Okay, I’ve stalled long enough, and want to go on to the next part of this project, the next loomed pieces. I am a bit worried about only tying off slippery nylon threads without them slipping, and then sewing the piece to a background, so I thought I’d do a footer and header and turn it twice underneath, as I’ve seen recommended in several places. Sew it to itself is what I’m envisioning. I think I’ll still mount them as Laura Willits does, but these warps would be more stable. And, I can always take the header and footer out if I change my mind, right?

So, I’ve started on the footer for this loomed piece. Here’s the problem: I can’t use the heddles, so I’m weaving over-under-over-under with a needle. I’m using the thread I used for the warp, and I’ve only got a millimeter or two more than half an inch between the beginning of the weaving, and the bottom bar of the loom. I can’t rotate it up to give myself more room, because the warping bar is right there at the bottom too, on the back side of the loom. This is good in that it gives me more warp for weaving the next pieces, but bad in giving me a little extra room to work.

So I’m weaving over-under, etc, back and forth. I’m doing it flat (rather than standing on its feet), balanced on the table and my legs with two lights shining directly on it so I can SEE the over-under. To make it easier to go from left to right, I’m flipping the loom upside down every other row so I can always use my right hand.

Tonight, in multiple hours (3?), this is how far I’ve gotten. Twenty-four rows and 1/4″. To get the 1/2″ I’m aiming for, to be able to fold it underneath twice, I will have to weave essentially the same number of rows that the entire beaded piece is — and that’s only one side. I have the header yet to do too.

And since I can be a fool for details, I think I’m going to weave the header the same way as the footer, even though the heddles are on that end. Because this weft-faced fabric on the footer wouldn’t match the header, because the warp would show if I used the heddles. Even though it’s folded underneath. Looking at what I just wrote, that looks a tad nuts. I think I’ll at least try a few rows of using the heddles for the header. Sigh.