October 2023: Chintz as a Profile Draft in Summer and Winter
Woven by Tenny Canning
For the last five years I have been meeting with fellow members of a study group devoted to exploring different weave structures. Every other month we gather to share the samples we have woven of a chosen structure and the stories behind our choices and the highlights (or the obstacles) of our processes.
Last May, we changed things up a bit. Instead of selecting a structure to focus on, we chose a profile draft (Sample 17/Figure 36, Chintz from Weaving Designs: Miniature Overshot Patterns by Bertha Gray Hayes) to adapt and express in any structure. Game on! The samples that came back were so diverse: Double weave, Rep weave, Huck Lace, Parallel threading, 5-end Satin weave, and a few variations of Crackle.
I couldn’t let go of the challenge, though, when I realized this profile could also be expressed in Summer and Winter. I imagined towels with an oversized design – only three pattern repeats gave me the width I needed! The towels were woven as drawn in (adapted for summer and winter treadling). I used a skeleton tie-up and quickly developed a rhythm.
Warp: 10/2 Perle (6 off-whites wound together and threaded randomly)
Weft: Tabby - 20/2 Perle (natural), Pattern – 10/2 Perle (Royal and Bermuda) used together (other color combinations used in subsequent towels)
Sett: 22 EPI, 42 PPI (21 each tabby and pattern)
Finishing: Machine wash warm, line dry, pressed with hot iron.
Profile Draft: I used the profile for both warp and weft. In this case, each square represents 4 warp threads and 8 picks (4 tabby and 4 pattern).
Drawdown (see downloads): Threading – 1 repeat, Treadling – 1 repeat. Drawdown shows “winter” side of fabric. Tabby is not shown in the drawdown but is required. Alternate treadles 1 and 2 with pattern picks.
Downloads:
Bio:
Tenny first developed an interest in weaving as a young child while watching her grandmother (a former SWG member) magically create fabric at her loom. Now retired, she is happy to spend more time keeping that magic alive. She is currently serving as SWG Membership Chair.
