For over one thousand years, velvet textiles were woven by hand with great ingenuity and artistry. This book recounts a transcontinental story of their development into one of the most beautiful, luxurious, and economically important products of the medieval and Renaissance periods, in constant demand at courts throughout Europe and Asia. Velvet expert Landry offers a consistent theory of the origin and spread of this weaving technique and the technological innovations that accompanied it. She draws from her lengthy personal expertise as a practicing weaver and scholar, examining, analyzing, and engaging in the techniques and technologies in order to excavate the intrinsic ideas and knowledge embedded in the craft of velvet weaving. The instructions feature techniques and equipment accessible to ordinary handweavers and introduce ways to attain complex results without complex equipment. This will be a valuable resource for weavers, textile scholars, and curators for years to come.

Dr. Wendy Landry (Nova Scotia) is a textile scholar with 45 years of weaving experience. This book distills 20 years of her research on velvet weaving around the world. Landry provides collection documentation and textile analysis and teaches workshops. www.veloutiere.ca

Wendy Landry's profile page

Louise Mackie's profile page

br /> "Thoroughly guides the reader into the history of this technique . . . Notably, Dr. Landry encompasses the development of the technique all over the world, without giving privilege to a European or western perspective. . . . Compelling."

The Journal of Dress History