STAIRCASE RUNNERS
We have been working with Cindy Leveson recently on a set of runners for a big, butch, beautiful staircase in Scotland using an old Edwardian idea of mixing runners of different but similar designs and colours.
We have redrawn the designs to work with existing rods and eyes - these three old designs and colourways from the mid 19th century. What you see below are three 1 metre trial samples which will be taken to the house shortly, laid out to see how they might work, tuning colours and measurements for quantities of each to cover the stairs and landings.
If all goes to plan, we will set up to hand weave these runners on a 3.75m loom allowing three runners to be woven side by side, one weaver per runner across the width- they love a bit of competition!
For those nerdy people who always ask the spec- it is an 18-string, pre-wash cotton warp, a knot count of 320v x 320h 1002.400 knots per square meter asymmetric. Using 2 fold 6 x 2ply Bulgarian high mountain wool from very old breed, fat tail sheep. The weft is recycled wool ends, respun, undyed, the selvedge edges are wrapped as you go by the outside weaver, or in this case by the weaver, both sides. Each finished row is trimmed in this case to 8mm over the base with cranked scissors fitted with different depths of cut. Carefully done, this produces a good face when finished and can easily be trimmed to a fine, final finish without the use of electrical sheers.
