Reserved shed weaving is a technique that is particularly useful in pick-up weave or in plaiting. The ideal pattern is a vertically symmetric design when the second half is the mirror image of the first half. A diamond is a typical vertically symmetric design. As a shed is picked, the weaver holds the shed with a stick; after inserting the weft in the first half of the design, she pushes it away to the other end of the warp. The next shed is picked, again holding it with another stick, pushing that stick away, next to the first stick, and inserting the weft next to the fell of the cloth. When the first half is completely picked, reserved and woven, the sticks then provide the remaining sheds in reverse order, in which wefts may be inserted.

Sprang (which does not involve wefts) can also be plaited with reserved shed sticks, though it may be accomplished without them. They are mainly useful for a long warp where moving the shed to the other end of the cloth would require the weaver to get up and move. Or, the shed sticks would be useful when weaving with a tubular warp and the shed needs to be moved to the under side of the warp. (See the Hopi Wedding Sash demonstration photo.)

In this Collection are several versions of the Hopi Wedding Sash, which is in the sprang category of structures. Anne liked to demonstrate this technique, but also completed a replica of a Wedding Sash, in handspun cotton, and with the cornhusk wrapped tassles. In addition, there are two very handwsome narrow sashes, one all white, one black & white, plaited of Multiple Fabric yarn. One very large demonstration loom of commercial cotton string of the Wedding Sash is in the Collection, and one small demonstration loom of the technique in brown and white commercial cotton. Both have a set of sticks in place ready to move the sheds to the other end of the cloth.

People of the Amazon weave wristlets on a bow loom using this reserved shed technique. There is such a loom from the Amazon in the Collection and a few completed wristlets from there as well, as are Anne's two warped demonstration looms and one sample she made. The structure of these wristlets is a combination of plain weave with warp twining which occurs wherever the design requires a raised area. Anne published an article on this technique in Interweave vol. V, p. 51-52, Summer, 1978. She also demonstrated and gave workshops on the technique during the 1970's-80's.

Before Anne was given the Amazon bow loom mentioned above, she had already played with this structure using a publication by Max Schmidt from 1907. We have a sample of this in the Collection, in black & gold wool yarns, still on the cords she used to mount the warps while she worked. There are no longer reserved shed sticks in the warp, but since it is a false tubular warp, she would have used sticks to weave this cloth. This structure is related to "gauze weave", with the warp threads crossing and uncrossing, but warp-faced.

Demostration warp for Hopi Wedding Sash,
cotton string

If you have any information/stories of Anne's studies of reserved shed weaving, please send them to us.