Overshot Simply: Understanding the Weave Structure 38 Projects to Practice Your Skills

By Susan Kesler-Simpson

Overshot is perhaps the most iconic weaving technique--think antique coverlets and fancy table runners--yet many weavers are intimidated by its complex-looking structure. But it doesn't have to be difficult! In this book, Susan Kesler-Simpson makes overshot approachable by breaking it down piece by piece so that the weaver understand how it works, and then she puts it all back together so that weavers will have the confidence to make their own overshot patterns or to try any of the 38 overshot projects she has designed for the book.

Weavers will learn:

• to understand overshot as a derivative of twill
• to understand the tie-up, placement of tabby in the tie-up, threading, and treadling
• how to choose threads for overshot
• how to use borders in your designs
• how to set up the loom for overshot
• how to work an overshot gamp

Projects include:

• Blankets
• Shawls
• Scarves
• Christmas ornaments
• Table runners
• Placemats
• Napkins
• Others

"Susan’s explanations are to the point and easy to understand. When you read through the chapters, it’s as if Susan is sitting there with you, telling you in a friendly voice how to weave overshot step by step."--excerpt from the Foreword by Tom Knisely

• Language: English
• Publisher: RowmanLittlefield
• Release date: Aug 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9780811767996

Susan Kesler-Simpson

Susan Kesler-Simpson is passionate about fiber arts and breaking down weaving techniques so that even beginners can learn the basic concepts. She has a B.S. and M.A. in Clothing, Textiles, and Design from the University of Nebraska, and enjoys teaching weaving and working in other crafts such as knitting, spinning, and crocheting.

Book preview

overshot

SIMPLY

UNDERSTANDING THE WEAVE STRUCTURE

38 Projects to Practice Your Skills

SUSAN KESLER-SIMPSON

STACKPOLE

BOOKS

Guilford, Connecticut

Thank you to Tom Knisely for his encouragement to write the book, to my husband Dave for his support and patience, and to Francie Appleman (my crazy friend) who spent a lot of time giving this book a thorough technical review.

Stackpole Books

An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.,

4501 Forbes Blvd., Ste. 200, Lanham, MD 20706

Distributed by

NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

800-462-6420

Copyright © 2018 by Rowman & Littlefield

Photography by Kathleen Eckhaus and Susan Kesler-Simpson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

The contents of this book are for personal use only. Patterns contained herein may be reproduced in limited quantities for such use. Any large-scale commercial reproduction is prohibited without the written consent of the publisher.

We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of these instructions. We cannot, however, be responsible for human error, typographical mistakes, or variations in individual work.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

ISBN 978-0-8117-1678-9 (paperback)

ISBN 978-0-8117-6799-6 (e-book)

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences–Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

CONTENTS

Foreword by Tom Knisely

Introduction

1Overshot Weave Structure

2Creating an Overshot Pattern from a Twill Pattern

3Borders

4Changing Treadling to Change Pattern

5Making an Overshot Gamp

6Setting Up the Loom

7Treadling

8Bits and Pieces

Projects

All Trimmed Out!

Artemis Dog Coat

Autumn Leaves Table Runner

Baby Blues Blanket

Belts: Denim Blue and Sassy Brown

Checkerboard Table Runner

Christmas Ornaments or Coasters

Echo Scarf and Rainbow Vestment

Elegance Tablecloth

Evergreen Table Runner

Inchworm Scarf

Fiesta Scarf

A Touch of Green Cape

Garden Lights Place Mat and Napkins

Ghost Eyes Table Runner

Cotton Candy Scarf

Nature Speaks Scarf

Irish Pathways Ruana

I’ve Got the Blues Wrap

Mardi Gras Table Runner

Merry Christmas Runner

Overshot Rug

Pillows

Pink-a-licious Blanket

Prayer Shawl

Pretty in Pink Dress

Purple Passion Throw

Rose Path Shawl

Whig Rose Shawlette

Snakeskin Scarf

Winter Snowflakes Shawl

Springtime Place Mats

Starburst Scarves and Pouch

Stars and Stripes Table Runner

Summertime Table Runner

Wonderful Windows

Xs and Os Scarves

Resources

FOREWORD

On a cold January morning last year, I was taking the train to New York to do a lecture on rug weaving. I figured this would be the perfect time to sit back and read Susan’s manuscript. She had given it to me a few days before and asked me to go through it and give her my opinion. As I sat back in my seat and started to read, I couldn’t get over how clear and straightforward her explanations were. Like any good author, Susan has given you the background of overshot and how it has evolved out of simple twills to become the king of weave structures. Susan’s explanations are to the point and easy to understand. When you read through the chapters, it’s as if Susan is sitting there with you, telling you in a friendly voice how to weave overshot step by step. I was glad to see Susan covers thread sizes and choices for the projects that you want to weave. There are suggestions on how to tie up your loom’s treadles to make the weaving go more smoothly. Susan covers the little things, as any good teacher should, to make readers more confident, especially if they may be weaving overshot for the first time. Even if you are a veteran to weaving overshot, you will gain a lot of good information from this book.

I was so glad to see that Susan’s vision for overshot has taken her beyond the coverlet. As you go through the pages of projects, it helps you to see that this is a marvelous way to weave patterned fabric and that these fabrics have many more applications than you might have thought. Susan has used her background in fashion design and tailoring to bring us project ideas that are fresh and new. Bravo! I have to tell you that I was touched when Susan offered to weave a liturgical stole for my daughter Hannah. She recently became ordained, and Susan wove an original overshot pattern for the stole of her own design.

As one of her teachers, I am thrilled to see how Susan has taken her passion for overshot to such levels. I only planted the seed. It takes nurturing and the love of the subject to create a book of this caliber.

Congratulations, Susan, for all your hard work. I am so proud of you for taking on this project, and the weaving world will come to thank you also.

Tom Knisely

INTRODUCTION

When I began to weave, I was immediately drawn to the overshot weave structure. The complexity of the designs fascinated me. And as someone who was drawn to antiques, I had seen many

Reviews for Overshot Simply

[fiberguildreno · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Overshot is one of the first weave structures that new weavers try. One of the reasons for this is that it gives you a lot of “bang for your buck”. You can weave some amazing designs on just four shafts and there is an incredible number of ways to create great cloth with this versatile structure. This is a relatively new book about overshot and it offers a lot for beginning and advanced weavers. It starts at the beginning by giving you a taste of some of the terminology and then examples of placement of tabby treadles (important when you are using a tabby every other pick). The book goes on to show you how to create an overshot pattern from a twill pattern which immediately gets you into the realm of adapting new overshot patterns from other sources. There are also important instructions on balancing a pattern and creating borders, changing the treadling to create a new pattern and instructions on weaving an overshot gamp.Once you have gotten through the theory, Susan shows you how to set up your loom along with tips about how to keep track of the threading.and treadling sequences for your particular design.At that point, the book moves into projects – and there are 38 of them in this wonderful book. They range from table runners, shawls and scarves, baby blankets to some clothing including a dog jacket.Some of the patterns look quite traditional, while others have a very contemporary look. I only find one draft that uses eight shafts. All the rest can be woven on a four shaft loom.The book is lovely. Filled with color illustrations, great quality paper and a pleasant feel to the cover. Check it out – take a look. I think you will find something that interests you.