Weaving & Drafting Your Own Cloth - Number 3
Peggy Osterkamp
Spiral bound
Cost: $44.95
Pages: 267
Link to Peggy Website: [website][1]

Where Peggy’s book: Warping Your Loom & Tying on New Warps – Number 2, leaves off, this book – Number 3 picks you up and carries to the weaving and drafting aspects of the art. But, that is a very simplified description of what this book has to offer. As you can see, I list the pages in each chapter that cover the topic – Peggy does not skimp on information or illustrations - she gives you all of the pieces of the puzzle needed to be a successful weaver.

Where to begin… I guess page one would be good spot!

Reviewing of the previous 2 books:
Treadles – tying up and walking the treadles, the 2-stick heading, sett and the importance of good beaming is reviewed.

Chapter 1: Weaving (pages 11-46)
Selvages, throwing the shuttle, shed, placement of the weft, changing wefts, beating, ppi, tension, mixed warps, measuring the fabric, removing the cloth, tying on a new warp and record sheet example fill this chapter.

Chapter 2: Shuttles (and winding bobbins, pirns, cones and balls) (pages 47-76)
Wow – everything you wanted to know about shuttles and more! – Is how I’d describe this chapter. Shuttle differences, how they work, how to use them, the “how to” of winding the pirns and bobbins with the different winders available to you. Making and winding quills. Stick, ski and rug shuttles are discussed. Winding equipment (swifts, skein, ball and bobbin winders) and how to use them. Tension boxes (manufactured and home made) and creels are also included in this chapter.

Chapter 3: Selvedges (pages 77-106)
What’s draw in – normal and too much? How to prevent and correct draw in by using floating selvedges, selvedge yarns and proper threading. Weaving with multiple shuttles, using a temple. Selvedge that are tight, have loops, loose edges and breakage.

Chapter 4: Troubleshooting…when you begin weaving (pages 107-156)
Checking for threading errors, repairing warp threads (loose and broken), making repair heddles, shed problems, sticky warps, cloth issues, tension problems, sectional beaming problems, tension issues, loom, cloth and yarn problems.

Chapter 5: Finishing (pages 157-206)
Steps for finishing cloth, mending the cloth, how to correct warp repair loops in weft, tight weft, worming and snags and variations in beat. Sampling to prevent the running of colors. Wet finishing – what it is, the process, and when or when not to do it. Ironing, pressing and steaming. Drying or blocking. The fulling process – by hand or machine and when it is done. Preparing the fabric for top loading and front-loading machines. Agitation, felting, brushing and when to do it. Care of the finished fabrics (sections divided into type of fiber). Fringes – the types of, hems, and seams are also discussed.

A textile finishing record sheet is included in this chapter.

Chapter 6: Drafting (pages 207-246)
“By drafting out your ideas you can predict, plan, control, abandon, create and learn”. This chapter includes explanation of how drafts are made and used and how to make your own quickly along with how to read and understand drafts. Treading drafts vs. profile drafts. How to use profile drafts. Turned drafts, tromp as writ, peg plans and draw downs are also explained. Discussion on fabric analyzing.. Multishaft weaving, weaving 2 things at once, blocks, profile drafts are included in this chapter.

There is a source listing and 2-page bibliography along with a 15-page index – making finding things within this book quite easy. ( )

signed by author