No Sew Placemats on the the Rigid Heddle Loom
Rigid Heddle Weaving
on your rigid heddle loom, look no further. The Shades of Green Placemats pattern is a satisfying, stunning, and surprisingly simple weave that produces a whole set of gorgeous table linens — using nothing more than one heddle and a pickup stick.
About This Pattern
Designed with beginners firmly in mind, this project introduces you to working with multiple colors and a pickup stick without overwhelming complexity. The result is a series of placemats with a rich, textured appearance created by alternating four complementary greens in both the warp and weft.
The pattern calls for 8/2 cotton yarn from Great Northern Weaving in four gorgeous color combinations. Cotton is an ideal choice for placemats — it's durable, washable, and gets softer with every use. All dimensions in the pattern are fully adjustable, so you can size your placemats exactly as you like.
The Color Story
Four shades of green come together in this design, arranged in repeating stripes across the warp. The interplay between these colors is what gives the placemats their organic, garden-fresh character.
Of course, you're not locked into these exact choices. Pick any four colors you love and weave a set that suits your own table — the pattern structure works beautifully with whatever palette speaks to you.
What You'll Need
Equipment
The Warping Plan
This project uses a 12.5 dent heddle warped with double threads in every slot and hole. Your warp should measure just over 14 inches wide on the loom, and be 90–100 inches long to yield four placemats.
The warping sequence alternates Color 1 (Pear) as a single-slot divider between wide bands of each of the other three colors. Here's the full sequence, repeated across the warp:
| Color | Sequence |
|---|---|
| Color 1 — Pear | 1 slot, 1 hole |
| Color 2 — Duck Green | 12 slots, 12 holes |
| Color 1 — Pear | 1 slot, 1 hole |
| Color 3 — Light Jade | 12 slots, 12 holes |
| Color 1 — Pear | 1 slot, 1 hole |
| Color 4 — Sage | 12 slots, 12 holes |
This entire sequence repeats three times across the warp, with a final set of Color 2 stripes completing the design. The Pear dividers create a crisp, subtle grid line between each color band that reads beautifully in the finished fabric.
Weaving Notes & Tips
The pickup stick is what creates the pattern texture that elevates this beyond a basic plain weave. If you haven't used a pickup stick before, don't be intimidated — the instructional video linked in the pattern walks you through every step.
Weave each placemat as a separate section. Many weavers find it helpful to use a contrasting scrap yarn between placemats to make cutting apart easy after finishing. After cutting from the loom, finish the ends securely with a hem stitch or twisted fringe — both look beautiful with this design.
Why This Project Works So Well for Beginners
first multi-color project) is the forgiving nature of the design. The striped warp structure means even slight inconsistencies in beat or selvedge are absorbed into the overall texture. You're also making something genuinely useful — four placemats is a complete, giftable set — which keeps motivation high all the way to the finish line.
By the time you've woven all four, you'll have the muscle memory of working with multiple shuttles, the confidence to use a pickup stick, and a beautiful set of table linens to show for it. Not a bad result for a beginner project!
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