September 2026: Polychrome Summer and Winter in Dukagang Style
Woven by Margie Wetherald
sample
I originally worked with this design in May 2024 as a tied weave for the Wednesday Evening Structures Study Group. I used a design approach from Bonnie Inouye’s Exploring Multishaft Design, Revised Chapters 8 & 9 (2025). The original draft was for ten shafts and fourteen treadles. I created a new draft for eight shafts and twelve treadles so more people could weave the draft.
This is a three-color, three-shuttle polychrome Summer and Winter design in Dukagang style using a parallel treadling with an AxxBxx tabby. The threading is a modified straight draw with a graduated number of repeated blocks from two to four. The treadling is constructed with a curved design line and a parallel repeat with an initial of five. You will need to weave with three shuttles.
I like Bonnie’s design concept because it creates flowing, large-scale shapes that move across the fabric on only eight shafts. It’s fun to create curves in a world of straight lines.
detail
Structure: Polychrome Summer and Winter in Dukagang Style
Source of Pattern: This draft is my own design, based on the design approach in Bonnie Inouye’s Chapter 8, Figures 8-35 through 8-39, pp. 108 - 111, Exploring Multi-shaft Design, Revised Chapters 8 & 9 (2025). Bonnie’s Revised Chapters 8 & 9 are available through Lofty Fibers.
Yarns:
Warp: Brassard 8/2 cotton in Orange Brûlé
Pattern Weft: Brassard 8/2 cotton in Jeans and Brick
Tabby Weft: Brassard 16/2 in Orange Brûlé (matching the warp)
Sett: 24 epi, 12 dent reed, 2 ends per dent
Finishing: Soak in hot water, towel dry, tumble dry to damp, hard press in Ironrite Mangle.
Shrinkage: Width: 10.5%; Length: minimal
Loom: Macomber 10 shafts, 14 treadles, 36” weaving width (sample woven on 8 shafts, 12 treadles)
Bio:
Margie has been weaving since retirement in 2016. She began her weaving life with Sue Willingham and Janet Dawson’s beginning weaving class and has attended “weaving camp” with them every year since. She is happiest when “out over her skill horizon,” meaning she is exploring a new structure, design, yarn and/or technique. She notes, “It’s not as much fun if I know what I’m doing.” Margie is an avid member of several study groups and credits her study group compatriots with fostering and enabling her love of complex weaving. Margie co-chaired the Annual Sale for three years. She is currently helping to bring SWG’s Bateman Collection to the world by making photos and, eventually, modern drafts available online.
