New Hampshire – Kate Kilgus

“Truffula Trees” and “Cityscape” weaving

March 19, 2018by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment

The “Truffula Trees” placemats are finished and I’m pleased with the results. A set of four mats will be my entry into the next League of NH Craftsmen exhibition, “Fairytales and Fantasies,” which opens April 6, 2018 in Concord, NH. In case you’re not familiar with “Truffula Trees,” I encourage you to read “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss! It is a wonderful contemporary fairy tale and has a message that is relevant for our times.

The mats feature hemstitching so that the mats are reversible. (I like both sides!) I used 5/2 mercerized cotton in the warp, as the tabby weft, and also as the pattern weft (used doubled). The mats are machine washable in a gentle cycle.

The following mats, named “Cityscape” thanks to our son, Andrew, are a variation of the same threading. Andrew noted that the interlacements reminded him of the bricks on Bay State Road in Boston, where he is a university student:

“Cityscape” placemats in turquoise and purple

I liked these mats so much that I decided to keep two for our table! They pair nicely with our Fiestaware dishes.

The placemats are so much fun to make (and feel so substantial!) that I have decided to see how a more traditional design would look and feel. These mats (and possibly companion table runners) feature overshot weaving:

The color in the chart is a little underwhelming (I was trying to conserve printer ink by using a muted shade). It will be interesting to see how these go together.

That’s all for now, friends. Happy weaving to you!

Be well,

Kate K.

Overshot weaving

“Gavotte” overshot is on the loom

February 16, 2018by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment

The loom is dressed with a new warp this week, a self-drafted overshot design using four shafts. It is always fun to see how one’s sketch (or in my case, computer draft) translates into cloth.

After sampling several inches of fabric, I decided to double up on pattern weft picks to give the pattern a little more definition. While this approach elongates the pattern somewhat, I am not displeased with the results.

I’m planning table runners with this pattern and started a second variation in a lovely moss green this morning:

One would think that after all of the overshot weaving I’ve done over the years that I would remember how important it is to remain focused while treadling! I ended up cutting out about 6 inches of overshot fabric, which was no party, especially given the fine 10/2 mercerized cotton that I used for the tabby weft and the warp. I will venture to limit distractions the next time I am working at the loom. Maybe weaving to the “Wonder Woman” soundtrack wasn’t such a good idea. (It is a great soundtrack, though, especially if you need a pick-me-up).

It is fair application season for summer and fall 2018! I’ve submitted my work for consideration at Codman Estate (Lincoln, MA) and Roseland Cottage (Woodstock, CT), which are both Historic New England venues. Right now I am committed to the 2018 League of NH Craftsmen Summer Fair at Mt. Sunapee and will even have the same booth assignment as last year! This takes place in August. Stay tuned!

My shop will enjoy a brief hiatus as I take a family trip to visit my parents to celebrate a very special birthday.

Happy weaving, friends and be well.

Kate K.

Overshot weaving

A new overshot design

February 6, 2018by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment

Hello, friends. While I’ve enjoyed weaving my “teeming with twills” kitchen towels (you can read more about those here or check out recent photos on my Instagram page), I am ready to see how my latest overshot pattern design is going to shape up on the loom. This is a four harness pattern and I hope to weave several centerpiece sized table runners with this cloth. I’m going to call this pattern “Gavotte,” in keeping with the musical theme that I started with “Minuet,” which was an 8 shaft overshot pattern.

I chose “Gavotte” as a name because this dance is usually performed to music written in common time (4/4 meter) and features steps in which the foot is raised, not “slid.” As weavers know all too well, we lift our feet all of the time while treadling! So with the four shaft design mirroring the 4/4 meter and all of the foot raising that is going to go on whilst treadling this pattern, I thought “Gavotte” seemed appropriate.

Do check in as I work on “Gavotte” after my last run of “teeming with twills” towels, which will feature a nice lipstick red as the main color and unbleached cotton as the secondary color. I’m thinking the first “Gavotte” will be ivory and black.

(In case you’re wondering, I do take inspiration from music while designing my cloth. As a classically trained cellist, I frequently return to the Bach Suites for Unaccompanied Cello when I get the itch to sketch.)

Snow is coming tomorrow, with another 8-12″ expected, so I am planning on spending lots of time with the loom. Thanks for stopping in.

Be well,

Kate K.

Overshot weaving

Minuet in B(lack)

January 11, 2018January 17, 2018by Kate Kilgus2 Comments

Hello, friends. I’ve finished weaving the eight shaft overshot table runners (see my earlier post about this cloth here) and am quite satisfied with the results. I made three runners, one each in black, garnet, and mineral blue. Here is the black one:

After some consideration and research, I decided to call this design “Minuet.” A traditional minuet is a slow, graceful dance in 3/4 time. I tried to capture the element of “three” in this piece, and I also attempted to suggest a sense of movement in the pattern. Here is a close-up of the “Minuet” in mineral blue that is finished with the opposite side facing up:

Mineral blue minuet.jpg — Mineral blue and ivory (and my Norwegian Elkhound, Kari)

The garnet runner will be finished up today. I plan to submit this design for possible inclusion to the “Living With Craft” exhibition for the League of NH Craftsmen Summer Fair, 2018. Fingers crossed!

My newest project: kitchen towels in straight and point twills. Here is a photo of the cloth on the loom in spring green, natural, and royal blue cottons:

It has been fun to brainstorm about different color combinations for this design. I will share more details about this item as the cloth progresses!

Many thanks for stopping by!

Be well,

Kate K.

Overshot weaving

Self-drafted 8 shaft overshot cloth

December 19, 2017by Kate Kilgus2 Comments

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

December 1, 2017January 17, 2018by Kate KilgusLeave a Comment

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:

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.

Overshot weaving

Overshot orange peels

November 28, 2017January 17, 2018by Kate Kilgus2 Comments

I’m weaving overshot (yes, again) this week and I am smitten with this draft:

The center motif is taken from Josephine Estes’ esteemed publication, “Original Miniature Patterns for Hand Weaving.” I’m using 10/2 mercerized cotton for the warp and ground/tabby yarns and 3/2 mercerized cotton for the pattern weft. I sett the warp at 20 ends per inch. I have a relatively light beat in general but I anticipate some shrinkage after the cloth is removed from the loom. Here is the same pattern using a black mercerized pattern weft yarn:

I’m actually submitting this black and white piece for a winter exhibition with the League of NH Craftsmen (Concord, NH), which will open in January.

Some of my Instagram followers have asked me about the complexity of the pattern. While it is only a four shaft design, the trick of it has to do with the length of the pattern repeat in both the threading and the treadling. If you’re going to attempt this pattern, I suggest having a multitude of sticky notes at the ready! After a few repeats, though, one becomes familiar with how the pattern sculpts itself into the cloth.

If you’re interested in seeing the draft, which I plugged into my weaving software program and set up for my jack loom (Leclerc Nilus II), please include a comment below. I’ll see if I can’t figure out how to upload the draft via Google Drive and will share my take on this lovely, traditional overshot design in a future post.

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Happy weaving!

Tag: New Hampshire

“Truffula Trees” and “Cityscape” weaving

“Gavotte” overshot is on the loom

A new overshot design

Minuet in B(lack)

Self-drafted 8 shaft overshot cloth

Orange Peel Overshot Draft

Overshot orange peels

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