Tag: Kate Kilgus

Overshot weaving

Self-drafted 8 shaft overshot cloth

by Kate Kilgus2 Comments on Self-drafted 8 shaft overshot cloth

Hello, friends. The summer and winter placemats are finished and some have headed out to my family for Christmas.  I liked the “heft” of the cloth, which is important for well-behaved placemats. So, we’re moving right along in the weaving queue!

I hope to submit at least one piece to the “Living with Craft” exhibition which is held during the League of NH Craftsmen Annual Summer Fair. (See more about the Summer Fair here). I’ve been tinkering with several different self-drafted overshot designs and finally settled on one:

Minuet draft version 1.JPG
Part of my new overshot draft

I designed this pattern with the help of FibreWorks weaving software. I’ve been using FibreWorks for several years now but, because I am a slow learner, am just now starting to appreciate the features of this weaving program. I like the different color palettes that are available. For reasonably complex designs such as the one above, it is lovely to see the results of a new tie-up plan with just a few clicks. If you’re interested in perusing the program, do head over to their site. The FiberWorks folks  were most accommodating when it came time for me to reinstall the program on a new laptop. Check them out!

After correcting a couple of threading errors and having words with a broken floating selvedge thread, I started to weave the overshot pattern. I’m using ivory 10/2 mercerized cotton in the warp and tabby weft and 5/2 mercerized cotton in mineral blue, single thickness, for the pattern weft. I typically use a thicker cotton for pattern wefts in overshot, but I really was going for a finer, lighter cloth here. I experimented with the 3/2 cotton during sampling and I found that the thicker yarn tended to yield a less defined design. Here is a photo of the first five inches or so:

Minuet in mineral blue border
Weaving the border

This photo doesn’t do the best job of capturing the mineral blue color very well. If the good people of New Hampshire are provided with a day that affords more light, I will reattempt the pictures. This project will be in the works for some time so hopefully there will be a break in the clouds so that I can get a decent photo. As with all overshot cloth, the weaving is slow-going but the results are usually worth the effort.

Weave on, friends and be well,

Kate K.

 

 

 

 

 

Projects

Orange Peel Overshot Draft

by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment on Orange Peel Overshot Draft
Orange Peel Overshot Draft

Hello, friends. I have really enjoyed watching the “orange peel” overshot design take shape on the loom this week. A four shaft design, this pattern entails a lengthy pattern repeat and threading sequence. However, I’ve found that taking the pattern in increments and limiting distractions at the loom (true confession: trying to weave this pattern while listening to Philip Glass at the same time was a pretty feeble idea) will allow you to generate a very special piece for your home or for a friend. Patience is key. (But if you’re a weaver, you already know that).

 

Rust orange peel
(Burnt) orange orange peels

 

A few disclaimers: a basic understanding of how overshot works is required. For example, I did not include all of the tabby picks that are required throughout the cloth. You’ll need to remember to tie up your loom for tabby as well, as only the overshot tie up is included in my draft.

Basic set up: I used 10/2 mercerized cotton sett at 20 ends per inch (threads are doubled in a 10 dent reed).  The width in the reed is 14.5″. I used floating selvedges on each side of the warp. I used the same 10/2 cotton for the ground/tabby weft and 3/2 mercerized cotton for the pattern weft.  You can select different yarns but your sett may be different. I weave a 2″ tabby border for hems with the 10/2 cotton before proceeding with the pattern, but you can plan to finish your cloth in a manner that suits you (i.e. hemstitching).

Here is the Google Drive link for the image of the draft. You should be able to see the threading, tie-up, and at least one full repeat of the border and the orange peel motif:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kg2i-RcgbSRSZWLcAWvifqU_VLtRzt19/view?usp=sharing

The page will look something like this but you’ll be able (fingers crossed, I’m no computer whiz) to download the Google Drive file, which is a .png file:

Orange Peel Draft Dec 1 2017.png

 

Repeat the orange peel motif to your heart’s content. The border is a simple point twill design; you can lengthen, shorten, or omit to suit your preferences.

Please feel free to issue comments, questions, or corrections here or via my contact page. Happy weaving, friends.

 

 

Fine Craft Shows

Codman Estate Fine Craft Show 2017

by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment on Codman Estate Fine Craft Show 2017

September is right around the corner and I am gearing up for the Codman Estate Fine Art & Crafts Festival on September 9, 2017 in Lincoln, MA. Codman Estate is part of the Historic New England collection of homes. Here is a photo:

 

Codman Estate
Codman Estate, Lincoln, MA

I plan to have autumn-inspired kitchen textiles available in my booth (I’m in booth 4), table runners, and a few scarves. Here is a photo of one of the towels I’m working on for the show:

 

Autumn towels on loom
Autumn inspired kitchen towel

I’m working hard to get this new website working! So far I am a pleased with the features that are available to me and the ease of use.

Thanks for stopping in!

Be well,

Kate K.