The idea for weaving game boards first came from my son Avi when he was nine. He was looking for something he could weave and sell at the Annual Craftsmen’s Fair (Sunapee). Since he loved playing games, this seemed like a great fit. Together we toyed around with different possible designs and settled on eight-shaft twill blocks, mostly because it could be woven with one shuttle. Nine years later he is still selling his handwoven games at the fair. I love thinking about all of the people who have bought from him over the years, playing chess, checkers, tic tac toe, and mancala with his boards.

The rigid-heddle, four-shaft, and eight-shaft projects all have the same overall design (profile draft), yet each is woven in a different weave structure. This project is designed to help demystify blocks. As we explore this project in community, we can learn more about how block structures work, why choose one structure over another, and all of the considerations that go into choosing a weave structure for a specific project and loom.

All while playing (or making) games!