A Few Small Repairs: Hemming the Red & White Cotton Coverlet

Remember this one from a few months ago?  The fringe was tangled and not wearing well, so today I decided to cut it off and hem it.  I don't feel bad for making such a change as I'm sure this is not an antique or even vintage coverlet.   

It's a definite improvement, and one I think will extend the life and utility of this summer coverlet.

 

More of that badly behaving fringe.  

It probably should have been twisted before washing and wet-finishing.

 

Here is the candy cane red and white cut off fringe in the garbage.  Good bye!

Virginia Beauty: Another Antique Woven Wool Coverlet

Yup!  Another antique wool coverlet.  ;-)  This pattern is called Virginia Beauty with a Pine Tree Border, and matches this one at The MET. 

This is a double weave, not overshot, and NOT something I'd be able to do on my 4-shaft loom. That means, it basically 2 layers of woven cloth joined where the colors switch sides.   You'd need more than 4-shafts to make one of these. 

 

This shot shows both the positive and negative sides, along with the pine tree border. 

 

 

 

Here's a detail shot of the pine tree border with fringe. 

It's quite heavy and sturdily built, as you would expect with a double weave coverlet. 

 

Here's a detail shot of the central motif, close enough so you can see the interplay of the threads.  This is a double weave, NOT overshot, so the threads are the same size.  Both blue and white threads are wool, so that's another way it differs from overshot.

 

 

 The center seam runs through the middle. This is the "cleaner" / tidier side.

Cranberry Coverlet: Whig Rose

Yup -- another antique Whig Rose wool coverlet.  I am in LOVE!   This one is said to be from the 1940s.   This one looks like it could be Goodwin Guild, although there's no tag on it.  It feels like the other ones. ;-)   I am fond of their coverlets from a certain era, because the wool is soft with a nice drape, they are not so old that you can still find them in mint condition, and I could actually use them on the bed.

 

The white and red sides with the border in between ...

It's large enough for a queen-size bed.  Mine is only a double, and it more than covers it, piled high with winter quilts underneath.

 Here's a shot showing both the red and white sides, along with the borders.   Lovely!

I absolutely LOVE this coverlet!

 

Here's a detail shot of the fibers and weave structure, where you can see the overshot red pattern threads along with the ivory warp and tabby threads that give it stability and structure. 

 The Whig Rose

 

Here's a detail shot of the rolled hems. 

 

 

 

Here it is folded into quarters.  It's big!

 

Here it is folded in half.

Even with the top turned down, there's still plenty left to cover the bed. 

 

 

 

 

From the seller's post on etsy: 

Vintage (40s) Woven Thin WOOL QUEEN Sized COVERLET / Very Good Condition / 102" x 162" / Red and Natural Tan Colors / Fab Retro Bedding!

$125.00

Vintage from the 1940s

Materials: Wool

Bed size: queen us

Width: 102 inches

Length: 162 inches

In a word - fabulous!

Found at a vintage Flea Market (and told that it's from the 1940s), this gorgeous Cranberry Red and Natural Tan Coloring Coverlet is woven from the finest Wool and features cool, geometric type patterns consisting of squares, circular and oblong designs. In very (very) good condition, with no rips, tears, stains, holes or discolorations - this one is a beauty!

Measures an impressive 162" in length and 102" in width. This is a thin wool blanket, but provides plenty of warmth for a comforting night's sleep. The absolutely perfect retro textile to finish off a Queen Sized Bed in style!

Unique and stunning - what more could you ask for in a vintage Coverlet?

Weaving Again! -- Diamond Twill

Diamond Twill in Blue and Green Wool

After more than 2 weeks of setting up the loom (I am dependent on weekends for winter daylight and days off around the holidays), I finally got the loom set up and ready to weave again!  If you want to weave, you have to make peace with the warping process -- It takes as long to set up a project as it does to weave it!

This is a project I was Planning a Diamond Twill back in January.  Today was the moment of truth where I finally moved beyond the multiple steps of threading, winding on, and fixing threading errors to the sheer satisfaction of weaving and seeing the pattern emerge as planned.

Eureka! and Woo-hooh!  It's working!

1 repeat of the treadle sequence makes 3-1/4 inches of fabric. 

I am using the larger bird's eye maple shuttle made by Jim Hockett for this project.  It's large enough to make it through 28 inches of open shed, and light enough not to weigh down the progress.  Also the larger bobbin holds more yarn so I don't have to stop as often to reload.  

1 full 6-inch bobbin will wave about 16 inches of cloth.

The shed was a little sticky to begin with ...  I was wondering if I'd be able to progress, but things are working nicely now.  This sturdy shuttle helps to separate the reluctant fibers into the proper levels.

I used a 10-dent reed with 2 threads per slot, and I'm wondering if maybe I should have gone with the 12-dent for a slightly denser fabric?

There are a couple spots where either I missed a slot, or (more likely) the strings broke and pulled out as I was winding on -- but I have not been able to find any empty heddles to re-thread.  ???  There is a slight gap in a few places, but I think I can push the strings over to fill the space.

Voi la!

It will look different once it's been wet-finished and the fibers plump up.

Planning a Woven Coverlet: Governor's Garden aka Mountain Cucumber

Dreaming Big!

This week, I stumbled upon this coverlet for sale on eBay.  It's beyond my price range, but I think it is something I could make on my 4-shaft floor loom--in 3 panels.  I am fascinated with the pattern, including the border.  

I have several books of weaving patterns, and I've been studying them for months. As well as purchasing actual coverlets as a collector on eBay and Etsy and FB  Marketplace.  It's the only way to see these up close and personal without traveling to museums to see them--and even there, you can't touch them.  I've been considering possible patterns for making my own coverlet. But up until now, I have not been committed to any one design.

Abe Lincoln and McClellen at Anteitem.  Note the coverlet on the left side of the tent.  Read more about it here.  Rita Hagenbruch even made a reproduction version of this coverlet and wrote about it in the November / December 2010 issue of Handwoven Magazine.

I thought it might be the same as the Antietam coverlet seen with a famous photo of Abe Lincoln with McClellen during the Civil War.  But it's not quite the same pattern ...   [Please don't read anything into my interest in a Civil War era coverlet.  It's about the weaving, not any political proclivities.]

I like the octagonal designs coupled with the tables (squares) and the wagon wheels.  Also the alternating light and dark squares.  This pattern has a lot going on!  Enough to keep me interested for a long-term project.

 

Once I saw a closeup shot of the eBay coverlet, with those wiggly wormy wavy bits, I was able to identify the weave pattern as Governor's Garden, which is mapped out in Carol Strickler's book on American Woven Coverlets on page 142.   It's also known as Mountain Cucumber and is a relative of St Ann's Robe.  It's also sometimes called Freemason's Felicity.

I know I've seen these names for weaving drafts before, but of course now that I'm actively looking for them, I'm not finding them, or if I do, it's not quite this pattern.  I have a draft that will work, so there's really no need to look further. ;-)

 

I worked it up in my iWeaveIt App on my iPad, which is great for helping me visualize what the larger overall pattern will look like -- and if there are any mistakes in the draft as written.  And helping me figure out specifics like how many heddles per shaft, and yarn requirements for warp and weft.

I'll have to work on figuring out that very  pleasing border.  I don't think I'll be able to do side borders--my loom just isn't wide enough to make that feasible, but I think I can do top and bottom borders.

I've spent a good share of my free time this year reading up and studying woven coverlets -- in books, on the web, and purchasing actual specimens so I can see them up close. ;-) 

 I am using this issue of The Shuttle Craft Newsletter to help me plan the project--or at least get started.

I already have the navy blue wool for the pattern weft.  I'm trying to decide on what size for the cotton warp and tabby weft. I had such a good experience with American Maid cotton on the bath towels project earlier this year (not 1 broken string!), that I think I'll use the 10/2 natural white cotton for warp and 20/2 for the tabby.   How much to order?  I'll start with 1 pound of each. I should be able to get more if I need it.

Here are some other classic references for weaving coverlets that I've been using in my research this year:

[Note: Most of these books are now out-of-print.  Pricing seems to depend on availability at any given time.  As of today, prices seem quite a bit higher than when I purchased them earlier this year, so if you're interested, you might want to wait until prices come down a bit -- or ask for it for Christmas!]

Weaving a Traditional Coverlet: A How-To-Book Paperback – 1989

by Helen N. Jarvis (Author)

It includes some great worksheets for figuring out yardages for warp and weft.  The author actually created the coverlet on the cover, and the book is what she learned along the way, formatted in such a way to help other weavers wanting to embark on a similar journey.

American Woven Coverlets Paperback – 1988

by Carol Strickler (Author)

This one is a great introductory resource. She covers everything from the basics to identifying patterns, caring and cleaning of coverlets. She also includes weaving drafts for several common patterns in case you want to try one yourself!

This book has a workable pattern draft for Governor's Garden on p.142 that I will try to use.  ;-)

I still need to figure out the border ...  although my weaving 29-inch weaving width might not allow for including a border.  More calculations and planning are in order! 

 

 

The Coverlet Book Early American Handwoven Coverlets 2 Volume Set Hardcover (c2003) 

by Helene Bress (Author)

 

 

 

Frances L. Goodrich's Brown Book of Weaving Drafts Hardcover – (c2014)

by Barbara Miller (Author)

 

My friend Karla saw this book up in northern Minnesota at a folk art school up there and recommended it to me.  She was right!

 

 

 

Frances L. Goodrich’s Coverlet and Counterpane Drafts Hardcover – c2016

by Barbara Miller (Author), Deb Schillo (Author)

 

 

A Handweaver's Pattern Book - Revised Edition Hardcover – 1985

by Marguerite Porter Davison (Author), Charles C. Denzler (Illustrator), E. Fletcher Brown (Photographer)  

 

The Davison book (a classic for weavers) includes a chapter with pattern drafts for Large Overshot, suitable for bed coverlets.   But it's just an introduction -- There are so many more patterns out there, so it pays to dig deeper!

 

 There are also a lot of old weaving references that are now available freely online because they are old enough to be beyond copyright restrictions.    I am still trying to get a handle on what is where ... There are some very rich resources out there in this vein!

Mary Meigs Atwater - Online Books Page

Shuttlecraft Bulletins

The National Coverlet Collection

Handweaving.net would also be a great resource for pattern drafts for coverlets (and anything else related to weaving), although I have not yet subscribed (I have issues with subscriptions that never end).