Handwoven March/April 2021

Design styles come and go but Mid-Century Modern design, also known as MCM, has stood the test of time. MCM is a style that feels at once nostalgic and brand-new. The 11 projects in the March/April 2021 issue of Handwoven evoke that feeling and explore MCM design through iconic color combinations and weave structures that feel timeless.

Three of the articles in the issue are about lesser-known weaving techniques: doup leno, double corduroy, and a method for weaving 5-shaft patterns on 4-shaft looms. In addition to the Yarn Lab, this time by Jenny Sennott, about sampling with stonewashed cottons on three different looms types, there is also a swatch collection of fabrics for the home in MCM style by Sharon Alderman. Miriam Parkman writes about the iconic Swedish handwoven garment designer, Ebba von Eckermann, and Tom Knisley reports on a set of towels he wove out of paper, and then reminisces about paper dresses of the 1960s. The Stepping Up article is about a mentorship program held at the John C. Campbell school, and the issue finishes up with an Endnotes article by Miriam Parkman about the continued influence of MCM design.

Projects + Stories:

• Spotlight: Handwoven Couture: Ebba von Eckermann by Miriam Parkman
• Notes from the Fell: Redefining the Paper Towel by Tom Knisely
• Idea Gallery: Crater Rug in Double Corduroy by Sarah Hilditch
• Swatch Collection #42: Fabrics for Mid-Century Living by Sharon Alderman
• Doup Leno: More Versatility in Leno Weaves by Deanna Deeds
• Traditions: Passing the Weaving Torch: A Five-Harness Pattern on a Four-Harness Loom by Carol Thilenius
• Yarn Lab: Stonewashed Cottons
• Mid-Mod Coasters by Yvonne Ellsworth (rigid-heddle)
• Vintage Style Table Runner by Diane G. Crowder (4-shaft)
• Modern Rep Bath Mats by Colleen Johnson (4- or 8-shaft)
• Mid-Century Shadows by Diane Pigg (8-shaft)
• Vermilion Cliffs by Linda Tilson Davis (8-shaft)
• Bauhaus Weaver Hand Towels by Christine Novotny (4-shaft)
• Retro Chain Scarf by Nancy Peck (rigid heddle or 4-shaft)
• Doubleweave Designs by Sarah Fortin (8-shaft)
• A Vest for Anni by Judith Shangold (4-shaft)
• Leno Casement Curtains for an MCM Home by Deanna Deeds (6-shaft)
• Color-Block Bronson Bed Runner by Susan E. Horton (4-shaft)
• Endnotes: Revisiting Mid-Century Design by Miriam Parkman