Overshot weaving is a fascinating way to create a wide variety of patterns in your handwoven cloth. Historically used for coverlets, today you can find beautiful overshot patterning in a variety of pillow designs, upholstery, scarves, and much more. This “block weave” weave structure utilizes two different weft yarns — one creating the plain (tabby) cloth background, and the second creating a block design pattern floating above the plain cloth. At Felicia Lo’s new weaving course series, Weaving Overshot on 4-Shafts, you will learn the basics of overshot while weaving a small sampler project to practice your new skills!
ABOUT OVERSHOT WEAVING
Weaving overshot is a supplementary weft block weave structure. This is just a fancy way of saying that the supplementary weft pattern threads create blocks of design within a foundation of plain weave ground cloth. If we were to remove all the weft pattern threads, we would be left with a solid, plain weave piece of fabric. For the three weave structures classified as supplementary weft block weaves — Overshot, Crackle, and Summer & Winter — they are all similar in that they are all considered compound weaves with supplementary wefts.
A block weave is one where the same warp and weft threads can produce two different-looking interlacements; one that we call the pattern and one that we call the background. “Blocks” reference the visual design of a cloth. An example of a simple two-block design is a checkerboard, but those blocks could easily be elongated or expanded while retaining the two-block design. Increasing the number of blocks in a design will offer more design possibilities and also increase complexity. Blocks are a design tool for creating figures or pattern on a background.
The primary goal in Felicia’s course is to help you learn and understand the theory for these block weave structures: how does it work, how is it threaded, and how is it woven. The course explores the variables that affect the results. Such as changing weft yarns and treadling sequences, you can create completely different-looking results on the same warp and threading. It also helps provide an overview of the history and cultural significance of these weave structures. We look at how modern weavers are evolving these weave structures. The hope is that you can use these weave structures to then create your own design.
OVERSHOT SAMPLER PATTERN
Before starting with weaving the Overshot Sampler, we encourage you to have a foundational understanding of weaving with multi-shaft looms. If you’re new to weaving, or need a refresher, we recommend you work through Multi-Shaft Weaving Basics, Weaving Twills on 4-Shafts, and The Intentional Weaver to help prepare.
To weave the Overshot Sampler Pattern, you will need the pattern and pages 13-16 in the course workbook. These files are available for download by All-Access members of the School of SweetGeorgia. The materials for this project can be found listed below in the Overshot Sampler project notes. Using Ashford 10/2 Mercerized Cotton, these supplies are available at SweetGeorgia Yarns.
To delve into overshot weaving and treadling variations, Felicia selected the “Small Single Snowball” threading. This is detailed on page 16 of Miss Josephine E. Estes’ Original Miniature Patterns for Hand Weaving: Part II. There are many threading drafts in her collection that you can use as a sampler instead of the draft here. You can also modify the sampler pattern to make other types of textiles such as table runners, pillow tops, placemats, or even kitchen towels. Expand your weaving journey with these new techniques and patterning!
Explore our online courses and community of fibre arts makers at the School of SweetGeorgia! Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!
Overshot Weaving Sampler
Equipment
- 1 4-shaft loom with minimum 12" / 30 cm weaving width
- 1 10-dent reed sleyed 2 per dent
- 2 boat or stick shuttles
- 1 reed hook
Materials
- 1 cone Ashford 10/2 Mercerized Cotton in Fog 803
- 1 cone Ashford 5/2 Mercerized Cotton in Dazzling Blue 146
- 1 cone Ashford 5/2 Mercerized Cotton in Green Glow 152
- 1 cone Ashford 5/2 Mercerized Cotton in Radiant Orchid 156
- 1 cone Ashford 5/2 Mercerized Cotton in Scuba Blue 144
Instructions
- The Overshot Sampler Pattern is featured in Felicia's Weaving Overshot on 4-Shafts course. To weave the sampler, you will need both the pattern plus pages 13-16 in the course workbook.
- Wind a 2.7 yd / 2.5 m warp with the warp yarn using a warping board or mill. Using your preferred method, dress the loom following the threading draft, including a floating selvedge thread at each edge of the warp.
- Tie or lash the warp ends onto the front apron rod.
- Wind bobbins for the ground weft and pattern weft yards. Weave a plain weave header to spread the warp. Check carefully at this stage for any threading errors.
- Follow the pattern instructions for weaving the "Star" sample. Continue weaving in overshot, completing full repeats of the pattern, until sample measures approximately 6 1 /2" / 16.5 cm on the loom from the hemstitching. Notice how the "stars" are a little squashed looking here. Adjust your beat until you get a nice 45 degree angle to your star motifs.
- Weave with the border B pattern, continuing to alternate between pattern weft and tabby weft. Finish with about 1 /2"/ 1.3 cm of plain weave in ground weft.
- Follow the "rose fashion" overshot treadling pattern to weave the Rose Fashion sample. Weave 1 /2"/ 1.3 cm of plain weave in ground weft between each variation.Notice how each set of circle motifs changes from ovals (at the bottom) to circles (at the top). I adjusted my beat until I could weave nice, round looking circles.
- Follow pages 14 to 16 of the Weaving Overshot on 4-Shafts workbook to weave the other variations.
- Finish the sampler by weaving 1 /2" / 1.3cm of plain weave for the hem. Hem stitch in groups of four warp ends (last group will have five warp ends) for the end of the sampler. Remove the fabric from the loom.
- Wet-finish the sampler, giving the sampler a hard press with an iron, then laying flat to dry completely. See Laura Fry's SOS course Magic in the Water for fabulous tips and information on wet finishing handwoven fabric.
- Trim fringe to 1" / 2.5 cm at each end of the sampler. Enjoy!
Notes
Link to Pattern
Link to pattern
