techniques with both text and very detailed photos. There are numerous charts for 5, 7 and 9 thread pattern weaving, so this book will keep you busy for a long time. And if the texts and the pictures in the book are not enough this author has also several YouTube demos to aid your learning. And once you get going, you will soon find your own best way to modify and make patterns and figure out your own best fibers and work methods. I love to use linen, wool and cotton.I highly recommend this beautiful book for anyone who wishes to learn this wonderful tradition of weaving!

The author has a real gift for explaining things the pick in ways that I never understood even after taking 3 semesters in weaving in college as part of my applied arts minor. I am dyslexic and have trouble reading electronic media (its a thing almost all dyslexic people have) so I always like hard copy that has been officially checked by an editor. I cannot overemphasize that in reading 5 minutes of this book I understood exactly her method, that I did not need to look at her utube demo. I just wish the special heddle/reed was available from amazon and not just two sellers/manufactures in the whole world, nether of whom are good. The plastic 3d printed one is brittle and frequently breaks in shipment- even if its replaced for free....it sounds like it would break on first drop....and the other seller uses a thin laminated birch veneered plywood and you never want warping in your loom and weaving parts so quality , i.e. not a children's toy, is made from solid hardwood to prevent warping. My solid wood floor loom is over 200 years old and after heavy use is still in perfect condition. I will either make the reed/heddle myself or get a friend who woodworks. Its clear from the book that the Sami would make their own anyway. This book makes me not only try the techniques but make the tools myself and I am not usually thatn kind of person LOL!The charts are clearer than all the my other weaving books and textbooks, and include how to convert to otehr weaving types like using a inkle loom (many more pattern options ) which as someone who does historical education non-profit volunteering is WONDERFUL, because it is a completely different weaving layout and technique, so without even practicing the technique I can see how I can translate those patterns to this method. IF that alone wasn't enough it also includes several ways to alter the patterns because each weaver traditionally develops their own patter within their local or familial style. Both my parents were teachers, and I am really picky, and it takes a special mindset to make the directions this clear and simple on one of the most difficult techniques to learn much less master. Honestly she is going on my short list of favorite authors that I completely trust to make the technique fun as well as easier.