I'm continuing my exploration of four selvedge warping by setting up a warp each day and weaving it off. So far, in addition to the 1" wide sample from the last post, I've done five small tapestries (four are shown below--today's is pinned down to dry after being washed). The sizes range from 1 3/4" wide x 7" high to about 2 3/4" w x 4" h. I'm doing very simplified land/sky things and by making the pieces small I can weave the entire piece in just a few hours time, take it off the loom and then wash it. Although I don't always wash tapestry pieces, I decided to do so with these since they're so small and the twist of the seine twine was making the little piece twist, as well. So I'm washing and pressing them, then leaving them to dry while pinned to the ironing board.
I'm now using 12/6 cotton seine twine in a color for the weaving warp. The 12/6 is small enough that when it doubles for the weaving the sett becomes 8 epi. For the scaffolding warp I'm using 12/12 seine twine, and it goes on at 12 epi. I wrap the bottom with 12/18 seine twine; I found that having a slightly heavier warp for the bottom helps keep the spacing the way I want it. The weft is from my scraps of assorted wools, and I'm finding that the softer 20/2 wool or the Victorian tapestry wool is working well at 5 strands per bobbin.
I am intrigued....I will have to try this sometime. I want to at least start a tapestry this way, and then turn it upside down and do some knotting (which goes top to bottom!).
ReplyDeleteHi Tommy,
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that you refer to washing your tapestries and then pinning them to dry. Do you have any special techniques for this? Is the only purpose for blocking or can tapestry be washed when it needs cleaning? We were discussing this today when our group met. I haven't read anything that struck me as washing instructions and we were wondering about things like fulling and color running when tapestry is washed. I also don't remember talking about it in classes, but there's so much to learn in a class I wonder if I missed it. Thank you for any help you can give us on this.
Terri Bryson