table runner

MAFA2025-3917

Needed floating selvedges; also, replaced the cotton floating selvedges with a 2/20 brown rayon as the cotton kept breaking.

Because the silk tussah is a boucle and is “sticky”, don’t use it for warp again. And the silk is a Giovanna Imperial yarn, which is no longer available – it was a happy accident to find the multicolored, bumpy polyester (from Made in America) was such a good substitute in the weft (the warp has the majority of the silk in it).

Used 3 ends / dent in a 10 dent / inch reed which is 10″ wide in the reed. I found the draft in Handwoven; but, changed the fibers used, order of color, sett, treadling, etc.; the only thing original is the satin draft.

Had some major issues with the shed as the shafts were misbehaving (some were rising when they weren’t needed); almost cut it off and threw it in the trash. But, my hubby/loom engineer helped a great deal and we got the correct shafts to raise or lower when required. This was woven on a 2002 24 shaft AVL Production Dobby Loom with a Compu-Dobby III – old but a workhorse. I use an old laptop – not attached to the internet to drive my loom; so I can’t download a wif file from it.

Inspiration was the fact that I have some left over 20/2 cotton (in white and taupe) from a previous project and thought the silk boucle was perfect match; and wanted to try a satin draft. Plus, my daughter found the draft and suggested that she would like a table runner; and, I am trying to use finer yarns in my weaving.

MAFA2025-3880

I had designed a 16 block rep weave for a tote bag that resembled vertical entwined ribbons. I took this lift plan and used it with a 32 block rep weave threading. After tweaking, the design result was a lattice.

My thread stash included purple and a raspberry thread. I do not usually weave with these colors. I decided to expand my color choices and used these two threads with a gray 10/2 to design the warp colors.

MAFA2025-3854

The idea for this runner is from Mary Meigs Atwater’s Recipe Book; series V, number 11, titled botanical garden. I used her profile draft but altered my tie up to create buildings and trees versus her garden.
It was a pleasure to weave and my next go at it will be with a colored warp.