Tapestry Weaving

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The surface of your tapestry: do those bumps matter?

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The surface of your tapestry: do those bumps matter?

What materials you use for your tapestry will, to some extent, determine how much surface variation there is in your tapestry. I’m talking about the bumps you see when the strands of weft don’t quite line up.

If you use a worsted spun wool that is fairly smooth like weaversbazaar or Gist Yarn’s Array, you’ll find that you have slight variations in the surface unless you spend a lot of time lining up the yarns in your weft bundle. I’d like to suggest that these slight surface differences are just part of this medium. One of the joys of seeing tapestry in person is that you can experience these surface details and they add to the piece in most instances.

For example, I’ve been sampling Gist Array’s yarn versus my regular Harrisville Singles for a large tapestry. The background colors in the sample are wool and silk (unbleached and white in these photos). The colored bits are the yarns I’m deciding between.

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How much of your tapestry warp is useable?

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How much of your tapestry warp is useable?

For many of us, not wasting things is important. When it comes to weaving and warp however, there will always be some warp you can’t use. How much is that?

The answer of course depends on the loom and your tolerance for easy versus not-so-easy weaving. As I discussed here on the blog a few months ago, the longer the loom is, the easier the weaving is. But it is possible to weave all the way to the end of a warp where you have no shed at all. If you’re willing to do that, you’ll get the award for most warp used.

I prefer to have some loom waste and have an easier time weaving. All forms of weaving except for four-selvedge methods involve some loom waste. The video below discusses how much extra warp you need to leave on a continuously warped loom such as the Mirrix or Arras. This concept will help you decide on loom size and warp length as you set up your next tapestry weaving.

A new beginners tapestry course, a loom/yarn kit, and a holiday beginners bundle!

A new beginners tapestry course, a loom/yarn kit, and a holiday beginners bundle!

Before my Colorado Trail hike I made a new tapestry course which has just gone live. For years many of you have been asking for an intro course that is less of a commitment than Warp and Weft. This course leads into Warp and Weft but it is also a stand-alone class that can help you figure out if you want to do more tapestry weaving. I am also collaborating with Gist Yarn in their roll-out of their new tapestry yarn, Array. They are offering a kit that includes my course.

And finally if you know someone who wants to dive into tapestry, I’m offering a beginners bundle for the holidays that includes a signed copy of my book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving and the Introduction to Tapestry Course along with a bonus. All the details are in this post.

Sampling for a new large-format tapestry

Sampling for a new large-format tapestry

When I sample for a large tapestry as I’m doing now, I usually take the full-size cartoon and weave a portion of it at the size it’ll be woven in the tapestry. The sample isn’t a tiny version of the large piece but a piece of the whole woven as it would be in the final tapestry (potentially). In reality, I often ask more questions as I weave a sample so I try out different things as I weave along and the sample does not look like a chunk of the final tapestry but a collection of possibilities.

Which course should I take: Little Looms or Introduction to Tapestry Weaving?

Which course should I take: Little Looms or Introduction to Tapestry Weaving?

“I am an absolute beginner. I have just purchased two tapestry looms and Rebecca's book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving. I wish to take a course, Weaving on Little Looms or the newest course, Introduction to Tapestry Weaving. I can't decide. Which would be the right course?: —Marilyn

Marilyn’s question is a good one! I want to clarify the difference in these two classes and help you choose the one you might want to start with.

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Reflecting on a career in tapestry | The Weave Podcast

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Reflecting on a career in tapestry | The Weave Podcast

Gist Yarn produces a wonderful podcast called Weave. I was interviewed for one of the earliest episodes and last week, we did an updated episode. We talked about my weaving life, my teaching philosophy, and a bit about a new tapestry yarn that is now available for pre-order. The yarn is called Array. I wrote more about the yarn which I’ve been testing for at least a year HERE.

You can listen to the podcast episode HERE or wherever you get your podcasts! It is episode 140.

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A new tapestry yarn! Made in the USA.

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A new tapestry yarn! Made in the USA.

GIST Yarn is a wonderful small company based in Boston. Started by the brilliant Sarah Resnick, it is a yarn and weaving company that values materials sourced in the United States. Sarah and her team are committed to supporting local agriculture, mills, and dye houses and their weaving yarns are gorgeous.

I have admired Sarah’s business for many years now and was thrilled when she asked me about a new project she was thinking about, a tapestry yarn made from US wool in a US mill.

If you’re a tapestry weaving, you know that there aren’t all that many yarns that come in a wide range of colors that include gradations. This holy grail of tapestry coloring, having light, medium, and dark versions of the same hue, only exists in a few yarn lines and none of them currently are made in the USA.