The Leclerc Nilus loom that Chris' grandmother used was initially set up for only rag rug weaving. She had a continuous warp set-up on it, had a huge stash of cotton rug warp, and even had made a temple. There were also boxes and boxes of rags cut to size and wound into balls. While initially, I really didn't have much desire to weave rugs, I've come across pictures of beautiful ones and see now that they have a lot of creative potential.
So, I wanted to start with a basic plainweave rug. I chose some cute peach patterned fabric rags, read up on the process in my instructional book, and set in. I was amazed at how fast the process went, which shouldn't have surprised me since the rag is rather large in the shed. It was simple, mindless, and rewarding.
Here is the finished product in my front foyer. On a 2 1/2 yard warp. it ended out being 53.5", excluding a 4" fringe at both ends. I was not sure what to expect from the selvedges, as I did not use a temple, but they seem nice and even without pull-in. The header looks nice, too!
I seemed to be beating as hard as I could with each pass, but there is still a little bit of daylight seen between the weft.
I'll have to read up on techniques for getting a firmer beat. But regardless, I'm extremely happy with it, and I have enough material for a second rug. I've already measured the warp, so I'll go ahead and weave it starting tomorrow. I figured I would go ahead and get it done while the loom is still set up for this rug...before I move onto my next project: kitchen towels! My yarn has come in!
Hey...wouldn't these look nice next to a little girl's bed?! Just thought of that! :)
Here is the finished product in my front foyer. On a 2 1/2 yard warp. it ended out being 53.5", excluding a 4" fringe at both ends. I was not sure what to expect from the selvedges, as I did not use a temple, but they seem nice and even without pull-in. The header looks nice, too!
