onward :-)

now that the larger of the details of cabin operations have been worked out,  it feels like we're getting back to the basics of why we are there...our real mission.     without the stress of having to make sure we have enough product and enough variety of product, we can get back to the business of just demonstrating (and enjoying) weaving.   we can focus on working on projects we love rather than worrying about whether it appeals to customers.          :-)

so here is a little of what's going on at the cabin right now:

warp for a set of tea towels in a huck lace pattern.   the color as seen on the warping reel is more accurate.

 warp for a rug, ready for a new volunteer to start weaving.  :-)

 another huck lace project being threaded.     sounds like huck lace is the weave structure of the moment :-)

barn loom

for the last several decades there has been a barn loom (c. 1850) in the Ziegler cabin on main street in harmony.    this cabin is generally only open during special events, and while there was a warp on the loom (with one finished rag rug wound onto the cloth beam and a second in process), no weaving had been done in 20 years or more.

several museum volunteers are in the process of renovating the 'decor' in the cabin, with the goal of making it more 'period correct' to the timeline of this particular dwelling.   they have decided that the loom doesn't fit into their vision.      there has been discussion regarding where this loom should go, and the hope was that it could be moved to the weaver's cabin.     unfortunatly there is no room on the first floor,  and we feared that the floor of the second floor might not be able to support the weight of this heavy loom.     it was finally decided to clean out the basement (which has been used for storage) and put the loom there.  

yesterday several of us embarked upon disassembly of this old beauty, and moved parts of it to the cabin.   the larger, more cumbersome parts will be moved by other volunteers.

looms of this type are called 'barn looms' because they are built using similar construction techniques to what would have been used to build barns during this time period.    often built by husbands, brothers or sweethearts of the intended weaver, the mortise and tenon joints are secured with removable pegs and wedges, allowing the loom to be easily disassembled for storage when not in use.  since space would have been at a premium in those days,   and household weaving was often done in a spurt rather than throughout the year, it was good to be able to take the loom apart and store the pieces flat when not in use.

i took a few pictures, pre-disassembly, for reference. in this one you can see the simple counterbalance mechanism.   this loom has 2 shafts and 2 treadles,  allowing for weaving of tabby (plain weave) cloth.   it would be relatively simple to add more shafts and more treadles if we want to do more complicated weaving.     the rope draped across the upper side controls the simple brake mechanism.

here we can see the warp beam with 20+ year old rug warp still in place.

close up of the brake mechanism on the warp beam (back of the loom.
also visibile is the hanging beater, complete with antique wooden reed.

slightly better view of the brake release.

view from the back, after removal of the warp, and hanging beater.

the plan is to clean her up, get her into good working order,  and weave on her.    when in use, the basement will be open to the public (when volunteers are availble).

my plan is to photograph the restoration process and post progress here.

more overshot :-)

gorgeous white on white with a little sparkle.....

red and green for the holidays,  also with a little sparkle...

another finished table runner/dresser scarf.   :-)

Weaving Overshot

Overshot is a weave structure which may date back to ancient Persia, although there isn't a lot of documentation pointing to its origins.   It earned it's place in history early in colonial America, though, when it became fashionable for coverlets (also known as coverlids) which were used as a combination blanket and beadspread.   The weaving of overshot coverlets remained popular through the 18th and 19th centuries, with various patterns being popular in various parts of this country.   After the advent of the Jaquard loom, more complicated patterns, often depicting floral motifs or eagles, gained in popularity,  but the simpler overshot patterns which could be produced at home on a 4 shaft loom remained popular among home weavers,  particularly in Appalachia. 

Overshot is a weave structure consisting of a pattern yarn which skips (overshoots) designated warp threads to create various designs.   Between each row of pattern yarn there is a thinner 'tabby' yarn which is woven in tabby (plain weave--over one warp thread and under the next) which holds the pattern threads in place.  Traditionally, the tabby ground would be woven of handspun linen, or later in mill spun cotton once it became easily available,  in it's natural color or bleached white.   The pattern yarn was usually wool,  most often hand spun and dyed.    Most often the pattern yarn was dyed with natural dyes--dark blue from indigo or logwood,  red from madder or cochineal, or brown from walnut hulls being most common.

I became interested in traditional overshot patterns when i was learning to weave in the late 1970's.  Recently several other volunteers here at the cabin became interested as well.   There is currently a flurry of overshot weaving going on in a variety of patterns and materials--from more traditional materials and colors to easy care modern acrylics in decorator and even holiday colors.   :-)  We are weaving smaller projects than coverlets, though.  Most of our recent overshot projects have been intended as table runners or dresser scarves,  and there has been discussion of shawls, scarves and bags as well.    Stop by and see what we're up to.   :-)

a little help from my friends....

an extra hand while threading the heddles is a very good thing :-)