Mirrix Tapestry/Bead Cuff

Mirrix Tapestry/Bead Cuff

This kit contains the following:

Brass cuff one inch wide

C-Lon Cord

Various yarns

8/0 and 11/0 seed beads

ultra-suede

Necessary tools not included in the kit:

A Mirrix Loom with shedding device and a ten dent warp coil.

A piece of cloth for holding beads; a beading needle, a blunt edge needle;

glue that will bond metal to fiber; scissor

Warping your Mirrix Loom:

Warping method:  for tapestry, one thread of C-Lon cord per dent

Warp Coil size:  10 dents

Number of warps:  15

Finished length of piece:  7 inches

You can use any of the Mirrix Looms with shedding devices to create this lovely bracelet.

Reduce your loom’s height to minimize the amount of warp you will use.  If you have a larger Mirrix Loom, this can be accomplished by using the extra warping bar.   I like to weave a piece on both the left and right side of the loom at the same time.

Weaving

Weave a header about a quarter inch long using the C-Lon cord.

You will be weaving straight lines of thread and beads.  You decide the order.  The threads in this kit all look beautiful together.  In the below piece I am using two threads at a time for a more interesting color effect. Make sure that you do not pull too tight when you wrap around the edges so that your edges remain straight.

(Note:  it is helpful to buy one of the tapestry books on our site if you are not familiar with weaving yarn or want to learn a variety of tapestry techniques.)

To weave the beads, thread a ten inch length of beading thread into a beading needle.  Tie an overhand knot.  You will be using this needle with a loop of beading thread to thread the 8/0 beads onto your yarn.  Loop the end of the last piece of yarn you’ve woven through thread on the needle.  Pick up 14 beads with your needle and slide those beads down the beading thread and onto one of the yarns. (Remember, I was using two pieces of yarn for the tapestry part but only threaded the beads onto one of the threads.)

Weave the yarn with the beads, placing one bead between each thread.

Weave the empty thread above the beads.  In this case I then join that thread with the second and thread and continue weaving.

When you’ve almost reached seven inches, weave about a quarter inch of  the C-Lon bead cord. To remove the weaving from the loom, loosen the tension on the loom and remove the warp bar. Lay your piece flat and trim the ends so that you have at least four inches left to work with (the longer the better).  Tie overhand knots with warp pairs.  When you’ve tied all the knots, trim the warp to about an inch in length.

Assembly:

Ultrasuede:  Lay the beadwork on the Ultrasuede and trace the outline of the tapestry onto the Ultrasuede.  Trim the Ultrasuede to match the size of the beadwork. 

Glueing:

Use a toothpick to spread a thin, even layer of adhesive over the back of the tapestry and to one side of the Ultrasuede.  Place the brass cuff blank between the two and sandwich them together.  Smooth both pieces to remove any gaps and make sure they two pieces are aligned.

  

Edging:  Cut a yard length of C-Lon thread.  Bury the end between a corner of the beadwork and the Ultrasuede.  You will begin a pico stitch by entering the back of the tapestry, picking up three 11/0 beads and sewing through the ultrasuede.
Continue sewing the back and front together with three beads per stitch. 

Wear and enjoy!

A new way to warp!

A New Way To Warp? (For bead weaving.)

On Sunday we visited Caravan Beads and while Claudia taught, Barry (the lovely owner of Caravan) and I sat down and tried to figure out an easier way to warp. (All his idea.) We expanded a bit on a fairly new method that was developed at our last workshop and although this has not been sufficiently tested I thought I'd share our ideas with you blog-readers out there and perhaps I could get some input.

This new warping method has two parts. Those of you who are already pros at putting heddles on might not need the second part (the comb). It was developed with beginners in mind and just helps to separate the warp threads and allows you to see what you're doing much more clearly. (Note: This blog post is meant to be understood by those who have warped the loom before. Once tested more thoroughly, we will post more detailed instructions.

Here we go:

The first step is to make a small, cardboard comb from anything you have lying around. Cut slits in it (as shown) on both sides. You should have as many slits on one side as warp threads you plan to have. On the other side, cut the same amount plus one extra. We will assume that you will be working on the left side of your loom, and putting your heddles on right to left. In this case, the extra notch should be on the front right. (see picture.) If you were warping in the other direction, the extra notch would be on the front left.

Tie onto the warping bar like you would when you are warping the loom normally. 

Loop the warp over the loom and through one dent in the coil. Then put the warp in the first RIGHT BACK slit of the cardboard comb. 

Bring your thread around the bottom of the loom and back to the warping bar. Instead of doing a U-turn at this point, simply WRAP YOUR WARP THREAD AROUND THE BAR and CONTINUE BACK TO THE TOP. (This is the new, easier way to warp and can be done without the comb.)

When you bring your warp thread back to the top, put it through the same dent in the spring as your last warp. (Note: This is only done when bead weaving with the shedding device.)

Bring this warp thread down and into the front notch of the comb. Make sure you put it in the notch that is on the exact opposite side of the one your last warp thread was put in. Leave the extra notch empty. 

Bring your warp thread under the loom, around the warping bar and back up to the spring as you did before. This time, bring your warp thread to the next dent over. 

Continue to do this. (This is the sequence: Up over the loom, into one dent of the spring, into a back notch of the comb, under the loom, around the warping bar, over the top, back into the same dent as the last warp thread, into a front notch of the comb (make sure this is done sequentially), under the loom, around the warping bar, into another dent of the spring... etc. etc. etc.....) This should create a scenario where you have two warp threads per dent in the top spring of your loom and each of those is separated in the comb, front and back. 

Two warps in each dent: 

Tie off on the warping bar when finished. Remove clips. 

Move warping bar down, and then move comb down to just above where shedding device will be. 

Place shedding device on loom. Unscrew bar. Take one heddle at a time and loop it around the FRONT warp threads, one at a time, right to left. Because of the comb, they will be well separated and easier to see. 

Next, flip the warping bar around so the bottom small bar is on the top. 

Move the front right warp over from the current notch it is in to the "extra notch"This will leave room for you to grab the warp thread behind and make it easier to see. It will also insure that you bring the back warp thread to the RIGHT of the one in front (If you were doing this in the opposite direction, to the LEFT.) At this point you may want to loosen your tension slightly to make it easier to grab the back warp threads. 

Loop your heddle around the first back warp thread and onto the bar. Easy to see, isn't it?

Now, move the front warp thread that is second to the right over one notch to the right. This opens up a space for you to see the next thread you will be looping your heddle around. 

Continue to do this in sequential order, remembering to move each front warp thread over to the right before you grab the next back warp thread. It isn't hard to remember to do this since the comb sets everything up very clearly. 

Remove the comb.

And you're done! Ta da!

Putting on heddles made easy

New discovery:  putting on heddles not only made easy, but also to avoid making any mistakes.  I discovered this just before teaching the two women you will meet on the main blog.  One woman wanted to warp her loom for a nine inch wide piece.  She had never warped a Mirrix Loom for bead weaving before.  We also had a major time constraint.  Using this method she did not make one error.

For the purpose of being able to clearly see the illustrations, I have used thick warp in every other dent of the eight inch coil.  This method is for bead weaving using the shedding device.  There are two warps in every dent.

This is how you do it.

Insert the thin metal bar that is later inserted in the spring to prevent the warps from jumping out when you advance your weaving.

Tie the rod to the top beam so that it stays balanced while you put on the heddles.

Wrap a heddle around the first warp that is above the bar.

Hook heddles onto top bar on shedding device.  Continue doing this with all the warps that are above the inserted metal bar.

Once you have put heddles on every warp that is on top of the inserted bar, rotate the shedding device away from you so that the heddles are now on the bottom (the old method had you attach a heddle to the top bar and then one to the bottom bar).  You will then be attaching heddles to the warps that are behind the inserted metal bar.  It might be helpful to use a crochet hook to grab the warp.  Make sure it is to the right of the warp which already has a heddle around it.  Place a heddle around this warp and hook onto shedding device bar.

Voila. Franc is very pleased with himself.

Weaving a tapestry on a Loom featuring the Mirrix

Not by me.  You Tube video by Linda Horton Dodson. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64ZBG13_wf8

Warping the Laniloom or any Mirrix Loom without shedding device

These instructions and illustrations apply to warping the laniloom or any Mirrix loom when not using the shedding device.  It also applies to warping the loom for tapestry before you've put on the shedding device.  Below is a photo of the loom warped.   Note how the warp essentially goes around the loom.  It does not cross inside the loom.  This is an important mistake to look for.  The warping bar is on the back of the loom, where it will stay, although you can adjust it up or down once  you've warped your loom.

The first picture shows the loom warped.  The second picture shows what the warp does when it reaches the warping bar.  Notice how the warp does a U-turn around the bar, heading back in the direction from which it came.  This is the key to warping the Mirrix Loom.  You tie onto the warping bar, bring the warp up to the top beam and then around it so you are heading down the front of the loom.  Take it around the bottom of the loom and up to the warping bar.  Then you do a U-turn (again note close-up where the warp reverses direction by doing a U-turn and then heading back in the direction from which it came.  Every time you reach the warping bar you will do a U-turn and head back from where you came.  When you are done warping, tie onto warping bar.

It's really very simple.  Your job is to keep the tension even.  Doesn't have to be very tight because tension will later be added by turning the wing nuts.  But even tension is key.

Do not worry about running out of thread (as long as you have the same thread on a different bobbin).  When your bobbin runs dry, tie onto the warping bar.  Then tie a new thread in the same place and continue in the correct direction (wherever you were headed before your bobbin ran dry).  The final picture shows the Mirrix with 36 different colored threads on it.  I tied on a new thread for each color and the tension was just fine.

Headers and Footers for Bead Weaving

 A bead piece where you "needle weave" the first and last row. In this case you simply employ the tradtional methodo f bead "weaving" to start and finish the piece. In other words with threads all flat (this applies whether you are or are not using the shedding device) put your strung beads behind and in between the warps (if you are using the shedding device, it is in the neutral position and you are treating each pair of threads as one thread) and sew through the beads on the top of the warp. The next row can either continue this way, if you are NOT using the shedding device, or, if you are using the shedding device, by raising and lowering half the threads in order to actually weave your beads in between the two layers of threads. You will end your piece by again using the the traditional method of bead weaving.


A bead piece where you have woven a "header." This is actual weaving where you take your needle and thread and bring it under and over the warp threads, back and forth until you've built up about a half inch header. You can end your piece by creating a "footer,": same thing but at the end. For bead pieces begun and ended this way using the shedding device this will keep the piece from falling apart when you take it off the loom. 

In all cases, you will need to tie off your warp ends after removing your piece]from the loom. I use overhand knots because other knots do not require tension to remain in place.



Claudia



Comments from Mary Alexander:

(Note from Claudia:  This is an alternative way to begin and end a bead weaving which in fact is the same method one would use to begin and end a tapestry.  It creates to fiber sections at the beginning and end of the weaving which you can fold under the bead weaving and sew to the back.  It's a fast way to finish a bead piece.)

I weave a header before starting to weave the piece. I do this for one or both of two reasons. First, to get the warp threads to behave properly and to be sure they are in the right sequence. Secondly, if I also want to get rid of the warp threads after weaving. I also weave a "footer" after I've finished the bead weaving.

* in any case I use a yarn, or crochet thread, or whatever heavy bead thread I have available. I've been known to use micro-macrame cord. For discussion purposes I'll call this "yarn."
* I weave this just as we were taught in first grade ... tie on the yarn. then under / over / under /over etc .. one warp thread at a time across the first row, then reverse the sequence for the second row so that you are going OVER every warp thread that you had just gone under for the first row.
* I pack this yarn fairly tight as I weave it. I intend eventually to tie off all my warps by tying adjacent warps to each other.
* glueing the warp knots w/ Fray check or whatever works with the type of warp thread you are using.
* clipping the warps close to the knots,
* then folding the yarn header / footer over the knotted warps twice to encase the knots
* and sewing this yarn header/footer to the underside of the loom work.

the larger Mirrix looms have the option of using a shedding device. if the loom is to be warped for use with a shedding device, TWO warp threads are used in each spring dent. when the yarn headerand footer are woven, these two warp threads per dent are treated as one. When the first row of beads is woven with the shedding device
set up, these two warp threads are treated as one.

In essence, working with the shedding device creates a V shape, where half the warps are forward and the other half are back. The weft thread w/ all its beads is lain carefully into the base of this V and every bead is nestled gently into its proper place in between its two warp threads. Then you reverse the shed. The two sets of warp threads change places. The warps that had been in front of the weft thread w/ its beads now move to the back and close over the weft thread with all the beads, holding the beads in place.

A Fascinating and Original Method to Weave Wide Bead Pieces on The Mirrix

This is a fascinating post I found in the Mirrix Loom email list archives.  It took me a bit to understand the method.  What you will love most are the amazing photos posted with it.  Look at the detail!  Just gorgeous.  Would love to see more work by Susan A.

I'm not sure if the technique I use with my mirrix loom is 'correct', it just evolved out of frustration with all those warp threads and heddles. I can needle weave a 12+ inch row in about 10 minutes, excluding the time to load the beads which would be the same for either technique.

1. I do a single warp, one thread for each dent - 235 in my current piece on the big sister loom. One for each bead in the design plusone extra. I also use the extra bottom coil to help line up the warp threads.

2. I put a masonite board behind the warp threads and in front of the upright posts. This gives me a firm surface braced against the loom. I then put a softer pad - one of those velveteen jewelry mats - immediately behind the warp threads. Sometimes I need to put a thin magazine between the mat and the board to get the right tension. Once that's set up, I can needle weave a wide row without needing to get my hands behind the piece.

3. I use two needles/threads to control the weft tension. I start by tying threads to each side of the warps. As I am right handed, the left hand thread is the 'beading' thread, the one I load up the row of beads onto. Once it's full, I use the thin rod from the shedding device with an eraser taped to it to pass the needle and thread behind the warp threads and in front of the board and mat.

4. The 'weaving thread' is on the right side and I use that one to pass the thread back in front of the warp threads. It's mostly a matter of pushing the warp threads back until the beads snap in front, there is an audible click. Once the weaving needle is full of beads (20-30 beads for my size 10 needles) I strum the warp threads to make sure I caught all of them, again, there is a distinctive sound when it's right. Using the two threads I can weave 20-30 beads into place before having to snap the next set of beads into place. I can also pull on both sides of the `beading thread' to position the
beads without affecting the weaving thread.

5. The row is now finished and the two threads have switched sides. Like I said, it goes fairly quickly and I'm not fighting with all those double warp threads. I figure even if you use the shedding device and weave, this technique may help with that first and last row which does need to be needle woven.

I've never seen this method described anywhere, but it works for me and might help someone else who gets dyslexic sorting through all those warp threads and heddles. I used the shedding device on narrower pieces, but once I moved to 12+ inches, my brain gave up. I posted photos of the loom with the boards in place in case that
helps. I love my loom and just purchased a wider one (oh the plans I have) with the stand, which I love. Of course I have to be contrary there too: I C-clamp a board over the tray so I can work off a wider flat surface, see photos.

PS – the blue tape is because I kept catching my threads on the bottom coil piece – I know someone will ask.

Posted by
- Susan A

No Warps to Weave in Bracelet

The beads were attached to the top bar by threading the required number of beads, and then wrapping around that thread and the bar in between each bead so that the strung beads are attached to the top warp bar. Do this for the bottom warpar. Thread warp through a top bead, a bottom bead, top bead, etc. until you have the required number of warps. Begin weaving just above first row of beads on bottom warp bar.

This is the finished piece. In order to remove it, jst cut the thread that is wrapped around the two warp bars. Your will hve two warp ends to weave back in. Notice that you have to place the two warp bars exactly the distance you want the length of your piece to be.

Tapestry Warp

I am often asked what kind of warp one should use for tapestry. I will try to provide a fairly broad answer to this question with the beginner tapestry weaver in mind. The sett for the yarns I will be recommending can range from 4 epi to 12 epi. I am very ignorant when it comes to warp used for small format tapestry, so you are on your own there.

Warp Options:

Inexpensive cotton carpet warp

Seine Twine

Linen

Wool

When I began weaving tapestry I used Maysville cotton carpet warp. It's cheap and comes in a variety of colors. When I became more serious about weaving tapestry, I gave up the cheap product and replaced it was the other three options on the above list. It finally struck me that the integrity of my tapestry would have a direct corollary to the quality of the warp. I also realized that since tapestry is a very hands-on technique and you are constantly rubbing your hands against the warp, the nicer the warp, the nicer the experience. That being said, if you don't want to initially invest a lot in your materials, buy some Maysville cotton carpet warp. Search the web. It's available in a variety of places.

Seine Twine is the best of cotton warps. It was originally used for making fishing nets. It comes in two different weights: 12/6 (which is 2 ply) and 12/9 (which is 3 ply). I think you are better off just sticking with the 12/6 since it is so strong you really won't have much need for the three ply, thicker version. Seine Twine, like any cotton, has some elasticity. Therefore, unlike linen, minor inconsistencies in warp tension (ie., you answered the phone in the middle of warping your Mirrix Loom and messed up on the tension a little bit when you returned to warping) will not be as readily noticed.

Linen. Ah Linen! I would recommend Fine Irish Linen in 8/2 Wetspun Tow Yarn. Linen has almost no elasticity. It is, in my humble opinion, almost impossible to warp most tapestry looms with it since most tapestry looms require that you tie each individual warp. Getting even tension is, well, nearly impossible. Getting even tension with linen on a Mirrix is really easy because it's a continuous warp. Just don't answer the telephone in the middle of warping. Any inconsistency will be noticed. So why use linen? It is beautiful and rich. It provides a certain body to your tapestry not possible with any other warp. You can always tell when a tapestry has been woven on a linen warp. It just has a certain richness to it. That being said, it is harder to weave on a linen warp than on a cotton or wool warp because it is not elastic. It won't move out of the way when you insert your weft. Your fingers might not be very happy after a long day of weaving on linen. But try it at least once. Maybe I should consider selling it from this site?

Wool warp is my favorite. It is quite elastic (more than cotton) but more importantly, since I mainly use wool weft, I find using a wool warp makes more sense. Apparently, the Navajos used wool warp for their rugs because when the wool warp and wool weft rub against each other it provides less wear on the rug than if the warp were cotton. Wool on wool is a good thing. I like it because I find the wool warp and weft bond together much more than cotton or linen warp and wool weft. Keep in mind that wool is covered with scales (which when felted tangle up together making it impossible to untangle) and those scales like to hug each other. So the wool weft hugs the wool warp and I believe creates a more stable tapestry. The weft will not slide down the wool warp as much as if the warp were linen or cotton. We do sell the wool weft on this site and I highly recommend it both for beginner and advanced weavers especially if you are using wool weft. Look for a future blog on what to use for weft.

Pull and Pray or Tape and Tug

Aptly renamed by Jeri, who used to call it "pull and pray", the tape and tug method requires that you tape down your piece (good strong packing tape . . . not some whimpy stuff) making sure to cover all of your beads, but don't press it down so much that you also stick your warp. I didn't have that problem but imagine one could.


If you do not cut your piece off the loom, the warp threads will be continuous and hence, because there is no risk of piercing your warp with your needle, you can pul that warp all the way through cretig four finished edges.


Start pulling from the middle out, which means choose a pair of warp threads and pull it until the opposite end is snug against the beads. Then go to the other end of the weaving and pull on that thread so it's snug against the beads. Your warp is going to get longer and longer and you might want to stop after an inch or so and sew in those ends.

If you use two spools of warp when you warp your loom this method works great. If you've only used one spool of warp, the two threads that are in one dent will be going in opposite directions and will have to be pulled individually. This is not the recommended route. So if you are going to do the tape and tug method (I love that name, Jeri) please use two spools of warp.


Additional comments from Jane Overman:  I usually start in the middle of the bracelet. Put the project on the table flat and start in the middle. Go one direction and then the other. Pull one thread til it's snug against the bead. Follow it down to the other end and pull that thread thru to the opposite end. keep going til all threads are at one end or the other. If you get to a snag and it won't pull easily leave it alone and go to the next thread.  (note from Claudia:  you can then weave that thread in later)

Making Heddles

This was posted by Mary Alexander who has always been a source of wonderful and inspiring information told in her inimitable style:

Hi, Morgan, Rhonda, and others who have been talking about making heddles . . . I bought my Mirrix a number of years ago, even before Claudia made her wonderful video. At that time the instructions explained how to create a jig for making heddles.

I gave my dear hubby the exact measurements for placement of two finishing nails - these are slender with almost no nail-head, and not too long. He drove these into a handy board, then clipped the heads off with wire cutters and used a file to round over the tops of the clipped nails.

Yes, making the heddles was somewhere between maddening and boring at the time it seemed very time-consuming. Now I'm glad I have them. I kept the jig (of course!!) and have even made more heddles for another project. I used Pearl Cotton size 8 - cotton so it wouldn't stretch, and size 8 so it would be thin enough to work easily with tiny beads like Delicas(excuse me, size 11/0 cylinder beads) and size 15/0s.

A tapestry needle is a very useful tool as you make heddles. Cut the heddle string long enough to work with it easily - long enough to hold onto, wrap around one jig post, make a single overhand knot, and guide the knot back to the tying jig post. I cut pieces of thread at least doublethe length of the finished heddle. After I tied the overhand knot loosely, I stuck the tapestry needle into the center of the overhand knot. Then I used the tapestry needle to guide the overhand knot back till it was very snug against the heddle post. then I dropped the needle and pulled on each end of the heddle string separately with each hand - this tightened the knot firmly (very similar to knotting between pearls, if anyone has done
this).

Heddles need to be the same length. After I finished making mine, I ran a strong piece of string through the loop ends, taped the ends of this"holding" string to my desk, and smoothed out the heddles with the knots pointing away from the "holding" string. any heddles that were too long or too short were clipped out of the collection. A sixteenth of an inch doesn't seem like much when you are looking at the heddles lying on a flat surface, but that much difference in heddle length will definitely preventa heddle from working properly in the shed.

Claudia gave me an excellent tip about using home-made heddles: as you put each heddle on the shedding device, put the heddle knots at the back, where the heddle goes around the small rod of the shedding device. if the knots wind up along the sides or at the front close to the bead/yarn work, the heddle knots can catch on each other and make it more difficult for the shedding device to move all the heddles and warps from one position to the other.

Using two different colors of warp threads will make this "stuck heddle" problem easier to spot. Another home-made tool I created is a "heddle checker." I cut a piece of manilla folder or mat board longer than my weaving and about the width of a ruler. This is better than a regular ruler because it's opaque. Anything that's long and flat, or long and round (like a dowel) will do.

Every so often, when I change sheds I slip the "ruler" into the V between the sheds - any "stuck"heddles are immediately obvious. I look at the heddles to figure our the cause of the problem. My two most frequent problems -
* Heddle knot in the wrong place, and catching on other warp threads?
slide the knot to the back of the shedding device again.
* Heddle knot has become too loose or too tight, causing one warp thread to stay in the wrong position?? GAAAH - once I cheerfully clipped and removed an ornery heddle because I thought I could easily replaceit. BAAAD decision; it took me forever to find the correct warp thread, and even *more* time to get the new heddle in the right sequence as I knotted it onto the shedding device rod amongst all the other heddles.
* Instead, leave the misbehaving heddle in place. try to tighten / loosen the knot using the trusty tapestry needle and perhaps a second needle, then re-tie the overhand knot while the misbehaving heddle is still
happily looped around its proper warp thread.
* If the heddle must be replaced, release the shedding device; move the misbehaving heddle upwards a little so you can follow the thread path easily; then put a long length of new heddle string in the same thread path. when you are certain you've got the right thread path around both the warp thread AND the shedding device rod, then clip the old heddle and tie the new one.


Note from Claudia:  After spending quite a while talking to customer who had not purchased heddles and needed to make some really quickly (with no hammer or nails or wood) I came to the conclusion that she could cut  piece of cardboard to create a gig around which to wrap the threads to make heddles.  The width of the cardboard would need to be 3 1/8 inches.  Or any material would do.  A thin piece of wood, a piece of heavy plastic.  The point is simply to create something you ca wrap the string around to get a uniform circle.  Claudia