How to Weave an Overshot Comforter

Load your loom with lightweight, plain color threads. Traditional overshot uses natural fibers such as wool, flax or cotton. These threads become the warp, or lengthwise threads, of the fabric and run from top to bottom.

Set the loom warp to alternating one warp thread up and one warp thread down. Use the same lightweight thread and pass it between the warp threads. The threads passed back and forth at right angles to the warp threads are called the weft threads. Reverse the warp threads and pass the lightweight thread back through them. Repeat this several times, according to the pattern, to create a border for the comforter.

Set the threads on the outer left and right edges of the warp to alternating up and down. This will create an even border on the sides. You can choose the width of the border, but it should be consistent all the way down each side.

Set the inner threads of the loom warp to the specifications for the first row of the overshot pattern. For example, the pattern may call for five threads up, three threads down, two threads up, four threads down, and so on across the top of the block of the pattern. Repeat the settings for as many blocks of the pattern as necessary to fill the width of the loom. Pass a weft of your heavier, colored thread through the warp.

Set the warp threads to the alternating one up, one down pattern. Pass a weft of lightweight thread through the warp.

Set the warp strings according to the next row of the pattern. Pass a weft of heavyweight thread through the warp.

Repeat Steps 4 through 6 to complete the pattern blocks across the comforter. Repeat the same steps to make another row of pattern blocks. Add enough rows of pattern blocks to achieve the length of comforter you want.

Repeat Step 2 to make a border at the bottom the same size as the border you made at the top.