Honestly, I did not set out to create an optical illusion with this small tapestry diary. Reds, pinks, and whites seem like stylish colors for the month of Valentine love. My primary intention with this piece was simply to work on varying angles and shading.
Tapestry diary hangs on the wall, making it easy to remember daily tapestry practice. An instrument not in a case is always more likely to be picked up for fun, which is practice in disguise.
I thought simple colors and shapes were just that–colors and shapes; however, two interesting themes have emerged, quite by “accident.” One is the hint of a cupid’s arrow. Do you see the arrow feathers? The other is the optical illusion of creased folds across the cloth. (If you squint a certain way and tilt your head, see if you can make the inner and outer “folds” reverse.)
Your style shows how you want others to see you. But your heart tells the inside story of who you are. I may be focusing on what clothing and accessories to wear, thinking of colors and shapes; meanwhile, my heart is putting hidden things on display. The hidden person of the heart is who you really are. Let people remember you by your internal person more than by your external appearance. Then your chosen colors will simply enhance the true picture of you.
Little things add up, especially when they continue day after day. Nearing completion, the tapestry diary I started on January 1st only has a few days, and not a lot of warp, left. The things we do consistently, little by little, make the biggest difference overall. (You can see the start of this tapestry in Tapestry Diary: Day One.)
Small tapestry is an accumulation of little rectangular sections woven day by day. Photo credit Steve Isenhower
Tapestry diary means I weave a small section every day. It has become my habit to sit down with my loom and my little selection of yarn in the evening, after supper is cleaned up. This is becoming a treasured wind-down time for me, something I look forward to. And when I finish my little section, Steve says, “Let me see what you added today.” Ah, sweet encouragement becomes motivation.
You and I have the amazing ability to impact other people for the better. It’s the little by little that makes the biggest difference. Your friends need you. Your prayer and touch may be what they need to soar in life. We need each other. What a wonderful world we live in, where our Creator designed us to thrive through the kindness of others. Imagine the tapestry He is creating with our little caring efforts.
May you weave a tapestry of kindness.
If you have woven, or are weaving, a tapestry diary, I’d love to hear about it!
A tapestry diary seems like a fun challenge. Weaving a small amount each day gives a visual journal of woven ideas over time. I have seen some examples of tapestry diaries that I admire. I like the concept, but I feel tentative about starting one myself.
Simple tapestry frame, 26 1/2 x 21 inches / 67 x 53cm, is just the right size for a tentative tapestry diary. This one is the Freja Tapestry Frame by Glimakra. You can see the warp wrapping around the teeth for a sett of about 10.5 epi.
Will I have enough ideas to fill that space, or enough little bits of time to weave, or the consistency to keep at it? These are my doubts. On the other hand, the frequent practice will help me improve in tapestry techniques; and, watching the tapestry grow should be fascinating. And deep down I know I can’t really use up all my ideas. The more you express ideas, the more ideas you gain, as proven by other tapestry weavers, like Janette Meetze.
Weaving tapestry from the back, as I learned from Joanne Hall.After a row of twining, five picks give a solid line across for the beginning of the tapestry. Using three to four strands of thin wool (Färo and Mora) allows for ease of blending colors.Day One.
This is a picture of generosity, as well. When you give, it is like planting seeds. Sow seeds generously and you will see a bountiful harvest. A generous person always has enough to give. Their “giving cup” is continually replenished. I can at least start the tapestry diary. Being intentional makes it happen. Planting ideas, planting seeds, watching for things to grow.
~What will you be intentional about this year?
May you never run out of ideas.
(Make sure you don’t miss the new video at the top of Warped for Good’s About page. Let me know what you think!)
This is how a weaver enjoys a long haul flight. I keep my hands busy. A direct flight from Houston to Tokyo takes about fourteen hours. And then five more hours to Manila. Add layover time, and you have almost a full day of travel. I have been wanting to try the exercises in Kathe Todd-Hooker‘s Tapestry 101. So that is how I spent my travel time to and from The Philippines on our recent visit there. I followed advice I received from Teresa Loveless when I was at Weaving Southwest in New Mexico, to warp my little tapestry loom at a sett of 8 epi, using rug wool for weft. The coarse sett made the weaving easy to see and work with, even in the dim lighting of the airplane. (This is in contrast to last year’s travel tapestry using embroidery floss.) I kept the samplers small, so I could finish by the end of the trip. I ended up with two mini samplers.
Ready to travel with all tapestry weaving supplies in a soft bag that is easy to slip into my flight carry on bag.
Tools:
– Travel-size tapestry loom (with tensioning device, and counter sunk rare earth magnets for holding tapestry needle)
– Warp thread (12/6 cotton seine twine), wound on a couple five-inch quills
– Wool rug yarn assortment (Jason Collingwood Rug Wool, and Borgs 25/1 Mattgarn), wound on five-inch quills
– Blunt tapestry needles (have extras in case you drop one in the dark)
– Travel snips (make sure they meet TSA regulations) on a neck strap (hand woven, of course)
– Clip-on book light (with paper napkin or thin cloth to diffuse the light, and extra batteries)
– Tape measure
– Small clips (you never know when you might need one, like to clip a napkin over the book light)
– Sewing thread and sewing needle (for stitching slits, which I did not do)
– Tapestry resource book (like Tapestry 101, by Kathe Todd-Hooker)
– Bag to hold everything (and a couple small pouches within to keep things organized)
First mini sampler was almost finished by the time we arrived in Manila.Green tea cake roll was a yummy snack at Narita International Airport in Tokyo on the trip home. Maybe this should be a future color scheme for a weaving project?Weaving in the dark. The Starbucks napkin that I saved from Houston came in handy as a light diffuser around the too-bright reading light when other passengers were sleeping.Second mini sampler was almost finished by the time we arrived back home in Houston.Mini tapestry samplers show a compact view of the passage of time.
Do you know that New Mexico has a guide to rural fiber arts destinations across the state? Last week, Steve and I dusted off the New Mexico Fiber Arts Trails, driving 1,100 miles through mountainous deserts and lush Rio Grande River valleys. We reveled in views of God’s creation, like cottonwood trees in brilliant yellow, and the Sandia mountains turning purple and watermelon pink in the setting sun. We visited interesting studios and shops all along the way, and encountered weavers who are true artisans.
Cottonwood trees at their golden peak along the Rio Grande River.
Four Pointers for Your New Mexico Fiber Arts Trails Adventure:
1. Call ahead. Some of the stops are one-person studios, attached to a residence. Some places have changed their hours or days of the week that they are open. We drove two hours one day to visit a special shop, only to find a note on the door that said they were closed that day of the week. 2. Ask good questions. I like to ask a weaver a question that only another weaver would ask. Instead of introducing myself as a fellow handweaver, I like to let them figure it out by the questions I ask. 3. Wear something handwoven. My handwoven cap opened the door to conversation with other weavers. 4. Resist adding to your stash. I knew that I would have the opportunity to purchase beautiful yarn, but I decided in advance not to add to my stash. I gathered information instead; and now I have more resources to choose from when it is time to order yarn.
My Favorite Stops:
Albuquerque Sacramento Mountain Weavers (not listed on the Fiber Arts Trails), Kelly Stewart
Located in historic Old Town, this shop has a Glimåkra Standard loom (like mine). Among other things, Kelly has woven rag rugs from strips of soft leather.
Majestic mountains and colorful cottonwood trees set the scene for exploration along the New Mexico Fiber Arts Trails.
Edgewood Robin Pascal Fiber Artist
Robin’s studio is nestled in a scenic hillside covered with trees and wildlife. Her handspun yarn proved irresistible to me. This is where I broke my own rule of not adding to my stash.
Too pretty to pass up, I came home with some of Robin Pascal’s beautiful handspun wool/silk, and a little skein of her hand painted cotton flake yarn.
Arroyo Seco (just north of Taos) Weaving Southwest, Teresa Loveless
Amazing tapestry weavings on display! Teresa is the granddaughter of acclaimed tapestry weaver and author, Rachel Brown. Teresa carries her grandmother’s legacy by teaching tapestry techniques to interested students. There are Rio Grande walking looms in the teaching studio, where you do all the weaving standing up, not sitting. Who knows? You may see me taking a class from Teresa. Her passion for tapestry weaving is contagious.
Enjoying the cool air in Arroyo Seco, Steve and I stand outside one of our favorite stops on this adventure.
Ranchos de Taos Old Martina’s Hall Restaurant, Tapestry Exhibit (not listed on the Fiber Arts Trails) Art Through The Loom Weaving Guild Show, August 20th through February 28th, 2015
This outstanding tapestry exhibit is not to be missed if you are anywhere near the vicinity! Downstairs and upstairs, every room in this restored, old dance hall is adorned with exquisite pieces of traditional and contemporary woven tapestries by nineteen different artists.
Serene historic chapel, San Francisco de Asis, is across the street from the renovated old dance hall, Old Martina’s Hall. We enjoyed an impressive tapestry exhibit at Old Martina’s Hall.
Chimayó Trujillo’s Weaving Shop (not listed on the Fiber Arts Trails), Carlos Trujillo
The first thing we saw when we entered the shop was a huge, rustic Rio Grande walking loom. Carlos was at the loom, weaving. He clearly loves designing at the loom, using unique color combinations in traditional designs. His grandfather built this impressive loom. Two women in an adjacent room filled with looms allowed me to watch over their shoulders as they wove traditional Chimayó patterns. One of the women showed me the small, narrow loom they now use for weaving coasters, and told me, “This was the loom Carlos learned to weave on when he was a little boy. As he grew, blocks were added to raise the loom to fit him.”
Chimayó weaving, a skilled craft, is passed on from one generation to the next.
Chimayó Centinela Traditional Arts, Irvin Trujillo
Irvin allowed me to watch and ask questions as he wove in the massive weaving room in the far end of the shop. It was inspiring to watch this master weaver at work. I found Irvin to be unpretentious, even though his expertise is astounding. You should see his intricate tapestries that hang in the showroom of the shop! Weaving is second nature to Irvin, who has been creating with wool on a loom since he was a young boy.
Rio Grande River in New Mexico is the subject of many woven tapestries. Artisans often find creative ways to interpret this beauty.
Magdalena Cat Brysch Creations Studio
Cat’s nine looms are clothed in colors that describe the terrain and sky of this beautiful mountainous desert. She took the time to explain each loom’s fabric to me, as I marveled at her skill of blending colors in the warp.
Surrounded by mountains, the little sleepy town of Magdalena is home of an active weaving studio. The scenic views that Cat enjoys every day influence her selection of colors and textures in her weaving.
Pie Town
If you go as far as Magdalena, you might as well go another 56 miles to Pie-o-neer in Pie Town, New Mexico. The green chile stew is fantastic, but if I had known how good the hot-from-the-oven double cherry (tart and sweet) pie would be, I would have skipped the stew and ordered two slices of pie! Steve said the same about his slice of warmed peach pie. It was a great way to end our Fiber Arts Trails adventure.
Nothing like a really good slice of homemade pie!Scenic desert after dessert.
