Brandaen Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Ok ... Here's one for the group : This is a draft from Bertha Gray Hayes from a book by Gretchen White. The pattern is used with permission by moderators and drafts cannot be copywritten so my use is strictly for artistic endeavour. How do we go about reducing the draft to create it in miniature and what threads/ yarns do we use I can also explain how to read this hidge podge if anyone is interested. Or Bonni Backe can do it for sure ! Btw : these are all overshot patterns and are made on a 4 shaft loom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Hmmmm.... I am looking forward to this conversation....I wasn't planning to reduce the draft. I was planning to experiment by reducing the fibers. I thought the pattern would be the pattern, and it is miniaturized by reducing the fiber. I frequently wish for that super power to shrink things, and also the super power to make my work area neat. Tamra/Indiana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonni.b Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Great choice for beginning this discussion, Brandaen. For my overshot coverlets, I use 160/2 silk for the warp and tabby and 2/48 wool for the pattern. Sometimes I use 2/40 wool, and it's negligibly thicker. It's really critical to use wool if possible, for the pattern weft, nothing else compresses so nicely and blooms where it floats across the surface. (Float is a weaving term, meaning the weft or warp isn't woven into the web for a distance. Instead, it's floating above the surface of the fabric.) The term overshot is derived from the fact that the pattern weft "shoots" over the ground tabby. If you were crazy enough to mutilate an overshot coverlet and pull out all the pattern weft, you'd be left with a plain weave, or tabby, ground. So in addition to the treadling on the right side of the draft, you would alternate picks of tabby, usually with the same yarn as the warp. A short rant about overshot in miniature: what bugs me about weavers who use these small overshot patterns for rugs is that the solid square in the pattern above is all floats. If the weaver is using 20/2 cotton at 24 epi, say, that block is floating 9 ends, which makes it about 1/4", or 3" in a full sized rug. That's what quilters call a "toe catcher", if ever I saw one. No full sized rug has 3" floats, it would trap dirt besides the owner's toes and would look silly. So don't use overshot for rugs, please. Look into Summer and Winter, which has nice block patterns on 4 shafts and no huge floats. End of rant. My preferred sett for 160/2 silk, or 60/2 cotton, which is darned close in grist (thickness of yarn) is 51. I use a #17 reed at 3 per dent to get it. If you're using 60/2, you could probably go to a #16 reed at 3 per dent, but the fewer the epi, the bigger the pattern. This pattern has a 24 end repeat, which is to say if you look at it, the threading does the same thing on the 25th end as it did on the first. If you figure the width in the reed is 8", to finish at 7-1/4" after wet finishing, depending on the wool used, that makes somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 ends. But while overshot alternates odd and even shafts, it rarely uses the same number of heddles on each shaft. This pattern uses 4 on shaft 1 and 4, but 8 on shaft 2 and 3. Using the original threading, it divides into 408 exactly 17 times. So you either split the first block on either side, or add another big square to the other side and start with it on the first side, instead of the small square that's all floats. Which is 15 ends. I'm of the opinion that smaller is better in miniature, so let's reduce the size of the repeat. Here's what I'd do to reduce the scale of the pattern. Now the repeat is 18 ends, and it starts with and ends with the big, well-interlaced block. Does this make any sense at all?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonni.b Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 By the way, I created this weave draft using PCWeave software. I held off buying a Mac for years because I depend on this software, but they've finally come out with a Mac version. The PC version is much better, and I run that on the Mac for serious designing using Parallels in PC mode. There is cheap to free weave drafting software out there, but I needed one that had a loom driver for my AVL loom. It only has 2 treadles with a computer interface - virtually no treadle limitations and 16 shafts. And still I yearn for 24.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElgaKoster Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Not being a weaver most of the terminology is Greek to me, but as a needlepointer that uses graphs too, I can see how Bonni reduced the pattern for miniature use while keeping the essence of the design. I would love to try weaving one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandaen Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Thank you very much Bonni for fixing the image so that it was facing the right way . Thank you for the reduction ! It's wonderful but it is adventurous ;-) . Using a free software ... Would it help to translate down a draft to use ? 60/2 cotton has been easier for me to find than the silk but if anyone sees a cheap place let me know . I think I'll go to the chandler book and discuss a twill rug pattern next ... I think coverlets , at the moment is a tad too adventurous for me . But I do LOVE this design . Floor loom is calling me Bonni ;-) I will give her another shot esp with this design . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonni.b Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 No software that I know of will reduce a draft on its own, sorry. It's mostly a matter of learning the basics of any given weave so you can fiddle with it without wrecking it. As Elsa could see, I removed one repeat from both of the blocks. It's still alternating odd and even shafts, critical for getting the ground tabby woven, and the threading combined with the treadling still makes the blocks happen. Later I'll play with alternate treadlings on this draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I loved the short rant. I will print it on an index card, and put it in each of my weaving books to remind me not to do this. After I learn what it is that I'm not supposed to do. I've only done a plain weave, this makes me laugh, that my knowledge is oh, so limited. OK, so the draft is miniaturized. If I ever get to Point B, weaving in miniature, I was planning to do my drafts in color with Excel or Lotus 1-2-3. Initially I am only planning to weave in 2 colors, though, so probably won't need it immediately. YLI and Superior Silk threads are available on Cones, I think in sewing weight this is size 100 thread. Size A, in antique Sewing threads, like Belding, Corticelli, etc, etc. The Gutterman silk threads at Joann Fabric, and online is 30 weight, is frequently on sale at 40-50% off, but very small spools, and just a portion of the color palette available. But you should be able to go to Joanne Fabric and look at the limited collection. Gutterman has a lot of silk in the 30 wt. but I'll have to research if it is available on cones. I learned about Gutterman from Sue R. The silk thread on cones is sold to the quilters with long-arm or machine quilting purposes. I have purchased YLI, Tire, Clover, and now Superior Threads for years for costuming and using in Petitpoint. The small spools for color selection are easily available to see in person at your local - privately owned - brick and mortar quilt store. But finding 1000 yard spools at the local quilt stores seems hit or miss in silk. Cotton, and poly/cotton blends are much easier to find in my local market on cones. www.redrockthreads.com (Nevada USA). I have no affiliation, except as a customer. I always try to support my local shops, and see if they have it and the price, though, as I adore my local quilt store's inventory. I paid approx. $15-$17 per skein for my merino wool, for real life project #2, so the silk on cones doesn't seem unreasonable to me. I can't wait to get to point B! Bonni, if you don't have anything to do, we need a Weaving in Miniature Book from you! Can I buy the first copy? Tamra/ Indiana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I'm doomed.... I only have 4 shafts and you want 24? uh oh. Tamra/Indiana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandaen Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 You are not doomed Tamra ! No worries take everything slow... I'm a beginner also. I just made my first warp not but a week ago and dressing the loom .....I discovered quite a mistake yesterday lol. I am going back to twills and I think that is more than enough for now! I know I don't want to be disheartened , so I'm going back to slow and steady wins the race . I know it's just great to hear from Bonni, someone who is so amazing at her craft ! I know she's busy .....but wouldnt a book be great lol ! Brandaen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonni.b Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 I'm actually considering offering classes on Craftsy, I have a friend who can produce quality videos, so we'll see. And if my day job goes off the tracks I'll have plenty of time to self-publish that book you're both waiting for! In the meantime, I've ordered 7 colors of 2/48 wool from Habu textiles, I'll let you know when I get them. At 747 yards per ounce, and a put-up of 1 oz tubes, these will go far as deco borders on my stair runners. Thanks to Sue Resseguie for her chart of knitting samples for jogging my memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandaen Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 Ohhhhhh LOVE that habu !!! Thanks for the lead ! Brandaen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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