Monday 29 March 2010

Tapestry Weaving Ergonomics

This is a tip for those tapestry weavers who have trouble getting low enough to see what they are weaving at the bottom of a frame  on a table.  I  thought I would join Tapestry Share Blog and add it there but couldn't find out how to do it. 

To weave low down on a frame attach it to an ironing board which can then be easily raised high so you can look carefully at the work you are doing without doing damage to your back.  Likewise you can lower the ironing board  to easily weave at the top of the frame and see closely what you are doing.  Hope this is useful - it may be posted to the other blog by Jennifer.

Friday 12 March 2010

Weaving a Shaped Tapestry

This was an assignment for my Diploma of  Tapestry Weaving and the first shaped tapestry I have made.  The first photo shows it in progress on the loom.  I wove it sideways so the black shapes would be smooth. The design was based on a journey towards mountains - a memory from living in Canada for three years some time ago and visiting the Rockies at every opportunity.  It is mainly woven using 2ply wool with a cotton thread in some bobbins and some glittery thread in the white areas.


Shaped-tapestry-progress
The curve at the left side and the sharper shapes at the right side had pieces of cardboard placed in them and taped in place so the half hitches wouldn't move down the warps.  These were removed later and the warps carefully pulled through into the spaces to give enough length when they were cut and turned back.  This was quite hard to do.  Double half hitches were worked on each warp and these were turned back and stitched after the tapestry was cut from the loom and cardboard discarded.

A piece of foamcore was cut carefully in the shape of the tapestry and covered with a piece of stretchy black fabric.  The tapestry was stretched slightly and pinned to the foamcore and slip- stitched around the edges into the black cloth.

It is so light it can be hung with two pins and a thread.  It was photographed on a textured yellow-green chair but I thought this background looked OK.
Shaped tapestry finished