Overshot
and Other Pattern Weaving
Overshot
and other pattern weaving have been a fascination to me over the
years as there are so many possibilities for design and use.
I've posted a few pictures here of some of my pattern weaving as
well as that of friends and hope to have pictures of more here soon.
If you have overshot designs you'd like to share with us, email me
at
Margaret@heritageyarns.com.
Various
overshot treadling options and how they are accomplished are in the newsletters
beginning with
Issue #5.
Or see the pattern weaving list of links
below. If you wish to receive the e-newsletter
containing these treadling options and other weaving tips, you may like to
subscribe to the newsletter.
If in doubt about what
treadling option will work for your project, beam a warp from 3 to 5
yards and at least 3 repeats (to see what pattern shows up between
repeats) and try lots of treadling options. The "snippets" shown
below are from 2 Crackle samplers that I wove during Teaching and
Learning through Correspondence/HGA with Mimi Smith. References
are given of whom I have knowledge.
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This is a
portion of an 8-shaft sampler I wove. The warp was 3 yards long.
You will note the long floats of a few options; it's good to know what
doesn't work as well as what will. |
This is one of my favorites
from the 8-shaft sampler and is Classic Crackle/Susan Wilson. It
would have had more pizzazz if I had treadled all 8 blocks. |
This was toward the end of
the 4-shaft sampler. It is Italian Style/Nancy Lyons. |
Classic
Crackle/Susan Wilson from the 4-shaft sampler. |
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Classic
Crackle/Susan Wilson from the 4-shaft sampler. |
Two-block/Opposites-Type Treadling from the 4-shaft sampler. See
Issue #9 for treadling option. |
Honeycomb
Fashion/Barbara Miller from the 4-shaft sampler. I learned this
option during 1994 TLC/Overshot with Barbara. |
Two different
Polychrome blocks/Mary Snyder from the 4-shaft sampler. See
Issue #21 for pointers. |
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Summer and
Winter/Mary Snyder from the 4-shaft sampler. See
Issue #17 and
Issue #18 for pointers. |
Italian
Fashion/Barbara Miller from the 4-shaft sampler. |
Changes in the
Sizes of Blocks/Mary Snyder from the 4-shaft sampler. |
Polychrome/Barbara Miller/Susan Wilson from the 4-shaft sampler.
See
Issue #21 for pointers. |
 This
is a pillow top I wove several years ago; it was one of my first
attempts at using several colors in pattern weaving. You can see
that the method I used is a "cheap" way of doing it. I soon found
out it is far more effective to blend as in the Flourishing Wave
wallhanging below. However, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
We often learn more from "mistakes" than when things turn out exactly as
planned. And, there was enough hand dyed, value graded yarns left
from this project to contribute to the project below.
The warp and tabby is 10/2 perle cotton in
solid moss green. The pattern wefts are 5/2 hand dyed value-graded perle cotton in
4 values of plum. From the right side of the picture, I threaded
the left side of the blooming leaf twice and then threaded the right
side of the leaf twice and treadled as written. I used the same
reversal in threading in the star ornament below in order to accent the
star. It is fun to move motifs around or thread and treadle a
sample with at least repeats in order to see what goes on between the
motifs. Then, enlarge or miniaturize or try different treadlings.
If miniaturizing, pay close attention to blocks you reduce so as not to
compromise the integrity of the design. |
Flourishing Wave threading/tromp as writ treadling - Warp and tabby is 10/2 perle cotton in value-graded commercially-dyed
blacks and grays. This was the second in a series so, therefore,
squared. The pattern wefts are 5/2 hand dyed value-graded perle cotton in
2 hues, 4 values each. The interesting thing about it that does not show
up too well in the picture is that I began warping on the far left in black and
moved all the way to silver on the right and the same with tabby. The
value-graded pattern wefts move from dark at the bottom to light at the top so
that the bottom left corner is the darker, more intense corner and the top right
is the lighter, less intense corner. |
This is a Lee's Surrender runner that is on the gallery page. Warp
and tabby are 10/2 perle cotton. Pattern weft is wool. This,
too, is tromp as writ but very traditional. I think these first
two show the wide range of overshot just in tromp as writ, 4-shaft. |
The picture of "Orange Blossom Special" is a little distorted as it was
taken from a slide. This is another tromp as writ treadling woven on a Wahoo Blossom
threading. The warp and tabby are an olive drab 10/2 perle cotton with 8
or 9 colors of 5/2 perle cotton as pattern weft. As you can tell, the
pattern is not squared but it does not necessarily have to be in contemporary
overshot weaving. |
White House Blue Room Christmas tree ornament, 1999 - This was cut from
the center of 4 intersecting leaf motifs for each side, then sewn and
stuffed with hand twisted cord. 20/2 perle cotton warp and tabby and 10/2 perle
cotton pattern weft. |
Wheel of Fortune runner - This was woven for Carrie Ledlow's future bridal table. She is 7
years old. 20/2 perle cotton warp and tabby/linen pattern weft. |
Crackle Shawl - This was threaded in a Crackle/pointed twill fashion and
woven off tromp as writ. The warp and pattern weft are black 8/2
tencel® with alternating tabbies of red purple and ruby 8/2 tencel®.
The interesting thing about it that doesn't show up in the picture is
that the pattern blocks appear to be navy and the shawl is iridescent;
depending on the direction it is seen, it will appear to be red purple,
navy, black or ruby. It originally was going to be a Crackle beach
towel woven off with hand painted cotton chenille and became a shawl on
the loom. <g> |
Summer and Winter runner - This is a runner I wove several years ago and
in a private collection. The structure is summer and winter with
blocks of different sizes both in warp and weft. The warp and
tabby are black silk noil.
The weft is hand dyed, space-dyed silk bombyx. |
This is an inlaid overshot serviette woven by Tamar Duke-Cohan, my overshot mentee
of whom I am very proud. <g> Inlaying a pattern is definitely not
instant gratification! Great job, Tamar! |
Treadling Options
A good
exercise and future reference can be had by simply weaving a long
sampler on any threading. My background is in overshot and for
that reason I refer to it often in the treadling options shown in these
newsletters. However, don't stop there! Try them with any
threading including twill and crackle as they are close family members
of overshot.
The purpose of
the exercise is not only to find out what treadlings you like but also
the ones that work and the ones that won't for the threading you are
using. Make careful notes including tagging the corresponding
treadlings. You will go back to your sample time and time again.
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All content within
this website is the property of Don and Margaret Pittman and
may not be duplicated in any part without express
permission. Copyright © 1998-2010.
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| Need
assistance or have comments? I am always happy to hear from
you. I hope you enjoy your visit and will let me know if I may
assist you in any way. It is my pleasure to serve you.
Margaret
Pittman, Heritage Yarns, 5875 Baxter Dr., Jackson, MS
39211-3317
Email:
Margaret@heritageyarns.com
- Phone: (601) 956-1478 |
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