Barbara Teller Ornela /
Lynda Teller Pete
Navajo blankets, rugs, and tapestries are the best-known, most-admired,
and most-collected textiles in North America. There are scores of books
about Navajo weaving, but no other book like this one. For the first
time, master Navajo weavers themselves share the deep, inside story of
how these textiles are created, and how their creation resonates in
Navajo culture.
Want to weave a high-quality, Navajo-style rug? This
book has detailed how-to instructions, meticulously illustrated by a
Navajo artist, from warping the loom to important finishing touches.
Want to understand the deeper meaning? You’ll learn why the fixed parts
of the loom are male, and the working parts are female. You’ll learn how
weaving relates to the earth, the sky, and the sacred directions.
You’ll learn how the Navajo people were given their weaving tradition
(and it wasn’t borrowed from the Pueblos!).
And you'll learn how important a weaver’s
attitude and spirit are to creating successful rugs. You’ll learn what
it means to live in hózhó, the Beauty Way. Family stories from seven
generations of weavers lend charm and special insights. Characteristic
Native American humor is not in short supply. Their contribution to
cultural understanding and the preservation of their craft is priceless.
Spiral Bound inside a Hard Bound cover, 141 pages, numerous color photographs throughout