A Weaver’s Garden by Rita Buchanan

Description

A Weaver’s Garden by Rita Buchanan

From the Publisher of A Weaver’s Garden:

Long before the invention of pottery, men and women wove baskets from plant fibers. Today, craftworkers creating textiles and other products make use of many of these same resources and methods. This book is thoroughly researched and charmingly written. It is a practical guide by a veteran botanist and horticulturist. It provides weavers and gardeners alike with a wealth of information on growing plants for use in weaving and dyeing projects.

A Weaver’s Garden begins with the history and uses of plant fibers. It then offers valuable hints on dyeing fibers and fabrics and how to use soap plants for cleaning textiles. Readers will also find expert advice on fragrant plants for scenting and protecting textiles, what plant materials to use as tools, how to plan and create a garden containing cotton, flax, indigo, madder, fuller’s teasel, woad, and many other useful plants; and much more. A glossary, pronunciation guide, and an abundance of illustrations complete this informative and inspiring volume.

Kathy says:

This was one of the first books on raising fibers and dyes that I encountered and it is a gem. Rita Buchanan is an amazing spinner and weaver – I remember her planning and weaving her family tartan. That just made me want to be Scottish, although I knew it was never going to happen. Rita was one of my early inspirations in the way that she looked carefully and deeply at a subject, did a bunch of experiments, and then shared them so clearly and comprehensively with the textile world. This was pre blog posts, so we waited every month for our Handwoven and Spin-Off magazines to see what was the next thing. We are very happy to offer A Weaver’s Garden by Rita Buchanan!