Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary #10 Celebration Overshot Runner

Valley Yarns 40th Anniversary Celebration Overshot Runner

What Is Being Made

The Celebration Overshot Runner is a handwoven table runner designed by Ute Bargmann to commemorate Valley Yarns' 40th anniversary. This homeware piece celebrates Barbara Elkins and the weaving community, featuring an overshot name draft derived from the phrase "WEBS - 40 Great Years for Weavers." The finished runner measures 16 inches wide by 27 inches long after hemming, making it an ideal accent piece for tables or sideboards.

Weaving Techniques Used

This project employs overshot weaving, a classic technique that creates raised pattern floats over a tabby ground. Overshot is created by alternating pattern picks with tabby picks, allowing decorative threads to float over multiple warp ends while maintaining structural integrity. The design uses a name draft—a specialized overshot pattern that encodes text or meaningful phrases into the weave structure. The runner also incorporates floating selvedges, which are warp ends that remain unthreaded through heddles, allowing them to be manipulated independently for clean, finished edges.

The weaving technique requires careful attention to the relationship between pattern and tabby threads. Pattern picks are followed by tabby picks, with specific directional handling of the floating selvedges: the tabby thread passes over the floating selvedges from right to left and under them from left to right, while the pattern thread goes under both floating selvedges. This methodical approach ensures even tension and professional-quality edges throughout the piece.

Stitches and Weave Structure

The runner is constructed using two primary weave structures:

• Plain weave (tabby): Forms the ground structure and alternates with pattern picks throughout the design. The runner begins and ends with 2 inches of plain weave for hems, using a 1-3 tabby shed to start and a 2-4 tabby to finish.
• Overshot pattern: Created by the interaction of pattern weft with the warp, producing the name draft that reads "WEBS - 40 Great Years for Weavers" across the runner's surface.

Materials and Equipment

Loom and Hardware: This project requires a 4-shaft loom with a 19-inch weaving width. Additional equipment includes a 10-dent reed, 2 shuttles, and 2 bobbins for managing the tabby and pattern wefts simultaneously.

Yarn Specifications:

• Warp yarn: 10/2 perle cotton (Valley Yarns) in natural #8176, with a yardage of 4,200 yards per pound. The warp consists of 368 ends (including 2 floating selvedges) wound to 2 yards in length, requiring 734 yards of yarn.
• Tabby weft: 10/2 perle cotton (Valley Yarns) in white #8176, with the same yardage rate of 4,200 yards per pound. Approximately 300 yards are needed for the tabby weaving.
• Pattern weft: 5/2 perle cotton (Valley Yarns) in currant #3800, with a yardage rate of 2,100 yards per pound. Approximately 256 yards are required for the pattern picks.

Sett and Density

The runner is set at 20 ends per inch (epi), achieved by threading 2 ends per dent in the 10-dent reed. The weft density is approximately 36 picks per inch (ppi), creating a balanced, stable fabric. The reed width is 18 inches, with the finished width after washing measuring 16 inches—accounting for loom waste and shrinkage typical of cotton weaving.

Weaving Process Notes

The pattern instructions recommend weaving a practice sample before beginning the final runner, allowing weavers to establish consistent beat and become familiar with the treadling sequence. The alternation between pattern and tabby picks requires focused attention to maintain the integrity of the overshot design. Weavers should check threading frequently during setup to avoid errors that would compromise the final appearance of the name draft.