Weaving Project - Green Plaid Napkins

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1 Project Summary SETT: 20 EPI SHAFTS: FOUR (MAY ADAPT TO 2 SHAFTS) WIDTH IN REED: 21.5 INCHES YARN: 8/2 COTTON (4 COLORS), SEWING THREAD FOR HEMS Cotton napkins, out of 8/2 cotton, make a nice casual napkin. The 8/2 cotton is makes a substantial coarse, yet soft fabric. These napkins are in plain weave, and there s a suggested threading draft for the color variations. It s easy to play with the color sequencing in both the threading and the weft yarns to make them your own and possibly use up some stash yarn! The WIF included is for 4-shafts, but as this is plain weave you can easily do this with two shafts by simply considering shaft 3 as shaft 1, and shaft 4 as shaft 2. This project is suitable for beginners with an ability to warp a loom. Planning the Project Finished Sizes vs. Sizes on the loom The table below is a calculation based on my actual measurements. It s very possible that you ll experience less draw-in than I did on the width. I have listed the measurement after I took the napkins off the loom (without tension), and also after washing in hot water and machine drying. I wanted to have the napkins approximately square, and I wasn t sure how much shrinkage in width and length I would experience after removing from the loom and washing. I decided it was worth testing the first napkin so that I could adjust the length I would weave. The WIF assumes that you ll treadle at 20 picks per inch, same as the sett in the reed. My treadling was between 18 and 19 ends per inch, so definitely not balanced! After weaving one napkin and the thin cotton hem, I wove in a waste pick or two and then a then metal dowel, followed by several more picks of waste yarn. I did this so that I could easily remove my first napkin to test the shrinkage, and lash the dowel back onto the cloth beam; using this method keeps from having to tie on the warp ends. Page 1 of 5

2 Measurements - One Napkin Sett (ends per inch) 20 Sleyed 2 ends per dent in a 10-dent reed No. Warp Ends 432 Width in Reed (in) 21.6 Width, relaxed off loom (in) 20 Reflects draw in, relaxed on floor before washing Finished Width, after wash & dry (in) 19 Length, without tension before washing 21 Measured on loom, relaxing tension Finished Length, after washing/drying (in) 19 Finished length, not counting fabric turned under for hem Sett (ends per inch) 20 No. Warp Ends 432 Warp Length Calculator The following table shows my calculations for the warp length. For 8 napkins, I calculated needing a minimum of a 6-yard 2-inch warp (218.3 inches). For the 8/2 cotton warp, two of the colors require approximately 4-ounces each. Remember that an additional 4-ounces may be needed for the weft, depending on your color choices. The other two colors require slightly less. Running Total Length Calculated Warp Length Calculator Value Yards Inches Inches in Length Finished Length of 1 Piece Allowance for Hems-Fringe each piece(in) Apply Warp Shrink. % -> Weaving Length 1 Piece 10% times Number of Pieces Reserve weaving length for samples allow for Warp Take-up Pct 5% allow for loom waste (in) Page 2 of 5

3 Total Yarn Requirements The WIF calls for 3 shades of green and white. Two of the colors (the white and one of the green) are predominant, and for 8 napkins you should plan to have a half-pound of yarn available. The other two colors require about half that amount. Warping the loom Wind the warp, making color changes in your warp chain following the threading plan included in this document, if desired. To make a color change, simply knot the old and new color together at the starting or ending peg, then cut the old yarn and continue winding with the new color. If warping on a 4-shaft loom, be sure to have 108 heddles available on each shaft before starting the warping process. Warp the loom based on your preferred method. Weaving Draft (See threading pattern for complete warp color sequencing) Page 3 of 5

4 Threading Plan Note, read from right to left. Page 4 of 5

5 Weaving the napkins Wind bobbins with colors for weft yarn. Weave a header to spread the warp ends properly and check threading and tension. Weave a few rows for sampling and to establish a good beat. To mark the start of your first placemat, weave a pick or two of a contrasting yarn. Prepare sewing thread weft, using any 100% cotton thread. If the spool is small enough, place the spool directly in your boat shuttle. Weave with the sewing thread for about ½ inch. Now start weaving the napkin, alternating colors similar to the threading draft, or based on your own design until the napkin is the length you need (see planning section). If you did not weave and finish a sample, you can assume weaving a length (with warp tension removed) equal to the width in the reed. Weave another ½ inch with sewing thread, then mark the end of the napkin with a few picks of contrasting waste yarn. Finishing the Napkins Once the fabric is off the loom, machine zig-zag along the edge of the white sewing thread hems. The zig-zag machine stitching will be hidden, so it doesn t have to be too neat. Once all the hem edges are secured with a zig-zag stitch, cut the placemats apart then pull the contrasting yarn away. Press the folded hem down, hiding the sewing thread header. Either sew the hem by hand, or use a straight stitch on a sewing machine. Wash the napkins in hot water and laundry detergent, then dry with high heat. Press the napkins with a steam iron. Page 5 of 5