weavingthe

weavingthe is a collaborative online encyclopedia and educational platform dedicated to weaving, textile arts, and related knowledge. The project collects, curates, and disseminates information on weaving techniques, loom configurations, materials, patterns, and cultural contexts, with the aim of supporting practitioners, scholars, and students.

History: launched in 2016 by a group of textile historians, craft artisans, and digital editors. It emerged from community archives and a desire to document endangered weaving traditions.

Content and organization: The site operates as a wiki-style database spanning technique articles (warp/weft, tablet weaving, backstrap loom, etc.), regional traditions (Persian kilims, Andean textiles, Indonesian ikat), tool terminology, and case studies. Each article includes a definition, historical notes, instructions, variations, and citations. It hosts an image gallery, project notes, and a glossary; content is licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons license. It uses a tag-based taxonomy and version history to track changes.

Community and governance: Editorship is shared among volunteers; submissions undergo peer review; disputes resolved by a community council. Registration is required for edits beyond basic commenting.

Impact and reception: It has become a resource for educators and makers, cited in textile courses and museum catalogs. Critics note uneven coverage across regions and times, and ongoing efforts to improve accuracy and inclusivity.