How to Make a Loom Coverlet

Weaving an overshot coverlet is a sign of mastery of the craft of hand weaving.

A coverlet is an ambitious project that most weavers are going to want to attempt at some point. Coverlets are an important part of the American weaving heritage, and the overshot patterns that are used in making them are some of the most interesting threadings we have inherited from our weaving ancestors. Making a coverlet is challenging, but you can do it, provided you have some knowledge when you start your project.

Things You'll Need

• Floor loom
• Warping board
• 20/3 cotton warp yarn (usually white or off-white)
• Cotton weft, same as warp yarn or 2/20 wool in white or off-white
• Wool pattern weft, usually singles, about 2000 yards per pound weight, in a different color
• 2 shuttles
• Bobbin winder

Instructions

Weaving the Sample

1. Choose a pattern for your sample from one of the several books of overshot patterns suitable for coverlets. Wind a 3-yard warp of 400 ends. Make a figure-eight cross and place a tie there, at the ends of the warp and at one-yard intervals in the warp. Take the warp off the warping board and bring it to the loom. Pre-sley the reed by pulling four ends through every fourth dent of a 20 dents per inch reed. Wind the warp onto the back beam.

2. Cut the warp in front of the reed and remove the reed and beater. Thread the loom to your desired coverlet pattern. The pattern should have a repeat of 200 to 270 ends, so your sample will show one or two repeats of the pattern. Sley the reed at 20 ends per inch. Tie in the front of the warp to the apron rods and tighten the tension.

3. Wind a rag shuttle with some strips of rag weft. Weave a few inches of rag weft until the warp threads come together. Wind a bobbin with the tabby weft; this is a weft in the same color as the warp, usually white or off-white. Weave a half-inch of tabby. Begin weaving the pattern according to the treadling diagram in your book. Weave a half-inch of tabby at the end.

4. Zig-zag stitch the edges of the sampler -- or hem them -- to prevent raveling. Measure the length and width of the sampler. Wash it in warm water by hand, then rinse and air dry it. Press lightly. Measure width and length again to determine shrinkage when dried and pressed. Determine the percent shrinkage that you will need to add to your wanted length and width.

Designing and Planning the Coverlet

1. Get a piece of graph paper. Draw a rectangle representing your bedspread. For example, a full-sized coverlet would be 72 by 84 inches after shrinkage. You will weave three panels to cover the bed -- one 36 inches wide and two smaller 27-inch wide lengths for the sides. Seam them together. The center pattern is usually different from the side patterns. Choose the center pattern, then choose patterns for the side panels.

2. Draw a diagram of how you will assemble the coverlet. Allow for about 20 percent shrinkage in width -- which equates to take-up plus washing shrinkage -- and a similar amount for length, based on your sample's shrinkage. For example, the center panel, 36 inches wide in the reed, will be 30 inches wide when washed and finished. The side panels for a 72-inch wide coverlet will have to be woven at 27 inches wide, because they will shrink to 21 inches wide.

3. Plan your borders. There will be a border at the foot of the main panel that should match the border on the side panels. Some weavers put a border at the head, also. The simplest border is a simple twill threading.

Weaving the Coverlet

1. Write out a threading draft for your center panel. Figure out how many threads you need for this 36-inch center panel. It will be around 720 ends, depending on your pattern. Figure out how many yards warp length you need to wind for all three panels. Wind a warp on your warping board making a cross at one end, and tying off the warp at 1-yard intervals. Bring it to the loom and pre-sley it in the reed as you did for the sample. Wind it onto the back beam. Thread the center panel to your threading draft. Sley it in the reed at 20 ends per inch. Tie the front of the warp to the apron rod.

2. Weave one repeat of the pattern for another sample. Weave a plain hem of 1 1/4 inches of tabby. Weave the border and the first pattern repeat. Measure to see how long the pattern repeat is. Figure out how many pattern repeats you need to weave before you weave the border at the top. Pin a piece of long paper tape to the side of the weft and mark the transition between pattern repeats. You will use this later to weave the side panels.

3. Weave the top border and then weave a 1 1/4-inch tabby hem. Weave two picks of rug yarn to separate the main panel from the side panels.

4. Put the lease sticks in the cross behind the heddles. Cut the warp threads in front of the reed. Remove the center panel cloth from the loom. Re-thread the loom for the side panels. Since they are narrower, you may end up dropping some of the warp ends off the sides of the threaded warp. That's fine; just leave them hanging there.

5. Weave the first side panel, starting with the hem and border pattern. Pin the tape to the side of the panel so that you can match pattern repeats to the center panel when you seam them together later. Mark the end of the first panel with two picks of rug yarn. Weave the second panel, but reverse the tape, as this panel will be sewn to the opposite side of the center panel. When you get to the hem of the last panel, before you remove it from the loom, embroider your initials and the date into the hem.

Joining the Panels and Finishing

1. Cut the pieces apart and machine stitch across the warp to prevent raveling. Pin one side panel to the center panel. Stitch. Match the other side panel to the center panel and pin. Stitch.

2. Turn up the hem on the hemline, turn under 1/4 inch and whipstitch the hem down.

3. Wash gently. Fill the washing machine with warm water and mild detergent. Fold the coverlet in accordion pleats and submerge it in the warm water. Agitate for one minute. Drain the machine and fill it again two times without agitating. Drain and spin. Air-dry the coverlet over three taut clothes lines with towels over the lines to prevent creasing. Steam press on wool setting.

References

• "Weave Your Own Heirloom"; Kay Hultquist; 1989
• "Of Coverlets"; Sadye T. Wilson and Doris Kennedy; 1983
• "A Handweaver's Pattern Book"; Marguerite P. Davison; 1990