My name has just been added to the list of leaders for the Complex Weavers Seminars 2020 in Knoxville, Tennessee due to another leader’s cancellation. I will be presenting Tuesday morning, July 21st.
My topic is Interpreting 19th Century Counterpane Drafts. As you may know, I have been researching how to interpret counterpane drafts that I found in a collection of drafts from the western part of Virginia. The collection was donated to the National Museum of the American Coverlet (NMAC) three years ago. I knew little about counterpanes, but that did not deter me. As I did my research, I became fascinated with the little puckers and indentations in the white on white cotton bed coverings woven mainly in dimity, honeycomb, huck and M’s & O’s. Plus, they have interesting fringes.
I found another collection of handwritten counterpane drafts, also from the western part of Virginia. This donation was accompanied with a book published in Baltimore in 1849 which also contains counterpane drafts.
With these three resources in mind, I combed articles written about counterpanes and samples found in my notebooks from the Early Weave Books and Manuscripts Study Group of the Complex Weavers. Ute Bargmann’s name appeared many times and her samples are exquisite. The counterpane sample described in the recently published book by Barbara Miller and Deb Schillo entitled Frances L. Goodrich’s Coverlet and Counterpane Drafts have answered many questions. Martha Benson and Laura Redford book entitled Ozark Coverlets: The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History Collection solved the mystery of a certain "Huckaback Square and Honey Comb Diamond" draft I could not figure out. I wove a sample of their interpretation of a Searcy counterpane and had an “aha” moment.
The drafts do not contain tie-ups or treadling directions. They do give the name of the weave structure in some cases. I have had my work cut out for me to figure out how to weave them and put the information in a drawdown. It has been frustrating. When I think I have figured out the tie-up and treadling, the digital drawdowns do not present a clear picture of the cloth like the ones for early coverlets. I have learned a lot through trial and error by weaving samples and then wet finishing them to see my results.
Along the way I have become enamored with the subtle beauty of the southern counterpanes. Therefore, my goal is to get others interested in southern counterpanes and enlarge the body of research. The Early American Coverlet Study Group has added “Counterpanes” to the group’s name and study. We have already garnered some valuable results.
If you are planning to attend the Complex Weavers Seminars 2020, I hope you will consider joining me in my quest to spread the word about the subtle beauty of southern counterpanes.
If you want to be on my email list for notification of future blogs, send me your email address to coverletweaver@gmail.com.
Dimity & Honeycomb Draft -1853 - Named "American Beauty" & My Woven Sample
My topic is Interpreting 19th Century Counterpane Drafts. As you may know, I have been researching how to interpret counterpane drafts that I found in a collection of drafts from the western part of Virginia. The collection was donated to the National Museum of the American Coverlet (NMAC) three years ago. I knew little about counterpanes, but that did not deter me. As I did my research, I became fascinated with the little puckers and indentations in the white on white cotton bed coverings woven mainly in dimity, honeycomb, huck and M’s & O’s. Plus, they have interesting fringes.
I found another collection of handwritten counterpane drafts, also from the western part of Virginia. This donation was accompanied with a book published in Baltimore in 1849 which also contains counterpane drafts.
With these three resources in mind, I combed articles written about counterpanes and samples found in my notebooks from the Early Weave Books and Manuscripts Study Group of the Complex Weavers. Ute Bargmann’s name appeared many times and her samples are exquisite. The counterpane sample described in the recently published book by Barbara Miller and Deb Schillo entitled Frances L. Goodrich’s Coverlet and Counterpane Drafts have answered many questions. Martha Benson and Laura Redford book entitled Ozark Coverlets: The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History Collection solved the mystery of a certain "Huckaback Square and Honey Comb Diamond" draft I could not figure out. I wove a sample of their interpretation of a Searcy counterpane and had an “aha” moment.
The drafts do not contain tie-ups or treadling directions. They do give the name of the weave structure in some cases. I have had my work cut out for me to figure out how to weave them and put the information in a drawdown. It has been frustrating. When I think I have figured out the tie-up and treadling, the digital drawdowns do not present a clear picture of the cloth like the ones for early coverlets. I have learned a lot through trial and error by weaving samples and then wet finishing them to see my results.
Along the way I have become enamored with the subtle beauty of the southern counterpanes. Therefore, my goal is to get others interested in southern counterpanes and enlarge the body of research. The Early American Coverlet Study Group has added “Counterpanes” to the group’s name and study. We have already garnered some valuable results.
If you are planning to attend the Complex Weavers Seminars 2020, I hope you will consider joining me in my quest to spread the word about the subtle beauty of southern counterpanes.
If you want to be on my email list for notification of future blogs, send me your email address to coverletweaver@gmail.com.
Dimity & Honeycomb Draft -1853 - Named "American Beauty" & My Woven Sample