I warped this Mirrix loom in March 2008, and fairly promptly started weaving. I finished the Hans Hoffman painting in April 2008, and then went on to weave headers and footers, which took me another month because of the boredom factor.

Warping this loom takes a while, and the completed work takes up less than half of the warp, so I decided to make use of the rest of the warp. I have a small hallway in my house, and my thought is to make another of the Hans Hoffman paintings to go on the other side, modifying it by making it taller and thinner. I decide where to cut the painting on the side, and add maybe just 1/2″ to the top. I also don’t have enough of the red or transparent green beads to use them as Hoffman did (and can’t get any more — these are all French and Italian seeds), so I switch the use of blue and red in the painting, and substitute a more teal transparent green for the forest transparent green.

I have remaining warp on the side because of making the painting narrower, so I decide to make a bracelet for myself at the same time, colors based on a book cover by Evon Zerbetz, and a peyote bracelet pattern by Kashaya, pictures and links in this April 2008 post.

August 2008 rolls around, and I’ve cut apart what I’ve done. Fast forward two years, and all the while, the loom is sitting out on my table. At least it’s pretty! Apparently the two year interim didn’t completely squelch my wish to finish this project, even though I don’t know how I want to finish and mount the paintings, nor put a clasp on the bracelet.

Robin Atkins recently described how she finishes her bead embroidery to hang, and I might use that as a guide. My only quibble with it is that she is mounting the eyescrews on the back through the mounting fabric; I worry that the fabric would fray. I have done some looking for wide clasps for the bracelet, and ribbon end findings are one possibility, or a wide slide clasp, or I make something of my own with beaded loops on the ends of the bracelet and using heavy silver wire shaped like a U slid through the loops. And, do I back the bracelet with Ultrasuede, or not? I think I have to weave headers and footers on it, as this thread is heavy, and with a heddled warp, there’s twice as many warps.

So there may be another long wait while I figure out the finishing.