I dabble in tapestry weaving–still in the insecure beginner stage. Tapestry weavers use a visual guide for weaving, called a cartoon, which is simply a drawing of the picture being woven. Placed directly under the weaving area, the cartoon shows the distinct lines to follow. It keeps everything in context with the overall design. Some people go through life without a meaningful guide, just hoping things turn out okay in the end.
Granted, my finished piece does not always end up looking like the cartoon. I am not trying to produce a masterpiece; but paying attention to what works and what doesn’t brings gradual improvement.
Life is an adventure, holding an unknown future. If you plunge forward, making up your own rules as you go, you risk ending up in an aimless mess. What if our master weaver has a cartoon designed for us, a map for our lives? I would rather choose that guided path rather than one with no direction. And when I miss the mark, he finds a way to fix it or weave around it. In the end, it becomes his masterpiece.
May the lines guiding your life tapestry be clearly drawn for you.
By design,
Karen
Thanks be to God for His love for us, that He is our Guide and He knows the future. Your blog this morning reminds me of Jeremiah 29:11..His plans for us are always the very best. Thanks so much for writing, Karen!
Bev, there’s a sense of security knowing someone greater than us marks out a worthwhile path. I wrote this post after contemplating words in Psalm 86:11, “…guide me along Your path…”
Save for church or evangelizing.
Hi Charlene, Thanks for letting me know what you think. I’m sorry for disappointing you. I could leave my weaving in my weaving studio, but it’s such a delight that I want to share it with others. My faith is that way, too.
All the best,
Karen
A technical question – What happens to the ends of the various threads you are using? Do they hang loose on the back and get trimmed?
Yes. When I finish the weaving, I will trim the threads in the back to about an inch, and then the back will be covered in some way. I’m not sure how I’ll finish the ends and the back on this. I may mount it on a piece of fabric-covered cardboard, and put a pin on the back to pin it onto a bag or something. (Or it might go in my box of other unseen tapestry practice pieces.)
On another note, Barbara, this tapestry frame is a new smaller one that Steve made for me last weekend (it’s the same size as an iPad). I’m hoping to use it on my long flight overseas next month. No tatting this time, like you and I did together on our trip 2 years ago.
He’s such a handy man.
True. I think I’ll keep him.