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The Big Weave2026-08-11T13:42:02-07:00

The Big Weave

Reweaving “A Handweaver’s Pattern Book” by Marguerite Porter Davison

We are thrilled to share an extraordinary weaving journey unfolding at BARN. Caroline Cooley Browne, granddaughter of Marguerite Porter Davison, along with a dedicated BARN team, is re-publishing the iconic “A Handweaver’s Pattern Book.”

Preserving Marguerite’s original text and patterns, refreshed with modern photography and newly woven samples, this legacy edition is guided by the expertise of weaving luminaries like Madelyn Van Der Hoogt, Anita Osterhaug, Suzie Liles, Sara Bixler, Robyn Spady and many other remarkable weavers.

Over two years in the making, weavers from around the country have worked to re-weave each draft. Schiffer Craft Publishing expects to have the book ready for release in the summer of 2027. Follow along as we celebrate the Big Weave!

Caroline Cooley Browne with her inscribed copy of her grandmother Marguerite Porter Davison's book.

Preorder Today

Preorder your copy of A Handweaver’s Pattern Book now! This 75th anniversary edition enables today’s weavers and future generations to enjoy and expand their weaving skills and design creativity. The classic by Marguerite Porter Davison offers weaving guidance, 377 drafts for four-harness loom weaving, and her timeless emphasis on weavers sharing their knowledge as a community.

The new edition replicates her original, hand-typeset 1951 book—which today’s weavers fondly term the “Green Book”—keeping the original’s nostalgic charm. Its valuable content is accompanied by updates, clarifications, and corrections, plus 1,249 all-new color photos of some of the many weaving patterns that can be produced from these drafts.

Publish date: June 28, 2027. A portion of the proceeds supports BARN when you order through Bookshop.org.

Stay in Touch

Sign up for email updates about the project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Six weaving guilds and centers across the country, with more than 80 weavers, are actively weaving and re-weaving samples for the revised edition.

The BARN-led publication will include all the weaving drafts of the Green Book (even retaining the same page numbers). It will be exciting to see the updated photography, technical information and bibliography.  Converting the drafts to rising shed will keep the book current with other handweaving publications. Finally, an insightful biography of Marguerite Porter Davison written by her granddaughter, Caroline Cooley Browne, will share the heart of this legacy edition.

Schiffer Craft Publishers expects to begin distribution in the summer of 2027.

The samples are woven in natural and shades of blue so that the focus is on the weave structures without the distraction of color.

BARN (Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network) is a nonprofit makerspace and creative community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, where artisans and makers of every skill level come together to learn, teach, and create. With studios spanning more than a dozen craft disciplines, members and guests learn from one another, preserve and expand craft knowledge, and make things together. Find out more at BainbridgeBARN.org. 

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Land Acknowledgment

“Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished.” – Chief Seattle 1854

We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is within the ancestral territory of the suq̀ʷabš “People of Clear Salt Water” (Suquamish People). Expert fisherman, canoe builders and basket weavers, the suq̀ʷabš live in harmony with the lands and waterways along Washington’s Central Salish Sea as they have for thousands of years. Here, the suq̀ʷabš live and protect the land and waters of their ancestors.

Location

8890 Three Tree Lane NE
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Hours

9:00AM to 5:00PM, Daily

Member Access: 6AM – 2AM, Daily

Tours

1:00PM to 3:00PM, Wednesdays and Sundays*
*Except Holidays

Contact

206-842-4475
info@BainbridgeBARN.org

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