After approximately 90 hours of weaving my first strip is complete. I have used two pieces of steel spaced out across the length of this strip, 176 cm X 13 cm.
A mixture of cotton, silk and woollen yarns have been blended in mainly rich reds through to burnt oranges.
This strip is the most time consuming as I have woven with fine yarns at half centimetre spacing.
Some texture has been incorporated by varying the thickness and number of yarn threads.
Detail showing mixed yarns.
So far so good, I am very pleased with the result.
Now on to strip number two which will have more texture and rusty metal.
Weaving the first strip is well under way now and the heddle bar has certainly made the weaving easier. I have based my first design on the patterns of rust appearing on my steel strips, combined with a variation of Navajo style weaving techniques and the colours of both rust and the landscape of Arizona.
As the weaving progressed I incorporated one of the strips of steel, that I had not yet rusted, to reflect the strength and courage of the Navajo race.
The metal was woven in at a wider warp spacing than the weave to secure it in place and the warp threads were dyed a rustic colour to compliment the rest of the work.
Detail of metal strip showing warp spacing.
Later strips will be added across the weave, gradually becoming more rusted as the landscape progresses, to represent the Navajo's deterioration of health.
