In the projects that follow, we leave looms behind and weave on, or with, some everyday materials: stones, paper, and ribbon. We begin with stone, then offer several paper-weaving techniques, and conclude with two projects using ribbon.
Gathering stones — wet and gleaming from the ebb and flow of the waves on a sunny day at the beach — is the idea of paradise for many people. If you’ve ever come home with pockets laden with your prizes, you may enjoy the creative process of weaving around each one to make them just a bit more special. They can even become useful items as paperweights or coasters. (See Stone-Age Weaving.)
Paper opens a whole new world of weaving both two- and even three-dimensional items, like the baskets and stars. You can choose to use the most ubiquitous of papers — newspaper, brown craft paper, maps, sheet music, or even pages from used books, as Deborah did for her baskets. On the other hand, it’s also a pleasure to explore specialty papers with lovely textures and colorful patterns. Some of the projects that follow are traditional paper crafts, while others use paper as a substitute for classic versions done with straw or other natural materials.
Ribbons have many uses, both decorative and functional: they can adorn a young girl’s hair or embellish a gift or serve as weft for lavender wands. And because ribbons are sturdy and have even edges, they make strong weaving strips baskets and containers, as well as a spectacular table runner. Ribbons are also available in a wide variety of colors, textures, and widths. Once you see all the variations of a woven project you can make with different ribbons, the process can become habit forming.
Stone-Age Weaving: Paperweights
While there is evidence of weaving as far back as 25,000 years ago, that particular weaving is not what this project is about! This weaving is for anyone who can’t come back from the beach or forest without a pocketful of stones. Decorated stones can be enjoyed simply as decoration, but if you can find the right shape, you can create unique paperweights or coasters embellished with a bit of weaving. —GS
You Will Need
Linen thread or yarn, 11⁄2 yards
A flat stone, approximately 3"– 4" in diameter
Bent-tip tapestry needle
Clear-drying white glue (optional)
Swarovski flatback beads in Pacific Opal (optional)
Instructions
1.Lay the length of yarn straight across your work surface. With the side of the stone you want as the top facing up, place the stone about 10" from one end of the yarn.
2.Gather the ends of the yarn and cross them on top of the stone as you would with a ribbon while wrapping a package. Experiment with the positioning until you find the points on opposite sides of the stone where the yarn won’t slip when tied. These will be the points at which the stone is narrowest or where there may be small indentations that will catch the yarn.
3.Take the ends of the yarn to the back of the stone and tie them tightly in a square knot. Run each end under the crossing to draw the center together. Tie them with another square knot.
4.Thread the long end of the yarn through a tapestry needle and bring it to the front of the stone. Take it under the point where the yarns cross and use a half-hitch knot to draw the crossed yarns tightly together.
5.Note that you now have five warp threads. This odd number makes it possible to weave under and over around the center in a spiral fashion. Weave around until you like the size of your circle, probably 7–10 times, but the choice is yours. You can choose to beat the weft in tightly as on the stones, or leave a bit of air between the rows as shown here.
6.Take the yarn under the woven circle to the opposite side and make a double half-hitch knot around the nearest warp thread. Take the yarn to the back of the stone and use a double half-hitch knot to secure it to the center. Note that you can create both symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns with your warp arrangement. The stone will determine what design will make the weaving most secure — and pleasing!
Optional: Use a drop of clear-drying white glue to affix a bead at the center of the weaving.
Greetings!
Many young children are introduced to weaving using construction paper. This totally free-form style of weaving is done without any loom or frame and can help kids develop dexterity and discover how colors interact. Although paper weaving can be very simple, it can also be quite complex, depending on the patterns and shapes employed.
The greeting cards shown here are satisfying to make for those special occasions when a store-bought card doesn’t feel quite right. Make several so that you have a stash ready for any occasion. —GS
You Will Need
1 package of origami paper (forty-eight 57⁄8" squares)
Ruler
Self-healing mat
Rotary cutter or hobby knife
Pen or pencil
Glue stick
Photo frame cards, black with a centered opening of 31⁄4 inches by 43⁄4 inches
Finished Measurement
5" wide × 7" long
Instructions
1.Choose 8 to 10 different shades and tints of paper and lay them out in order, progressing from the darkest shade at the left to the lightest tint at the right.
2.Using the ruler, self-healing mat, and rotary cutter, measure and cut ten 1⁄2" strips to use vertically. (See Tips for Success opposite.) You may need to place two strips of the same color next to each other to have enough strips for the required width. Set these aside, placing them in the gradated color order.
3.Measure and cut seven 1⁄2" strips — as in step 2, one or two of each shade — to use horizontally. Set these aside, again maintaining the color order as in step 2.
4.Pick up the middle horizontal strip and lay it on your work surface. Mark the center with a pencil. Glue the fifth vertical strip perpendicular on the horizontal and with its right edge touching the center mark. Glue the sixth vertical strip under the horizontal, to the right of the center, and parallel to the fifth vertical strip.
5.Weave in and glue strips horizontally and vertically, maintaining the color order you set up, so that the colors of both the warp and weft become lighter as you weave toward the left and bottom and darker as you weave to the right and top. Butt the strips together as tightly as possible, and glue each strip to secure it.
6.Trim the woven piece so that it fits into the slot in the photo frame card.
Spotlight
Helen Hiebert
Helen Hiebert confesses to being obsessed with paper. She enjoys working with, designing, and making paper by hand, and she loves to design paper projects and share them with everyone.
Helen runs a professional papermaking studio high up in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where she creates artists’ books and unique handmade papers, designs paper projects, and develops and records online classes, including “Paper Weaving.” She also writes a weekly blog called The Sunday Paper, which is a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration having to do with this amazing material. To help keep hand-papermaking traditions alive, Helen produces Paper Talk, a monthly podcast featuring oral histories from papermakers of our time.
In 2013, Helen gave herself a challenge: over 100 straight days, she would make 100 paper weavings, each featuring two distinctive papers. Look her up online to find out more about this project and Helen’s other work.
TARGET, 2017
Embossed purple momigami and orange tairei paper; 12" × 12"
WOVEN PAPER LANTERN, 2017
Green mingei and yellow tatami paper; 6" × 4" × 4"
Hold It! Paper or Ribbon Baskets
I find it exciting to create beautiful and functional objects out of items that could easily be discarded or thought of as useless. Two of these baskets were woven using brown paper grocery bags, one is made of a paper road map, and one is made of ribbon. The basic structure of each is the same, but I’ve used different thicknesses of paper and different finishing techniques to make each basket unique. Small variations can result in fairly different results. Try all four versions and see what modifications and outcomes you can discover! Then look around to see what other items you can turn into baskets — photos, magazines, colored paper, and more! —DJ
This basic basket is fun to make and can be quite useful. One sits on my desk organizing index cards, sticky notes, and small notebooks. Another lives on my craft table holding a box of straight pins, small scissors, fabric marking pens, a permanent marker, a tape measure, and an eraser. It’s a wonderful catch-all that reuses a paper bag and takes only a little time to put together!
You Will Need
Scissors
1 brown paper grocery bag
Ruler
Bone folder (helpful but not absolutely necessary)
Finished Measurement
41⁄2" wide × 41⁄2" long × 3" deep
Preparing the Paper
1.Cut down the seam on one side of the bag.
2.Cut along the fold around all sides of the bottom to make one long, flat rectangular piece of paper. Discard the bag bottom.
3.From the long rectangle, cut 16 strips that are 1" wide × 14" long and 5 strips that are 1" wide × 21" long.
4.Fold the strips in half lengthwise so they are 1⁄2" wide and double thickness.
5.Press the fold line with the bone folder to achieve a crisp edge. If you don’t have a bone folder, something like the side of a letter opener or the edge of a butter knife will work.
Weaving the Basket
6.Lay out eight of the 14" strips next to each other vertically with the ends even.
7.In the center of the vertical strips, insert a 14" strip horizontally so it goes over one strip and under the next all the way across.
8.Insert a second 14" strip horizontally into the vertical strips, but this time go over the vertical strips that you went under in the previous row and under the strips that you went over.
9.Repeat steps 7 and 8, moving outward from the center and working your way first above and then below that horizontal center strip.
As you weave in the strips, snug them together so they touch the previous row.
10.When you have used all of the 14" strips, the woven area should form a square in the center of the vertical and horizontal strips. This will be the bottom of the basket.
11.Fold the side strips up from the bottom, being careful to keep the bottom grid tight. Pinch and fold the strips as they turn the corner from the bottom to help hold the shape of the bottom square.
12.Insert one of the 21"-long strips horizontally, alternating over and under, to begin forming the sides of the basket. Use paper clips to help stabilize the strips you’re weaving, then reposition the clips as you move along.
13.Repeat step 12, but weave over the strips you went under in the previous row and under the strips you went over. Continue in this manner, working up the sides and tightening the individual strips as you go along so you pull up any slack. Overlap the beginning and end of each strip as you weave each round.
14.Weave as high as you want the basket to be. This example is 5 horizontal strips high.
15.Go back and tighten up all the strips again, working any slack to the top edge of the basket.
Finishing
16.Trim both ends of the 16 strips, fold them over, and tuck them into the previous row.
Studded Brown Paper Basket
This basket is made with three layers of paper, so it is more rigid than the Brown Bag Basket.
You Will Need
In addition to all of the materials listed for the Brown Bag Basket, you will need a second brown paper grocery bag, an awl or sharp needle, and 32 mini fasteners (tiny round brads).
Finished Measurement
41⁄2" wide × 41⁄2" long × 3" deep
Preparing the Paper
1.Follow steps 1–3 for the Brown Bag Basket except cut the 16 strips to be 11⁄2" wide × 14" long, and the 5 strips to be 11⁄2" wide × 21" long.
2.Fold the strips lengthwise by turning 1⁄2" down, then 1⁄2" down from the opposite side to create strips that are 1⁄2" wide and three layers thick.
Weaving the Basket
Follow steps 6–15 for the Brown Bag Basket.
Finishing
3.Trim the strips so that they extend 1⁄2" from the top edge of the basket.
4.Fold each end over the top and down the other side, then secure with a paper clip.
5.Use an awl to poke a hole in the center of the final square on each strip.
6.Insert a mini fastener and spread the brad sides to secure the end of each strip .
Map Basket
An old map makes a delightful basket. The various colors of towns, lakes, roads, and words result in fascinating patterns. And if you use a map that has guided you on a trip, the basket also serves as a pleasant reminder!
You Will Need
Scissors
2 road maps
Ruler
Bone folder (helpful but not absolutely necessary)
Paper glue
Finished Measurement
41⁄2" wide × 41⁄2" long × 43⁄4" deep
Preparing the Paper
1.Follow steps 1–3 for the Brown Bag Basket, except cut the 16 strips to be 1" wide × 21" long, and cut 11 strips that are 1" wide × 25" long.
2.Fold the strips in half lengthwise so they are two layers thick and 1⁄2" wide.
Weaving the Basket
Follow steps 6–15 for the Brown Bag Basket, except make this basket 9 or 10 horizontal strips high.
Finishing
3.At the top edge of the basket, trim the end of each side strip to be less than 1⁄2" long.
4.Fold the side strips over and glue them down.
5.Wrap a 1⁄2"-wide strip around the top row of the basket, and glue it on the outside of the basket all the way around.
6.Glue another 1⁄2" strip around the top edge on the inside of the basket.
Ribbon Basket
This fun rendition of the basket is more flexible than the others — and quite attractive. To make it even more decorative, I sewed 2/0 Czech glass E beads around the top after I was finished weaving. If you like this method, try using narrower ribbon or folded fabric or perhaps felt. For the basket below, I used teal (color A), apple green (color B), and purple (color C), and for the version in the how-to photos below, I used melon (color A), pink (color B), and brown (color C).
You Will Need
5⁄8"-wide ribbon, 5 yards each of colors A and B, and 7 yards of color C
Ruler
Scissors
Straight pins
Sewing needle and thread
Beeswax (optional)
32 beads
Measurements
6" wide × 51⁄2" long × 6" deep
Preparing the Ribbon
1.Follow the steps 1–3 for the Brown Bag Basket, except cut the 16 strips (8 strips each of colors A and B) to be 20" long, and cut 9 strips (of color C) that are 25" long. You will be working with the 5⁄8"-wide ribbon, so there’s no need to fold lengthwise.
Weaving the Basket
2.Follow steps 6–15 for the Brown Bag Basket, weaving as high as you want the basket to be. This example is 9 horizontal strips high. Use straight pins to hold the strips of ribbon in place while you work on the basket. Use color A as the vertical strips and color B as the horizontal strips when weaving the base of the basket. Color C will be woven as the basket sides.
Finishing
3.Cut the ribbons at the top so each one extends for 11⁄2" above the basket.
4.Double fold the ends of the ribbon at the top of the basket and pin in place with straight pins.
5.Run the sewing thread through the beeswax to strengthen the thread and keep it from tangling. Working across the top of the basket, add a bead to the center of each vertical ribbon while you stitch the folded edge down.
Danish Stars and Wreath
Many years ago, a dear friend taught me to make this classic star. Because she is Danish, I’ve always called them “Danish stars,” but they are also known as Moravian, Froebel, and German stars.
One star makes a lovely, simple tree ornament or package decoration. If you find yourself enjoying the process, you might want to weave enough to make a wreath. In the one shown below, I linked 16 stars together to form the wreath, with an additional lone star hung through the center as a little pendulum. —GS
You Will Need
For each star: 4 paper strips, each 1⁄2" × 25"
White sewing thread and sewing needle
Finished Measurement
One star: 2" in diameter
17-star wreath: 8" in diameter
Instructions
1.Cut each end of each strip on the diagonal to form a point. Fold each paper strip in half widthwise.
Note: In the photo below, the ends appear to be cut into a pennant shape. This is because you are seeing each strip after it has been folded, and the diagonal cuts cross over one another.
2.Interlock the four strips as shown, and then draw them together to bring the folded ends to the center, locking them to form a tightly woven core.
3.Starting at the upper left, fold the top strip down.
4.Fold the top strip on the left over to the right.
5.Fold up the top strip on the lower right.
6.Fold the top strip on the right over to the left, threading it under the top left strip.
7.Fold the top right strip to the back to form a diagonal from the center.
8.Fold the same strip you worked in step 7 to the front to form a triangle above the horizontal strips.
9.Fold the triangle in half to match up the diagonals. Tuck the end through the strip below, and pull down to lock it in place. Push it over to the left until it touches the center vertical strip.
10.Turn the piece counterclockwise and repeat steps 7–9 at each corner. Note that on the fourth corner, you will have to lift one of the strips out of the way to find the slot formed by the strip below. You now have a four-pointed star.
11.Turn the piece over and repeat steps 7–9 at each corner until all corners have been woven in and you have an eight-pointed star. Lay the piece out so that all eight strips are positioned fully extended.
12.Push the top right strip out of the way over to the left. Fold the bottom right strip up and make a diagonal fold down from the center. Bring this strip around and insert it under the strip at the left (a). Push it all the way through: it will emerge from the star tip at the top left. Snug it up to the edge of the strip, forming a gentle curve and creating the point (b).
As you become more experienced, try to coax the strip around without first folding it, so that the surface is more curved than actually folded.
Step 12a
Step 12b
13.Turn the piece clockwise and repeat with the next strip. Continue in this way until you have completed four three-dimensional points on one side.
14.Turn the piece over and repeat steps 12 and 13.
15. When all eight strips are woven in and you have four star points on each side, trim off each end close to the fold, taking care not to cut the fold itself. Give the strip a little tug to pull it out a bit before you trim it. When it’s trimmed, it will relax back and be hidden between the folds.
16.Insert a 12" length of white sewing thread in a sewing needle, and stick the needle between two of the flat star tips at the center. Draw the thread up to create a loop about 4" long, and tie the ends in an overhand knot.
2.Interlock 16 stars in the following manner, reserving the 17th star for the center. Notice that the pairs of flat star tips are spaced differently: one pair measures about 11⁄4" across the base; the other, a little less than 1". Notice also that the inside edges of the wider pair are folds. These folds provide a space for you to push the tips of another star into. To join two stars, always insert a wider pair into a corresponding wide pair. You may use glue to anchor the tips in place, but you may also find that they interlock nicely without glue.
3.To provide thread for hanging the wreath, repeat step 16 on each fourth star around the wreath using 12" lengths of thread. Rather than making a loop with the threads, however, tie each one to the star with a square knot at the end of the thread. Tie a 14" thread to the 17th star; it will hang a bit below the wreath. Gather all five threads at the ends and tie them in an overhand knot.
Swedish Stars
Like Danish stars, this is a traditional Scandinavian technique. You can make these stars in a wide variety of sizes, depending on the length of the paper strips you use. It’s fun to use different papers for these stars as well. White is elegant and classic, but I’ve also used a variety of colors as well as printed origami paper. You could even use found papers, such as maps, sheet music, and pages from a book or magazine. —GS
You Will Need
21 paper strips, each 7" × 1⁄2"
Glue stick
Weaving the Stars (make 2)
1.With the first paper strip laid vertically on your work surface, find its center and put a dab of glue on it. Find the center of a second strip and place it on top of the first strip and at a right angle to it, gluing it in place.
2.Lay down two more vertical strips, one on each side of and parallel to the first, positioning them over the first horizontal strip. Glue them in place. Take care to butt the corner joins exactly.
3.Weave and glue a strip above and below the first horizontal, keeping edges butted tightly as before. Note that these will each go over the two outer vertical strips and under the center one. Add a dab of glue to the center verticals as well.
4.Weave in four more strips in the same way, one on each side of the three verticals and one on each side of the three horizontals.
5.Working at a corner, roll one strip from each side of the corner to the back, and overlap the ends of the strips at right angles as shown. Use a dab of glue to hold the ends in place.
6.Repeat step 5 using the next two strips at the same corner.
7.Repeat steps 5 and 6 at each corner.
Joining the Two Stars
8.With wrong sides facing, position the two stars so that the center squares are offset.
9.Draw each remaining strip (the center strips) through to the tip of the other star, and glue it to both layers of corner strips.
10.Trim each tip to make a point.
11.To create a hanger, glue the remaining strip into a loop and glue that inside one of the star points.
Scents of Summer: Lavender Wand
For me, lavender’s sharply sweet scent evokes hillsides awash in lilac color. Over the centuries, this popular herb has been used for everything from a medicine and a relaxant to an aphrodisiac. Its most practical use is for scenting stored linens to deter moths and other pests, and an old-fashioned woven lavender wand is the ideal package for this purpose.
To make this wand, it’s important to use freshly cut lavender, with stems as long as possible, since the stems must be supple enough to bend and withstand being used as warp for the narrow ribbon weft. Plants that are still in bud, rather than fully in flower, are easier to work with, but either stage is suitable. If you can’t work with the stems soon after cutting, they may be stored for a day or so in a jar of water in the refrigerator. —GS
You Will Need
13 or more freshly cut stems of lavender, at least 12" long (Be sure to use an odd number of stems.)
Florists’ tape
1⁄4"-wide satin ribbon, 3 yards
Short blunt-tip tapestry needle
Scissors
Instructions
1.Remove the leaves along the stems below the flower clusters. Gather the stems together in a bouquet, with the flower tips even across the top. Tightly wrap florists’ tape around the stems just beneath the flower clusters to bind them snugly together. Make about three wraps, then trim the tape.
The stems can be slightly uneven at the bottom; you will trim them when the wand is complete.
2.Carefully bend each stem over the tape, folding the stems neatly at the edge of the tape. At the same time, gather the stems neatly around the base of the flowers, arranging the stems as evenly as possible around the flower heads. When all the stems are bent over, secure them with another few rounds of florists’ tape just beyond the flower tips. Push the stems out around the flowers to form a ball shape.
3.Thread the ribbon through a tapestry needle, insert it between two stems, and draw the ribbon through, leaving a 3" tail. Weave under and over the stems, taking care to keep the shiny side of the ribbon facing out. Keep the ribbon smooth as you weave around. Although the first round or two of weaving can be frustrating, as the stems tend to slip around each other and hide in the flower heads, the weaving becomes much easier after it is established — really!
4.As you continue to weave under and over the stems around the flower heads, nudge the ribbon up to cover the stems at the top of the wand. At the same time, pull on the tail to help smooth that first row of weaving. Once the weaving is secure, hide the tail inside the flower cluster.
5.Continue to weave until you reach the base of the flower clusters. I like to spread the stems a bit once the top rows are secure to make it much easier to see what you’re doing as you continue weaving.
6.Trim the ribbon, leaving a 24" tail. Use the tail to make a double half-hitch knot at the bottom of the flower heads to secure the weaving (a), spiral the ribbon down the length of the trimmed stems, and then spiral back up again (b). Cut another 24" length of ribbon and use it along with the remaining spiraled ribbon to tie a bow. Trim the stems even with the bottom ribbon.
Step 6a
Step 6b
7.Store in a warm, airy place for about two weeks until the flowers and stems are dry. You may want to tighten and smooth the ribbon again before use, as the weaving tends to loosen when the stems are dry.
Tumbling Blocks Triaxial Table Runner
Most traditional weaving is done with two elements (warp and weft) that intersect at 90-degree angles. In triaxial weaving, however, there are three elements that intersect at 30- and 60-degree angles, which creates a dramatic-looking fabric that appears to have three layers and allows for more color exploration. Because triaxial weaving results in stable and shear-resistant fabric, the technique is often used in basketry. This project explores a combination of pattern and color that results in a three-dimensional-looking design. —DJ
You Will Need
Long ruler
Scissors
Medium-weight fusible interfacing, 1 yard
Foam board at least 14" wide × 28" high
Painter’s tape
Fine-tip permanent marker
30/60 triangle or quilter’s tool with these angles marked
1"-wide ribbon, one 21-foot roll of each of 4 colors
Straight pins
Long flat wooden needle with large eye
Iron and press cloth
Black duck cloth, 1⁄2 yard
Sharp sewing needle
Black sewing thread
11⁄2"-wide black ribbon, one 21-foot roll
Finished Measurement
11" wide × 22" long
Preparing the Work Surface
1.Measure and cut the fusible interfacing to be 20" wide × 28" long.
2.Cover the foam board with the fusible interfacing, making sure to place the adhesive side facing up. Tape the interfacing edges down on the board and carefully flatten out all wrinkles to make a smooth surface on the front of the board.
3.Using the ruler and marker, draw vertical parallel lines 1" apart on the interfacing. If you are using a blocking board with a 1" grid already marked, the lines should already be visible through the interfacing.
If you can see the 1" grid through the interfacing, there’s no need to draw the measurement lines.
4.Draw a horizontal line in the center of the board, at 90 degrees to the vertical lines.
5.Draw lines at 30 and 60 degrees radiating from the center of the lines you made in step 3. It is helpful to draw several lines over the length of the interfacing to guide where the ribbons will be placed as you work.
6.Draw a rectangle that is 10" wide × 18" high around the weaving area. Your piece will be woven in this area with a small margin on each side.
Weaving Layer 1
7.Cut six 24" ribbon pieces in color A1 and four 24" ribbon pieces in color A2.
8.At the top of the marked weaving area, center the six color A1 ribbons. Place two color A2 ribbons to the left and two color A2 ribbons to the right of the A1 ribbons. The ribbons should almost, but not quite, touch each other and should extend about 21⁄2" over the top and bottom edges of the weaving area. Pin the ribbons in place across the top. This is the first layer.
Weaving Layer 2
9.Cut one color B ribbon 5" long and two color B ribbons in each of the following lengths: 15", 14", 11", 9", and 7". Set these aside and cut twelve 16"-long color B ribbons.
10.Starting on the top left, pin eight to ten 16" color B ribbons down the side of the weaving area, allowing them to extend 21⁄2" outside the marked pattern area. Again, they should almost, but not quite, touch each other. Place the pins straight up and down so the ribbon can pivot.
11.Starting with the top ribbon, weave it through the vertical ribbons at a 30-degree angle going over 1 and under 2 of the vertical ribbons all the way across the grid. As you weave in the ribbons, angle the pins to follow the diagonal direction from the upper left to the lower right.
12.On the 2nd row, to maintain the pattern, start by going under 1 first, then repeat the sequence over 1, under 2 the rest of the way across.
13.On the 3rd row, go under 2, then over 1 and under 2 all the way across.
14.Repeat the pattern in steps 11–13 for the length of the piece.
15.As you reach the bottom left and upper right corners of layer 2, you’ll need the progressively shorter pieces of ribbon you cut in step 9. Go back and fill in the corners with the shorter pieces of ribbon, maintaining the pattern.
Weaving Layer 3
16.In color C, cut twelve 16" lengths of ribbon, one 5" length, and two each of the following lengths: 15", 14", 11", 9", and 7".
17.Beginning around the center of the right, go under 1 and over 2 of the vertical weavers. Sometimes they are a bit hard to see because they are covered by layer 2. Use the very long wooden needle to pull the ribbon through the previous two layers.
Look for the vertical ribbon you are going under and you’ll see a color B angled ribbon on each side of it. Go under the color B ribbon on both sides along with the vertical ribbon as shown at right.
When you go over the two vertical ribbons, you will see only colors A1 and A2 as the front of the pattern block, as it will be partially covered on the sides by the color B ribbon from layer 2.
18.Entering from the right, continue weaving under 1 and over 2 vertical ribbons.
19.When you’ve woven in all the areas that are full width, go back and fill in the upper left corner and lower right corner with the shorter pieces of color C ribbon.
Assembly
20.Pin around all edges of the woven piece, making sure to anchor the ribbons to the interfacing but not to the foam board. Remove the tape that holds the interfacing to the board.
21.Remove the weaving from the board, carefully keeping the ribbons in their proper places.
22.Place the weaving face down on an ironing board. Iron, following the directions for your interfacing. Use press cloths above and below the weaving to avoid having the interfacing stick to either the iron or the ironing board.
23.When the piece is completely dry, use the marker to outline on the interfacing side the edges of the woven area. Remove the pins and trim the piece to be 1⁄2" longer than the pattern area on all sides. The piece should measure 11" × 19".
24.Cut the duck cloth to be 1⁄2" bigger than the woven piece on all sides. If the measurements are followed as above, the duck cloth will be 12" × 20".
25.Center the weaving on the duck cloth, then pin the duck cloth to the interfacing side of the weaving.
26.Turn up the 1⁄2" overlapping edge of the duck cloth to cover the edges of the right side of the weaving. Before folding, trim the corners of the duck cloth diagonally so there is not much bulk on the corners. Pin in place.
27.Whipstitch into the raw edge of the duck cloth. As you stitch, smooth the ribbon ends to even out any slack or trim any excess.
28.Press the edges.
29.Cut two lengths of the 11⁄2" ribbon to cover the short edges of the runner. Position each ribbon to overlap a right-side edge by 3⁄4", making sure to cover the raw edge of the duck cloth.
30.Whipstitch the ribbons onto the right side of the runner.
31.Turn the edging ribbons to the back side of the runner, making sure to keep the edges straight and even. Hand-stitch in place.
32.Cut two lengths of the 11⁄2" ribbon long enough to cover the long sides of the runner plus 2". Position each ribbon on the runner to overlap one long right-side edge by 3⁄4", making sure to cover the raw edge of the duck cloth and the wide ribbon at the short ends. Leave an extra 1" sticking out from each end.
33.Fold under the 1" excess on each end to make finished edges.
34.Hand-stitch the ribbons onto the face-up side of the runner.
35.Turn the edging ribbons to the back side of the runner, making sure to keep the edges straight and even. Hand-stitch in place.
