Real Time Naaxiin Robe in Progress

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Please go to daily posts at the blog home page for future progress pictures. I have started the nose of the side faces. Skip over there and see it happen. Thank you for your interest in this process.

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(45)The black two strand weaving is creating the eyebrow by going back and forth and turning where the white above turned.

(44)The shape of the eyebrow is formed by the two strand white weaving and turning. I mark the turning places with string.

 My eldest granddaughter, Rosalie found the foot of my loom to be a comfortable place to sit.

(43) I Have started an "Ear" shape for the Central Face.

(40,41,42)I am shaping the upper eyebrows and creating the proper angle for the central face.

 

(38 & 39) The original robe has a lot of damage to the resultant shape, so I have created my own creation.

 (37) I am filling in the "forehead" with white two strand, weaving back and forth, turning just where I turned with the black above.

(36) The way the points are put in is important. the black fine lines should touch the black formline. These are the same rules that painters and carvers follow.

(35) There is a long blue shape at the top of each major ovoid shape above the main face. It creates the angle of the main eyes. I started the angle with the black form and continue it with the blue form. Braids are placed between these color shapes.

(34) I am forming the top black form. This will begin shaping the central face and the side faces. The side faces upper ovoids are being formed.

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(31) Here is my pattern. I projected a photo of the original robe and created an "at scale" drawing. I painted it with India Ink so it would be protected from moisture.

(29) The first yellow shape is started by first adding the black, white, black and yellow braids. Then yellow two strand is entered and worked back and forth turning at the place the upper black rows had turned,

(30) A circle is started  by first creating the upper circle shape by weaving the yellow then putting in the braids.

(24) Blue/green on the outside shapes is pretty standard for naaxiin robe designs. I am happy to be at the point now to add this lovely color.

(25) The next shape is created by going back and forth with two strand black. I am using the drawstring that I had added previously to connect these two shapes. The drawstring is unique to the naaxiin weave.

(26) Three strand braids ALWAYS surround shapes.

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(28) Scroll down the photos to see the beginning of the robe.

(1) Tiffany Amber Vanderhoop, Evelyn's Daughter and Novella, youngest granddaughter, pose with warp balls ready to hang on the loom.

(2) The warp was made from wool and yellow cedar thigh spun.

(3) The loom is being, "warped"!!

(4) Tiffany Amber Vanderhoop my assistant, she helped spin warp and cut and hang the warp on the loom

(5) This is me, feeling happy about being through with spinning and finally getting to hang the warp. The warp has ties every inch at the bottom to keep clean and neat and to also hold the warp in place before the first row is woven.

(6) The heading is woven and now the start of the black border is begun

(7) I am weaving at the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) in Vancouver. This was in mid March 2013

(8) Here I am standing next to the sign that was put up to introduce the public to me.

(9) Back home I continue to weave the black border. The wefts I am using are "lace" weight and the going is slow.

(10) Finally, I was able to change colors and now I am weaving the yellow.

(11) The black border is now vertical along the outside of the yellow so there are joins and braids to attend to as I weave the yellow border.

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(13) The braids are entered and run horizontal under the yellow border and will turn the corner and run vertical.

(14) I am starting in the middle to add the shape that forms the forehead of the main face. Shapes always start with entering braids.

 (15) Two strand black twining fills in the shape by weaving back and forth going in a few warps each time the woven row is turned.

(16) A white resultant form is entered first with braids then with two strand white weaving.

(17) I then go to the upper outside edge designs and start them.

(18) The black and yellow borders are also worked on and are brought along vertically.

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(22) As I promised I have posted the previous four photos of what I have done in the last few days.

(23) Here is a photo of the design on the upper corner of the old green robe I am following. This robe was collected on Haida Gwaii by James Deans in the 1880's.