the centre. Many of the cheaper
Oriental weavings are put together in this way, and as many of the
older house-looms will only weave a three-foot width, it is well to
know that that need not prevent the production of rugs of considerable
size.

Endless variations of this very simple yarn rug can be made with
variation in size as well as in colour. Two breadths and two borders,
the breadths three feet in width and the borders one foot and six
inches, will give a breadth of nine feet, which with a corresponding
length will give a rug which will sufficiently cover the floor of an
ordinary room. If the centre is skilfully mottled and shaded, it will
make a floor spread of beautiful colour, and one which could hardly be
found in shops.

[Illustration: ISLE LA MOTTE RUG]

The border can be made brighter, as well as firmer and stiffer, by
using two filling threads together--a red and a black; or an alternate
use of red and black, using two shuttles, will give a lighter and
better effect than when black is used exclusively.

After size and weight--or, to speak comprehensively, _quality_--is
secured in this kind of simple weaving, the next most important thing
is colour. Of course the colour must be absolutely fast, but I have
shown how much variety can be made by shading and mixing of three fast
colours, and much more subtle and artistic effects can be produced by
weaving alternate threads of different colours. Indeed, the effects
obtained by using alternate threads can be varied to almost any
extent; as, for instance, a blue and yellow thread--provided the blue
is no deeper than the yellow--will give the effect of green to the
eye. If the blue is stronger or deeper, as it will almost necessarily
be, it will be modified and softened into a greenish blue.

Red and white woven in alternate threads upon a white warp will give
an effect of pink, and with this colour for a centre the border should
be a good gray.

Of course, alternate throwing of different coloured yarns makes the
weaving go more slowly than when one alone is used, and something of
the same colour effect can be produced by doubling, instead of
alternating. It is, of course, not quite the same, as one colour may
show either under or over the other, and the effect is apt to be
mottled instead of one of uniform stripes.

The end in view in all these mixtures is _variation_ and liveliness of
colour, not an effect of stripes or spots; indeed, these are very