Making a Mini Tapestry

Yesterday I attended the first half of a two-part mini-tapestry workshop at Yarns Unlimited, a local treasure on the square in Bloomington Indiana. Surrounded by beautiful fibers and examples of completed projects was a bit distracting, as beautiful items caught my eye—but so inspiring!

The course description sounded much like needleweaving, so I signed up, hoping to learn more about weaving and pick up some tips on instruction. I wasn't disappointed.

Suzanne Halvorson's informal and informative teaching style put everyone at ease, and convinced us that we would all end up with a nice little tapestry—eventually. Patience is required, but the process somehow restores those reserves of patience.

While the weaving itself was familiar, the loom set up was not. This photo shows the start of my little tapestry next to a warped necklace I'm using in a Needleweaving Tutorial. My method strings the warp on the face of the board, using pins to hold the thread.

Here's how the thread is wrapped around a Foam-Core board for the tapestry warp.

The new method has some advantages. No pins to catch the weaving fibers (or prick from the underside), and finer detail is possible. Needleweaving uses one warp thread per quarter inch; the mini tapestry uses three. The result in scale is like the difference between needlepoint and petitpoint. Strangely, it doesn't seem take three times longer to weave.

Despite the pins, my usual technique has a few plusses. It's fun to incorporate beads, different shapes can be created and beating the fibers tight is easier. So I won't abandon my old ways, but will likely weave a few new ideas and methods into my future work.

At the end of the two-hour session, our warps were strung and we'd all begun weaving. We'd learned how to add and end threads, change colors, and create some different effects. I relearned how fun it is to be with others who share my interest in weaving. The completed Mini Tapestry will be the bonus.

Amulet Bag Blues

While making this little bag I had lots of time to ponder the subject of amulets. What started as an attempt to speed up the necklace making process became a lot more complicated.

My knowledge of amulets is very sketchy, but I like the small pouches created to hold them. Thinking it might take less time to complete than my other necklaces and appeal to more people, I decided to document each step with descriptions and photos.

Each pause to take photos or make notes interrupted my work, but the biggest time consumer was weaving the back side of the bag—which wouldn't even show! It was one solid color, one weaving pattern, and one big frustration.

My original pattern was a rectangle. Trying to maintain an  even tension on the edges so the bag wouldn't taper towards the center was a challenge I failed to meet. By the time I completed the back of the piece I was so discouraged that I stopped my diary of the project before starting on the front flap. That section involved free-form weaving that would have been hard to describe; but mainly, I lost interest in writing about something I wasn't even sure I'd finish.

Thoughts of the amount of time I'd already invested prompted me to complete it—with or without notes. As with any of my projects there was a metaphor in there somewhere—appropriate for a container meant to hold meaningful items. Here are the lessons I learned (or relearned):

• Weaving (and life) doesn't always follow the plan
• With jewelry (as in life) this is not necessarily bad
• Challenges can be either frustrations or opportunities

Any amulets I might tuck away in this bag would stand for perseverance, patience and pragmatism. All were ingredients in the making of the bag, and pretty helpful in life too.

When Two Passions Collide

I enjoy both weeding and needleweaving, but they don't play well together. Each lays claim to my time and energy, and when weeding season begins my needlework suffers.

At the end of a day of weeding, pins and needles in my hand and shoulder make intricate tasks difficult. Often the pins and needles I use in weaving just drop from my hands.

Jewelrymaking seems better suited to the winter months when outdoor activities are limited and my wrists aren't overworked from gardening. When summer provides inspiration for needleweaving projects I want to get started on them right away—but those weeds are calling (and growing).

Weaving both demands and instills patience. The repetitive areas of a piece allow the mind to wander and the more intricate parts are mentally challenging. It's both relaxing to free associate, and stimulating to find solutions to design problems. A lot like weeding—only the challenges found in gardening are mostly physical.

Whether weeding or needleweaving feels like work or play depends on both the mind and body. Both activities help to heal mental stress but aggravate physical stress. When choosing between two favorite passions, the patience I've gained from both helps me to allow each its own season.