How does a rigid heddle loom create overshot weaving with a pick-up stick?

Rigid heddle overshot uses a pick-up stick inserted behind the heddle to add a third (or fourth) shed to the heddle's two standard up and down sheds. The pick-up stick is threaded over slot threads and under hole threads (or a specified selection) so that turning the stick on its edge lifts only the selected threads, creating a shed independent of the heddle position. This pick-up shed corresponds to one pattern block in the overshot sequence. Basic rigid heddle overshot uses four sheds: heddle UP (tabby A), heddle DOWN (tabby B), pick-up stick on edge with heddle neutral (pattern shed 1), pick-up stick on edge with heddle UP (pattern shed 2). Single pick-up stick = two-block overshot at most. Two-stick setup simulates four-shaft overshot with both sticks alternating but requires 30–45 minutes of setup per warp. Float lengths are fixed by the pick-up threading and cannot change per row. Threading and setup documentation is the highest-value Patreon content for rigid heddle overshot creators.

Patreon for overshot weaving creators: supplementary weft float mechanics tabby tie-down draft threading tie-up treadling rigid heddle pick-up stick float length control Apple Tax 2026

Q: What is overshot weaving and how do pattern floats and tabby tie-down work?

Overshot weaving is a two-element fabric structure where a supplementary pattern weft floats over consecutive warp threads (the overshot float) without interlacing, creating blocks of color on the cloth surface, while a tabby ground weft weaves plain weave between each pattern row to lock the floats in place. Float length — the number of warp threads spanned — is determined by the shaft threading sequence; specific shaft combinations lifted by each pattern treadle determine which warp threads lift, and consecutive threads on the same shaft combination create the float. Tabby tie-down shots alternate between shafts 1+3 and shafts 2+4 (four-shaft overshot), passing under the warp threads that the pattern weft floated over and physically anchoring the floats to the cloth structure. Without tabby tie-down shots, overshot fabric has no interlacement at float positions and is structurally unstable. Pattern weft is typically twice the weight of the warp, which produces the characteristic raised surface dimension of overshot cloth. Tabby weft matches the warp in weight and color, making tie-down shots nearly invisible in finished cloth.

2026-09-20 · KeepTier

Overshot weaving produces a two-element fabric — supplementary pattern weft floats over warp spans, tabby ground weft ties them down — whose structural logic is invisible in finished cloth photographs. Patreon creators teaching overshot offer unique content depth: draft documentation, treadling variations on a single threading, rigid heddle pick-up stick adaptation, and float length physics. Apple's 30% iOS in-app purchase fee starting November 1, 2026 threatens a significant share of that subscription revenue.

What is overshot weaving and how do pattern floats and tabby tie-down work?

Overshot weaving is a two-element fabric structure: a supplementary pattern weft floats over consecutive warp threads without interlacing, creating blocks of color on the cloth surface, while a tabby ground weft weaves plain weave (over one, under one) between each pattern row to lock the floats in place. Float length — the number of warp threads spanned — is determined entirely by the shaft threading sequence; shaft combinations lifted by each treadle determine which warp threads rise, and consecutive threads on the same shaft combination create the float. Standard four-shaft overshot uses six treadles: treadles 1–4 for pattern blocks (each lifting two adjacent shaft pairs: shafts 1+2, 2+3, 3+4, 4+1), treadles 5–6 for tabby tie-down (shafts 1+3 and 2+4). Tabby tie-down shots pass under the warp threads that the pattern weft floated over, physically anchoring the floats to the cloth structure. Pattern weft weight is typically 2× the warp thread weight, producing raised floats that catch light dimensionally above the plain-weave ground. Tabby weft matches warp weight and color, making tie-down shots invisible in finished cloth.

How does rigid heddle overshot work with a pick-up stick?

Rigid heddle overshot uses a pick-up stick inserted behind the heddle to add a third (or fourth) shed to the heddle's standard up and down sheds. The stick is threaded over slot threads and under hole threads so turning it on its edge lifts only selected threads independently of the heddle — this pick-up shed corresponds to one pattern block. Four-shed sequence: heddle UP (tabby A), heddle DOWN (tabby B), pick-up stick on edge + heddle neutral (pattern shed 1), pick-up stick on edge + heddle UP (pattern shed 2). One pick-up stick = two-block overshot maximum. Two-stick setup simulates four-shaft overshot but requires 30–45 minutes of threading per warp. Float lengths are fixed by the pick-up threading and cannot change per row. Step-by-step pick-up stick threading documentation — the setup that video compresses into 30 seconds — is the highest-value Patreon content for rigid heddle overshot creators.

How does Apple Tax affect overshot weaving Patreon creators in 2026?

Apple's 30% in-app purchase fee applies to all iOS Patreon subscriptions from November 1, 2026. Overshot weaving creators face iOS exposure of 70–84% on Instagram (weaving photography), 75–87% on Pinterest (draft and pattern saving), and 58–72% on YouTube (loom tutorials). Revenue lost: $100/mo at 73% iOS = $100 × 0.73 × 0.30 = $21.90/mo; $200/mo at 77% = $46.20/mo; $350/mo at 80% = $84/mo. A weaving creator at $200/month with a 77% iOS audience loses $554.40/year to Apple beginning November 2026. KeepTier provides web checkout outside the iOS app flow, preserving 100% of subscription revenue from the Apple cut.