Heddlecraft, Tokeland, WA (2026)

06/12/2026

It's Friday!!! Again! Time for Freebie Friday! Woohoo! Plus, it's National Loving Day . . . and I would love to share an exciting Freebie Friday. I was encouraged to share this again recently when a young weaver asked me if there were any resources available for anyone interested in sewing with their handwoven fabric.

This week I'm pleased to share with you a treasure trove of freebies from Daryl Lancaster's website. And, yes . . . she is aware I am annexing resources from her website . . . and, in fact . . . it was her idea when I originally shared all of this over five years ago!

As some of you may know, Daryl has been weaving, sewing, and teaching for decades. She now has a sewing pattern line, in addition to her monographs and other items, that work beautifully for handwoven fabric. BUT . . . did you know she has made some pretty fabulous resources available for FREE!

First, the sewing instructions for her pattern line are available as a PDF download . . . without having to purchase the pattern. This can be very handy if you want to see what is involved in determining how much fabric is required and constructing the garment. The fabric requirements are even presented in widths narrower than commercial fabric. This is helpful for weavers with looms that do not have a wide weaving width.

Second, she has made some of her class tutorials available . . . for FREE! These include, but are not limited to the following:
- Stay Stitching
- Basic Pattern Alterations
- How to create a full bust adjustment in a bodice
- Options to clean finish an edge for handwoven fabrics
- Bound buttonholes

And more! Check it out and enjoy!

https://www.daryllancaster.com/extras.html

I should also point out Daryl has a YouTube channel, The Weaver Sews, that offers additional instruction . . . for FREE!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmz2mYvnteUP11-LvK8-eNg

Enjoy!!!

06/05/2026

It's Friday! It's also National Repeat Day. Woohoo! Therefore, I'm going to repeat a Freebie Friday I haven't shared in a while! And it's perfect if you're having , , , or are about to have . . . hot weather! Ice dyeing!

Ice dyeing is a technique used to dye fabric and yarn using using ice (or snow if things are getting cold where you live.) It can be used on yarn and fabric. There's an irregularity in ice and snow dyeing that makes it fun to see what kind of results you achieve.

Fortunately, there are a number of very kind people that have posted the instructions for ice dyeing. I've listed a few below.

In the meantime, if you're having hot weather and looking for a way to cool off, check out some of the resources below!

Enjoy!

https://www.dharmatrading.com/blogs/t/learn-how-to-ice-dye?srsltid=AfmBOophg7-1Zms4aXoa9wi1z0MTVCtqzlgPJuKjFEglyRkFN13tz_-o

https://www.interweave.com/article/knitting/how-to-ice-dye-yarn-wool-cotton-more/

https://vickiwelshmakes.com/ice-dyeing-tutorial/

https://prettytogether.com/how-to-ice-dye-fabric/

https://dianefranklin.wordpress.com/2015/01/30/tutorial-on-snow-dyeing/? fbclid=IwAR2Pb9qqyD5oQK7Zdumiacg7nrbfVMzGtdm7WpR728bJedqnD4vL9nUNL38

https://gaylemckay.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/snow-dyeing-tutorial/?fbclid=IwAR15gzixvDIyfCYdnsdUZxUiT00xXOCBbeeMQnrcCrME4kN486_7aRJyfAY

https://www.nataliewoven.com/blog/jk987vuvanl2cgdmjalmcbpkvu25zx

https://thesilkyweave.com/2017/05/08/snow-dyeing-yarn/? fbclid=IwAR0tB0Rzq2Zxso2r-LlTid66YBl0kSmQ_m_MypPcbH48pO0-n6RsRazORBw

https://www.motherofpurl.net/blog/yarn-dyeing-with-snow

https://www.fiberartsy.com/snow-dyeing-fabric/

05/29/2026

It's Friday . . . but, not just any Friday! It's National Paper Clip Day . . . which is worthwhile since I frequently use paperclips in my studio to hang a weight off of a warp end that needs a bit more tension . . . and for a very long time, I would frequently unbend a paperclip to serve as a threading or sley hook. Plus, today is the day before National Creativity Day . . . and tomorrow is also National Loomis Day . . . however, every time I see that, I read it as 'Loom Is' Day

Let's celebrate with one of my all-time favorites for Freebie Friday . . . The Shuttle Craft Guild BULLETIN.

We’re very fortunate to have access to weaving resources published in color. The visual impact is inspiring . . . almost intoxicating. Unfortunately, the appeal of weaving publications in color makes earlier black-and-white publications initially appear flat and outdated. But, if a weaver is really serious about learning to weave, these publications are chock full of wonderful patterns, lessons, and more! Plus, they provide us a glimpse into the history and legacy of those who came before us. The Shuttle Craft Guild BULLETIN is a cornerstone in the recent history of handweaving. (Recent means in the past 100 years). These resources can also remind us that amazing things were being woven long before weaving software, computer-aided looms, and the internet.

First, a little history about the publication. Mary Meigs Atwater founded the Shuttle Craft Guild in 1922. The purpose of the Shuttle Craft Guild was to create an instructional resource for handweavers. BTW - this predates Mary Meigs Atwater’s iconic weaving book, The Shuttle-Craft Book of American Handweavers.

In 1924, the monthly BULLETIN was started. An annual subscription was $5.00/year. That may not sound like much; however, $5.00 converted to 2026 dollars is nearly $95!

When Mary Meigs Atwater retired in 1946, Harriet Tidball took over the Shuttle Craft Guild. In 1952 the BULLETIN was augmented . . . the price increased to $7.50/year (Again, nearly $125 in 2026 dollars). In addition to the BULLETIN, the first Shuttle Craft Guild workshop was held in 1948. Harriett Tidball organized it. Mary Meigs Atwater taught it.

In 1957, the BULLETIN was taken over by Mary Black and Joyce Chown. Mary Black is the author of Key to Weaving (1945). (A little weaving trivia – Mary Black’s Key to Weaving was not published for two years after being submitted to Bruce Publishing Company because of a lack of paper due to the war). Mary Black went on to publish New Key to Weaving in 1957, another iconic weaving book (and one of my all-time favorites)

In 1960, Harriett Tidball returned to the Shuttle Craft Guild BULLETIN. Shortly thereafter, in 1961, Harriett Tidball published The Weaver’s Book.

In addition to the BULLETIN, the Shuttle Craft Guild began to publish monographs. The monographs were each 24-48 pages long and provided an in-depth exploration of a single subject. (Psst! Glimakra USA, the copyright holder for all things Shuttle Craft Guild has started reprinting the monographs. Woohoo!). In addition to the monographs was the Portfolio, a supplement to the monographs that included samples. As a result of the monographs, the BULLETIN was reduced to three times a year.

While looking through past issues, I was surprised to see many things that are of interest today.

First, in looking at a picture of a young Peter Collingwood, it’s incredible how much his son, Jason, looks like him.

Below are a few pages I thought may be of interest and encourage weavers to spend some time getting acquainted with the Shuttle Craft Guild BULLETIN.

The link below will take you to a collection of issues (176 in all!)
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/scbulletin.html

Below are some of my favorite issues:

Birdseye Twill, Summer & Winter, and Bronson lace in the May 1931 issue –https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/periodicals/scb_31.pdf

Four and Eight-shaft Twill Patterns in the February 1936 issue -
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/periodicals/scb_36.pdf

Integrated Twills in the May 1943 issue and Overshot and Shadow weave in the June 1943 issue ––
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/periodicals/scb_43.pdf

History of Brothers, J and R Bronson, in the April 1950 issue –
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/periodicals/scb_50.pdf

Eight-shaft Ms and Os in the June-July 1957 issue
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/articles/sc_57_02_03.pdf

Bateman Samples in the October 1958 issue –
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/periodicals/scb_58_10.pdf

What’s ‘old’ can be ‘new’ again! These are just a few of the wonderful things that may be found in the pages of the Shuttle Craft Guild’s BULLETIN. Some of the links take you to multiple issues. Some links are for individual issues. It’s a resource definitely worth knowing about!

The following link will take you to the list of available copies. https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/scbulletin.html

In the meantime . . . Happy 2026!

Enjoy!

05/25/2026

Today is a day I can truly get behind! It's not only Towel Day! It's also National Wine Day!

First, a little bit about Towel Day . . . It is said . . . Towel Day is "Observed annually by fans of Douglas Adams, Towel Day commemorates the work of the author most known for his series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

It further goes on . . . "First and foremost, it's important to note for those who are unfamiliar with Douglas Adams, according to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have."

Next, is National Wine Day . . . "On May 25th each year, wine lovers everywhere pour a glass of their favorite wine to celebrate National Wine Day. Whether it is Red or White, the sound of glassing "clinking" will be heard around the world today."

What can you do to celebrate? How about one of the following?

* Raise a toast to your favorite wine
* Try a new wine
* Attend or host a wine tasting
* Visit a vineyard.
* Give a bottle of wine to a friend (who will hopefully share it with you)

To celebrate National Wine Day, here's a big glass of wine to share with you. I'm showing a red wine, but it can be any wine you prefer. The drafts are available on Handweaving.net.

Wine glass draft with 14 treadles - #74189
Wine glass draft with 10-treadle skeleton tie-up - #74190

Cheers!

05/22/2026

It's Friday . . . but, not just any Friday! It's the Friday before our Memorial Day weekend. Many consider the Memorial Day weekend the beginning of summer (even if the calendar tells us "No. Not yet . . . but, soon!").

For this Freebie Friday, let’s go back to 1792. Yep! That’s right . . . back to the very end of the 18th century. The United States of America was a new country, and the American Revolutionary War had ended over a decade earlier. . . but the French Revolution was still underway, Mozart had passed away the previous year, and U.S. Captain Robert Gray became the first explorer to enter and name the Columbia River, the river that separates Oregon and Washington.

And John Hargrove created “The Weavers Draft Book and Clothiers Assistant”

First, I love history . . . especially weaving history. But I also love the cover. There are a couple of reasons why I love the cover. The flourish of the penmanship is beautiful. And I love the addition of “Humbly Dedicated to Harry Dorsey Gough, Esq. by his much obliged Servant, John Hargrove.”

John Hargrove was born in Ireland and came to America in 1769. He worked as a land surveyor and as a master weaver. This publication is thought to be the very first of its kind in both colonial and post revolution America. The Hargrove book was published in order that weaving drafts could be more widely shared among weavers in the newly formed country. The impetus behind this 230+ year old publication is that John Hargrove was concerned that weavers were not sharing their drafts or their knowledge with one another. This is collection of drafts was his contribution to help change that.

Beyond the penmanship and collection of drafts, it has been used as inspiration by study groups. More than that . . . I can only imagine how much of an impact Hargrove's “The Weavers Draft Book and Clothiers Assistant” meant to weavers. I like to think it inspired weavers to share more openly with one another.

It is important to point out two things. First, the ‘x’ symbols indicate these drafts were written for a sinking shed loom. If you adapt the drafts for a rising shed loom, you can tie up the ‘blanks.’ Second, the numbers in the threading indicate the threading order and the position of the number indicates the shaft the warp end is threaded on. The same thing goes for the treadling.

Enjoy!

https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/hj_draft.pdf

05/15/2026

It's Friday! And it's a big day too! It's National Pizza Party Day! It's National Chocolate Chip Day! And, it's also National Endangered Species Day! I can certainly get behind pizza and chocolate chips . . . and as a handweaver, I sometimes think others believe we are an endangered species . . . but, we know better. Right???!!! (Pssst! It's also Older Americans Month . . . but, that may be more of a state of mind).

So . . . let's celebrate with a Freebie Friday!

Atlas d'Armures Textiles is a historically significant French textile publication published in 1905 by B. Fressinet, a curator at the Saint-Étienne Textile Museum (Conservateur de Musée des tissus de la Ville de Saint-Étienne). It features a massive collection of over 2,900 technical weaving patterns and drafts.

The collection of drafts are written to be woven on a straight draw threading. The drafts range from four-to-twenty shafts. Many of the drafts would benefit being woven on a loom with a dobby because of the multitude of treadles.

What especially interested me were the pages at the very beginning of part I. I've included the images of two pages in this post:
* Patterns with tubular edges
* Velvet pattern schematics

I first learned about tubular edges from Jannie Taylor and it's become my favorite way to weave a beautiful selvedge. I'm over the moon for more tubular edge patterns! The velvet pattern schematics intrigued me too!

Because this is a substantial publication, it has been posted in five parts.

Atlas d'Armures Textiles - Part I (4-8 shaft patterns)https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/fb_atlas_1.pdf

Atlas d'Armures Textiles - Part II (8-12 shaft patterns)
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/fb_atlas_2.pdf

Atlas d'Armures Textiles - Part III (12-14 shaft patterns)
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/fb_atlas_3.pdf

Atlas d'Armures Textiles - Part IV (14-16 shaft patterns)
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/fb_atlas_4.pdf

Atlas d'Armures Textiles - Part V (16-20 shaft patterns)
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books/fb_atlas_5.pdf

Access to the pages is free via the Griswold On-Line Digital Archive of Documents on Weaving and Related Topics. Fortunately, if you have an account with Handweaving.net, the patterns from the Atlas have been converted into WIF formats.

Access to the wif files is not free; however, if use weaving software and are interested in saving time, it would definitely be worth paying a subscription - https://handweaving.net/collection-drafts/collection/29/atlas-darmures-textiles-b-fressinet?page=0

J'espère que vous apprécierez ce Freebie Friday. C'est fantastique.

05/12/2026

Today is National Limerick Day. Let's celebrate!

A weaver sat down at the loom,
As colors began there to bloom,
The shuttle flew fast,
Through threads tightly cast
To drive out the chill and the gloom.

05/08/2026

I want to say "Woohoo" because it's Friday . . . but, it's also National Nurses Week . . . and where would we be without nurses??? National Nurses Week honors nurses everywhere during the week of May 6th and ends on May 12th, the day of Florence Nightingale's birth. So . . . let's celebrate nurses with a Freebie Friday!

What do authors Dickens, Austen, Twain, Kafka, Thoreau, Fitzgerald, Brontë, Joyce, and Tolstoy have in common with the Hand-Loom Weaving: A Manual for School and Home? The answer is Project Gutenberg!

Project Gutenberg is an online library of free eBooks and is the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. In July 1971, Michael Hart created Project Gutenberg with the goal of making available for free, and electronically, literary works belonging to public domain. Celebrating 50 years, Project Gutenberg was the first information provider on the internet and is the oldest digital library.

https://www.gutenberg.org/

In addition to titles like A Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, and The Great Gatsby are books on hat making, fly making, bookbinding, woodworking . . . there's even a book, THE LONDON and COUNTRY BREWER, published 'By Anonymous' in 1736.

Books may be read online or downloaded EPUB and Kindle versions (with and without images) . . . and it's FREE! Woohoo! You can do a word search . . . you can also search the bookshelves. The 'Crafts' bookshelf brings up a number of intriguing titles - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf/27

There are also books on a wide variety of fiber arts, including weaving.

Published in 1902, the Hand-Loom Weaving: A Manual for School and Home by Mattie Phipps Todd - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31630

The Tapestry Book, published in 1912 is not how to weave tapestry.
It provides a history of tapestry.
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26151/pg26151-images.html

In addition to weaving, I also enjoy needlework, knitting, crocheting, and tatting . . . and there's quite a collection of other resources on these topics.

One I find all sorts of possibilities is the "Encyclopedia of Needlework" by Thérèse de Dillmont https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20776 . . . I can easily imagine adapting many of the techniques into weaver-manipulated lace weaves. Same thing for "Art in Needlework" published in 1900, - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28269

Project Gutenberg is a great way to lose oneself for a short period . . . and it's FREE!

Enjoy!

05/05/2026

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War.

Here's a margarita to celebrate! The wif files are available on Handweaving.net.
* Margarita pattern on single two-tie threading with 14 treadles - #74203
* Margarita pattern on single two-tie threading with 10 treadle skeleton tie-up - #74204

05/04/2026

Today is May the Fourth . . . sometimes referred to as 'Star Wars Day. Do you have a Star Wars fanatic you would like to weave for? Well, how about weaving them a lightsaber border in a towel or scarf?

This draft is on Handweaving.net - #74502

Just in case you don't know . . . the color of the lightsaber has meaning. Below is a brief description of the lightsaber colors blue, green, red, and purple. The ultimate Star Wars fanatic may want an entire set . . . however, someone that serves to protect may not want a lightsaber of a Sith lord!

May the Force be with you!

The color of a lightsaber comes from ‘kyber’ crystals. The crystal is at the core of the lightsaber and the color of the crystal determines the color of the saber. They are extremely rare and attuned with the Force. The color emitted by each crystal is determined by the personality, fighting style, and Force-alignment of the wielder.

Blue - Blue lightsabers are the most common colored lightsaber in the Star Wars universe. A blue lightsaber meant the user was a ‘Jedi Guardian’ . . . such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Rey, and the young Luke Skywalker. The blue lightsaber meaning, at its very core, is to serve as a protector and gatekeeper, promising safety from the evil that tortures harmonious creatures of the galaxy.

Green - Green is considered the second most common lightsaber, behind blue. Peace is perhaps the strongest representation of the green lightsaber. A green lightsaber was the calling card of the ‘Jedi Consulars’ . . . the thinking man's Jedi and included Master Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn, and an older and wiser Luke Skywalker.

Red – The lightsaber with a red cyber crystal is a hallmark of the Sith, the nefarious black hats of the Star Wars canon. Red lightsabers are notorious in Star Wars as a weapon carried by the most villainous characters, such as Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Darth Maul, and Darth Sidious.

Purple — Purple lightsabers are among the most mysterious color lightsabers known in Star Wars. A purple lightsaber represents a user's connection to both the light side and dark side of the Force since purple is a blend of red and blue . . . it's the universal sign of a hardcore dude . . . like Mace Windu (Samuel Jackson).

May the force be with you on May the fourth!

Heddlecraft

06/12/2026

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