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  === Machine set-up and weaving ===
  The jacquard loom used for weaving the tapestry is a hand-operated TC2 weaving loom from Digital Weaving Norway. This loom is the latest technology in hand-woven jacquard design and allows the hand-weaver to create intricate and complex patterns by hand.
  The black and white cotton warp threads first need to be wound onto the loom. This is done in 64m lengths, and the threads are wound onto the back beam of the loom. The warp has 60 threads per inch and is approximately 20 inches wide, each thread needs to be threaded through a heddle in the middle of the loom, and then through the reed at the front of the loom. This threading process is done by hand using a threading hook. Once the machine is threaded up, the warp threads are secured at the front of the loom onto the front beam. The loom then needs to be calibrated to advance the warp threads at the correct speed to weave 84 threads per inch.
  To begin the weaving process, Dash & Miller weave 1 or 2 inches of plain weave at the beginning of the warp. This spaces out the warp threads properly and also evens out any tension issues. They can then begin weaving the tapestry, passing the 3 colours of thread by hand through the shed created by lifting the warp threads up and down. The computer controls which threads are lifted up and down, but the weft yarns are passed through the shed by hand. Weaving builds up at a rate of approximately 11 inches per hour, and the weaving is stored on the cloth storage beam at the front of the weaving loom.
  Once the weaving is completed, they weave another 1 or 2 inch plain weave border before cutting the weaving off the loom, ensuring the warp threads are still threaded so they can tie on and begin the process again for the next panel.