Ali's Workshop & 12th Century Lab: Tablet Weaving Improvised

Chartres statue

Well, with things like the veil, under dress, and filet done it was time to consider the belt. Now, the belt of a bliaut is not a simple little strip of leather. It's a rather long bit that wraps around you twice, ties in the front, and dangles happily down the front of the dress. I do have one carving where the dangling bit is missing, but generally speaking, they dangle.

This lovely long belt, also called a cincture, is often times depicted modernly as a piece of very long trim or a fabric belt with the addition of cords and tassels. There is nothing wrong with either approach. I however, staring for many hours at pictures of statues and manuscript art, have come to embrace the notion of a long tablet woven band with the excess decorated for the purposes of resembling those statues. The width of the cording and the way that the edge of the belt fabric eases into the tasseling ends just seems too much tablet weaving and how the excess can behave. It can easily braid and twist into it's own cording.

So... Yeah.

Seems like the best idea to me.

So, like my filet, I would have to do the best with what I have on hand. In this case, I made my own cards from cardboard inserts from a pet food box. I used a wooden ruler as the beater. Using part of a thread tube I fashioned a shuttle. Plus, I flipped a Windsor chair over to use as my loom. I paid $6.00 for a rather silk like yarn to make the magic happen.

I chose a simple pattern, cut, and loaded the cards. Got them in order, I pulled out a sufficient amount of yarn for the first tail. I had to get creative for the wrapping the other side. But the loom idea worked like a dream and after a few hours a day here and there I soon had enough to call the belt body done.

If you are looking for a wonderful little how to, look here.
Next installment we will look at the decorating of the hanging bits. I am still finishing that part up.