Whig Rose Overshot Table Runner

I love the Whig Rose overshot pattern by Josephine Estes.  It's a miniature overshot pattern, so the floats are not large, and it's suitable for smaller items, such as table runners.  Overshot was traditionally woven for coverlets in early America.  I finished this table runner that I wrote about in May.

                                                     Whig Rose Overshot Table Runner

The warp is 8/4 cotton at 12 epi.  I began the Whig Rose pattern in an overshot class using Sugar 'n Cream yarn for the weft and 8/4 cotton for the tabby.  I couldn't beat in such a heavy yarn using my small table loom, so I experimented when I got home to find a more suitable yarn.  I ended up using size 3/2 weaving cotton for the pattern and size 10/2 weaving cotton for the tabby. 

                                              Whig Rose Overshot Table Runner Close Up

Whig Rose Hem Border
I wove a small border with white 10/2 cotton tabby for almost 1 inch on each edge.  I hemstitched the fringe over 4, up 2 threads.  I twisted the short (almost 4") fringe by twisting each 2 threads of each bundle about 15 times, and then putting the two groups of threads together with some twist in the opposite direction and knotting.

                                              Whig Rose: White Border and Twisted Fringe

Whig Rose Pattern Edge Borders
I added a top and bottom small border also by repeating the first 4 pattern treadlings in green alternating with tabby, which you can see in the picture above.  At the beginning of the table runner, the border is (3-4, 1-4, 1-2, 2-3) 2 times (with tabby between each pattern weft).  At the end of the table runner, the pattern border is (3-4, 2-3, 1-2, 1-4) 2 times (with tabby).  I ended with the almost 1" of white tabby in 10/2 and fringe.

I keep the tabby throws consistent which makes weaving overshot so much easier.  I always throw shafts 2-4 from the right to left, and shafts 1-3 from the left to right. 

My pattern notes--Whig Rose Overshot Star Fashion treadling with tabby:
3-4, 1-4, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4,     1-4 (4xs), 3-4, 2-3 (3xs) 1-2 (2xs), 2-3 (2xs), 1-2 (2xs), 2-3 (3xs), 3-4, 1-4 (4xs),    3-4, 2-3, 1-2, 1-4

Lover's Knot
A weaver told me that the Whig Rose pattern draft has 2 names.  She said that when you weave this draft star fashion, that the name is actually Lover's Knot.  The Whig Rose name signifies the "rose fashion" pattern draft.  Josephine Estes didn't call hers Lover's Knot, so I left the name here as her original Whig Rose name.

Star Fashion
An interesting note about weaving basic star fashion:  you can figure out what treadling is next based on what your last treadling was if you look at the strong diagonal line of the "X" of the star draft pattern in the center of your weaving.  The last thread of the previous throw will overlap with the next throw by one thread since the pattern is based on a twill threading (for example 1-2, 2-3).  So, you can look at the threads that are down as you push the treadles and see if the last thread from the previous weft will overlap with the first thread of the next throw.  If it doesn't, you didn't use the correct treadles. 

Overshot was woven "as drawn in" in America's past, so a weaver could just thread the loom and then figure out the treadling based on the threading.  But, it is based on blocks, rather than actual threads that are threaded through the heddles.  The blocks are A= 1-2, B=2-3, C=3-4, D=4-1.  So, a thread may be threaded on shafts 1-2 five times, for example, but would be treadled 4 times since the blocks overlap by one thread.  A good weaving book to read more about overshot is "Next Steps in Weaving," by Pattie Graver.

I'm really happy with my table runner, which is my 2nd overshot project.