Finding, and purchasing, good reference books

Sometime ago, I don't recall when, I identified through references and discussions on the internet that I would find a copy of Sharon Alderman & Kathryn Wertenberger's book Handwoven, Tailormade (pub. Interweave Press, 1982, ISBN 0-934025-08-4) interesting and useful.

I learnt to weave because I learnt to spin, and wanted a use for the yarn. Having got that far, I realised that weaving is about producing cloth, but if you don't learn to make up garments (and don't know someone who will do it for you) the product of your weaving gets limited to flat pieces of cloth for things like mats, rugs, towels. I have a good sewing machine, and have made a couple of garments before from my own design & patterns, so I hope to move on to weaving the cloth and then designing and making up garments from my own cloth.

The only publications I know of in print on the subject of making garments from your handwoven cloth are, if you can find them, some of the Handwoven Design Collection booklets and Dorothy K. Burham's "Cut my Cote", pub. Royal Ontario Museum. I have "Cut my Cote" which is a useful small guide to traditional loom-cloth shaped garments (i.e. minimum cutting up of the cloth). I was looking for more information, to help me get from choosing suitable yarns and designs to the finished garment.

I have eventually got myself a copy (today!) of Handwoven, Tailormade though making use of the abebooks "wants" facility. If you search for a particular book and don't find it, you can "create a want". This sits on your abebooks account, and if a book matching the description you have given turns up, then abebooks sends you an e-mail. I requested this book so many months ago that I had quite forgotten until the e-mail came. I rang up the seller, and discovered she was selling a large collection of books amassed by herself (a spinner/sewer) and husband (a weaver). We had a good chat, sorted out payment, and soon the book was with me. I am very pleased with it. It is full of information, much more text than pictures. It explains how to approach every aspect from the design to the weaving to the garment making. It is chatty and friendly in style, so although the text looks dense and dull at a first glance, when you get reading it is superb.

I'd also like to have Betty Beard's Fashions from the Loom, and Anita Mayer's Clothing From Hands that Weave, and the same seller has these, but I have in my mind a clear idea of what I am prepared to pay for the book including the postage cost, and her prices are much too high for me. I could get them cheaper, if I order from sellers in the U.S. But I can wait for these books. I have to bear in mind that there are other books I'm interested in, and I need buy yarn to keep weaving, and I might want more shuttles and possible loom parts this year. I've been buying books faster than I can read them recently, you may have noticed!

So, it's time to create a couple more "wants" at abebooks - you can specify maximum price - and then sit back and wait.

for the UK: www.abebooks.co.uk
and the US: www.abebooks.com