Tag: tapestry

I’m Weaving on a Jet Plane

Karen

Steve and I just returned from visiting our son, daughter-in-law, and our adorable three-year-old granddaughter in The Philippines. So, I was away from my floor looms for a couple weeks! But thanks to my husband, I have a miniature tapestry loom that works perfectly for travel. About the size of an iPad, it is small enough that I can weave on the go, even on an airplane.

Hand-built miniature tapestry loom, size of an iPad, for travel.
Hand-built small frame tapestry loom, designed with offset brass nails to hold the warp, with tensioning device at the top.

Why not take along knitting, crochet, or tatting, you ask? I agree, that would be sensible; but I am a weaver, and I would rather weave.

Weaving small tapestry while on airplane.
With cartoon in place under the warp, and thread selection collected in a small pouch, and thread cutter to hang around my neck, I have everything I need to weave on the airplane. Oh, and a small book light for weaving in the middle of the night. Haha!

Your creator has a meaningful role for you that is perfectly suited for your skills. Wouldn’t it be silly for me to try to use this frame loom to swing at a tennis ball, or strum it like a guitar? Steve made this loom specifically for me to weave small tapestries. This simple frame works beautifully for that purpose, giving credit to its maker. When we find that satisfying role that allows us to practice using our gifts to their best advantage, it reflects well on our maker.

Young family

May you find a way to do what you do best.

From my home to yours,
Karen

Being Woven for Life

Karen

This little tapestry is a simple representation of a silver-haired lady wearing a pink blouse and turquoise-rimmed glasses. Hmm…, could be me! The imperfections in the weaving might also represent my own shortcomings. The good news is that there is more to life than my physical existence. (Click here to see the beginning of this little tapestry weaving.)

Little Lady miniature tapestry.
One-inch-wide self-portrait tapestry. Cotton seine twine for warp, embroidery floss for weft.

By taking care of our physical bodies, we promote health and well-being; and we gain necessary strength to face what comes. In the same way, I want to take care of my inner person. Taking in nourishment for my soul, exercising my faith, and finding the creator’s rest. That’s life.

May you get the most out of life.

Being woven,
Karen

You Need a Tapestry Cartoon

Karen

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.

Tapestry Miniature, one inch wide.
Miniature self-portrait tapestry, one inch wide, has a simple cartoon sketched on a sticky note. Abundance of embroidery floss (left over from cross-stitch days in the 1980’s) provides plenty of colors for shading.

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