Freeform Overshot for Beginners Book

Freeform Overshot for Beginners: Weave complex motifs on simple looms. An instruction manual for freeform overshot, first edition © 2023 Lisa Rayner / Lisa Rayner Books, 28-page book. Available for purchase as an eBook in the Lisa Rayner Handwovens Etsy shop and as Kindle and print books on Amazon. Follow Lisa on Instagram at Lisa Rayner Handwovens.

© 2023 Lisa Rayner, Lisa Rayner Books, $7.99/$14.95 USD
ISBN 979-8-9879697-2-4, Full color glossy paper 8 1/2″ x 11″ pages.

This book is a freeform overshot technique primer. Freeform overshot uses a twill plus tabby structure with a PICK UP STICK on rigid heddle looms, shaft looms, frame looms, pin looms, and other simple looms. Watch my freeform overshot videos on my YouTube channel. Weave fabric with complex Jacquard-like patterns. Freeform overshot creates wearable, drapeable fabrics for clothing and tapestry on any loom. Adapt knit, crochet and embroidery patterns for freeform overshot.

You can do it! You can weave freeform overshot patterns. I created freeform overshot as a way for people with simple looms to weave designs with a pick up stick and two shuttles. Projects can be woven in a variety of yarn weights and yarn fibers. There are two weft yarns: a tabby weft that is used to weave plain weave every other weft pick (also known as tabby), and a twill pattern weft that goes through a weaving shed that you create with your pick up stick. That’s it. That’s the technique.

Lisa Rayner Handwovens on Etsy sells Lisa’s books on Amazon as eBooks plus additional weaving eBooks and patterns. Etsy coupon: “Like” an item or add it to your cart for 30% off. Lisa’s food and gardening books are available on Etsy too.

This booklet contains:

  • Pick up weaving instructions. You need a pick up stick, plus two weaving sheds (rigid heddle, shafts, string, etc.).
  • Photographs of multiple freeform overshot projects including my original 2015 Mermaid Scarf and other weavers’ freeform overshot projects.
  • Step by step weaving of a freeform overshot project with details for rigid heddle, shaft and pin/frame looms.
  • A detailed, easy-to-follow description of how I weave freeform overshot motifs from pixelated charts.
  • Directions for using freeform overshot for any weaving project, including projects in different yarn weights.
  • Instructions on how to design your own freeform overshot motifs and projects with knitting or embroidery graph paper or a weaving software program.

Check out my freeform overshot patterns and project booklets in my Etsy shop as well. Weaving software programs allow the creation of patterns up to 64 ends wide. Most freeform overshot patterns I sell are 64 warp ends wide for this reason. Some are narrower. Pattern collections and individual patterns:

Handwoven magazine published my article on my freeform overshot Mermaid Scarf in the Nov./Dec. 2015 issue.

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© 2023 Lisa Rayner Books