It began as a sample to try my new Big Sister Mirrix loom. I didn’t take time to elaborate something. I just drew a sketch of four dancers, wove the warp (8 epi) and went on. I chose on the go colors I liked, and decided to have a try on color gradation, chiné and demi-duite.

I learnt a lot. It was the first time I wove from the side, and so the first time I had to deal with so many curves. Due to my job, there was a gap of two weeks between the first three dancers and the last on. As I hadn’t any plans, at the end of the weaving, I had lost track of my initial decisions, and there may be a lack of coherence between the beginning and the end, and the width at the end is 1,5cm less than at the beginning. The whole piece is about 20×50 cm. (Roughly 10×20 inches)

What surprised me too is that I didn’t realize till the very end the picture will be the reverse, as I weave from the back. I knew it but didn’t really visualize it.

All in all, I’m quite happy with Not Matisse. I achieved all the little goals I gave to myself, I like the colors, I improved my weaving skills. It may be the first piece I finish and mount, something I haven’t done yet. Next project, Alice et Anita 2, which I will from now call AA2. I am still hesitating for some of the colors. I have another project on the side, which will be quite challenching, I will (or not) post about it later.

Mes amis français et d’ailleurs, normalement le Google translate sur la droite de la page devrait tout vous traduire, c’est son boulot….

Is improving each day. Here are her last pieces,woven on a Hokett loom

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Celina has just ordered a Mirrix, and is impatiently waiting for the delivery. Her dedicated husband, Olivier, wanted to help. So he built her a loom, inspired by the Mirrix. Isn’t it beautifully crafted? And it works! With a customised lice comb as a beater, Celina is ready to go. Happy weaving!

Olivier a construit ce fabuleux métier pour Celina, en attendant la livraison du Mirrix. Avec un peigne à poux adapté, tout est prêt pour une nouvelle tapisserie!

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The loom is ready, warped at 12epi. The header is woven. The cartoon has been taped, then sewn. The colors are chosen, the design is planned. Samples have begun. Launching next week-end I bet, if Not Matisse is finished.

Tout est prêt pour Alice et Anita, je commence sûrement le week-end prochain, après Not Matisse

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Done. Could have been smoother on the curves, but I am happy of the colors, the orange doesn’t seem to come from nowhere. I a going on with the chiné and the irregular hatching, sometimes struggling because I’m using different kinds and thickness of wool ( I’m blending Faro, Weaversbazar and Aubusson, that’s a mess). Let’s go for the yellow dancer!

Le danseur orange est fini, et je suis assez contente de la manière dont la couleur s’intègre aux autres. J’attaque le danseur jaune, avec toujours des difficultés à mélanger des laines d’épaisseur différentes.

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It’s a French proverb, meaning that even if you undo something, you’re still working. Today update on Not Matisse.

…c’est toujours travailler.

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It’s the first time that I weave from the side, and it has its challenges. It’s difficult to conveive and to plan, and I often have to put my head on the side, to find what to do next. Also, I gave myself another challenge, how will I be able to bring smoothly a bright orange next to the blue dancer?

Première fois que je tisse par le côté, je tourne sans arrêt la tête pour trouver ce que je dois faire. Et je me suis donnée la tâche de faire le second personnage en orange qui pète, vais-je y arriver sans encombres?

That’s the title of my new piece. My big loom is waiting for heddles (Gmail told me they are now in my mail box, so I know what the afternoon will be.) But I now have a smaller Mirrix, on which I will try yarns, colors, and whatever is on my mind. So here I go for my chiné dancers. A mix of Faro, Weaversbazar and Aubusson yarns at 8 epi.

En attendant d’installer les lisses du grand Mirrix, je m’amuse avec différentes laines sur le nouveau petit métier.

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I found the French word for pick and pick, and it’s: “ pointillé “. I bet i’s very difficult to pronounce for English speaking people. Anyway, my pick and pick exercice is over, and I’ pleased of it. It was woven of the Ladybird mini loom fron Spinspired ( spinspired.co.uk), a very simple and cheap loom with good tension and good size. I used Weaversbazar (weaversbazar.com) 6/2 medium yarn, and appreciated it a lot. The selvedges are not perfect, I have to improve there.

Pick and pick, ça se dit Pointillé en français. J’ai fini mon exercice en utilisant un petit métier de cette boutique (Spinspired.co.uk), pas cher, bonne taille, bonne tension, je le recommande)

I spent the Easter weekend in Aubusson with a friend. We had a wonderful time,eating, learning, reading, watching. A glimpse of Aubusson and the treat I made to myself. More in the posts to come.

Le week-end Pâques à Aubusson, et la laine que j’y ai achetée.

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