Research methodology

My research methodology is composed of four main phases:

Phase 0 – complete

I used logic and my knowledge of overshot to enumerate the set of all possible 4B:8S overshot tie-ups (to make sure I didn’t miss any worthy of consideration) and then reduced the complete set to a much smaller subset that can be expected to produce pleasing results. 

Phase 1 – current

I am selecting a short list of overshot threadings and generating 150-200 different drawdowns for each using the subset of tie-ups identified in Phase 0. (I have written a small computer program to do this more or less automatically.) 

When this is done, I’ll put the images into galleries on my WordPress website and ask weavers to weigh in as to their preferences.

Phase 2 – upcoming

I’ll choose a subset of the threadings and tie-ups based on feedback collected during Phase 1, then use those threadings and tie-ups to weave a set of physical samples.

Then I’ll photograph those samples and repeat the process of creating online galleries and asking for weavers’ input, this time based on photos of actual cloth rather than computer generated drawdowns.

The majority of my budget is earmarked for the materials needed to weave these samples, including some money allocated to ship materials and finished samples between me and a handful of weavers who’ve offered to help weave some of them. These samples will all be woven in the same yarns and the same color to minimize variables that might influence viewers’ preferences, which my stash on hand cannot supply in sufficient quantity.

Phase 3 – future

I’ll produce additional samples of viewers’ favourites from Phase 2, this time in other weights, fibres, and colors. These samples, along with the studies woven in Phase 2, will form the basis for future workshops – in person and online – as well as photographic fodder for one or more published works I hope to produce based on this work, such as draft collections, project collections, individually published project “recipes,” articles for Handwoven or other publications, monographs and/or full fledged books.