Weaverly: Quilx Revisited

Books

The Woven Pixel: Designing for Jacquard and Dobby Looms Using Photoshop®
Co-authored by Alice Schlein and Bhakti Ziek. 362 pages, many illustrations. Now available for free download on handweaving.net. The accompanying CD with 1400 pattern presets is not included with the free download, but may be purchased separately. Email me at aschlein[at]att[dot]net for more information.
The Liftplan Connection: Designing for Dobby Looms With Photoshop® and Photoshop Elements®
By Alice Schlein. Build your own weave library. Design liftplans for your dobby loom. 157 pages, spiral bound, many illustrations. Now available as print-on-demand from www.lulu.com.
Network Drafting: An Introduction
By Alice Schlein. Break away from the block. Curves for your dobby loom. Originally published in 1994, now available as print-on-demand from www.lulu.com.

Monographs

Amalgamation: Double Your Dobby
24-pages of text, diagrams, and color photographs, in pdf format for download. Create drafts for 8 or more shafts in half-drop or brick arrangements which would normally require twice the number of shafts. Related to network drafting, this is a technique for intermediate or advanced weavers with dobby looms or multi-shaft table looms. Includes guidelines for amalgamation with three current weaving applications. View on a computer, or print out one copy for your own use. USD$21. via PayPal. Email aschlein[at]att[dot]net and indicate your preferred email address for PayPal.
Lampas for Shaft Looms
Class notes from Complex Weavers Seminars 2016, newly revised and formatted, in pdf form for download. A review of methods for designing your own lampas fabrics for treadle looms, table looms, and dobbies, eight shafts and above. Over 90 color photos of actual fabrics with drafts. Includes info on pickup lampas and a lampas bibliography. View on a computer, or print out one copy for your own use. USD$21. via PayPal. Email aschlein[at]att[dot]net for ordering info.
A Crepe Is Not Just a Pancake
52 pages of text, b&w and color diagrams, and drafts for multishaft tradle & dobby looms. Many color photos of actual cloth. Methods for drafting your own crepe weaves. Annotated bibliography. Pdf available for immediate download. $21. USD. Payment by PayPal. Email me at aschlein[at]att[dot]net for payment instructions.
Echo Weave
Based on the 1996 article in Weaver's, Issue 32. With brand new diagrams and high resolution scans of original fabrics. Pdf available for immediate download. $7. USD. Payment by PayPal. Email me at aschlein[at]att[dot]net for payment instructions.

Quilx Revisited

Thanks to all who shared their stories of money stashed in books, yarn balls, and (gasp) hubcaps. I've gotten some amazing emails this week! Kinda made me go back and look through some of my older weaving books to make sure there were no treasures hidden there. Nope, no currency, but I did find an old advertisement for Quilx.

Back up a few years, to the late 1980's, when I got my first Apple computer. Remember when computers came with Basic built in? The common wisdom was that you had to learn how to program in Basic if you were to use the full capabilities of your home computer. I learned Basic, and started writing some cute graphics routines. One in particular was a group of square modules that could be rotated randomly in any of four directions and assembled into a matrix to form quilt-like patterns. I called it Quilx and marketed it as a quilt design program via ads placed in quilting magazines. I actually sold several dozen copies.

I don't know if anyone ever made a whole quilt using Quilx; I rather doubt it. But I continued to use the concept of randomly rotated modules in my weaving design, and actually wove several pieces with randomly rotated quarter circles in overshot. An article for Weaver's ensued; the article is included in the compendium The Best of Weaver's: Overshot is Hot!.

Here's a table mat from the group of samples I wove for the article. This sample never made it into print, so I present it here for your entertainment. Quilx lives!