Tapestry

“In all transparency, I was both excited and nervous to do this project. This was going to be my first floor loom tapestry and though new things can be scary, I’m always excited to break out of my comfort zone. [...] Even though I had sketched a design and even warp-painted a template, I used my first inch to figure out how I was going to be successful. My imposter syndrome voice was saying “I’ve over-compromised. I have no idea how to create water. Why did I choose such a complicated project?” but I would assure myself back by saying “you got this Miri, you’ve made tapestries before. You literally work with textiles all the time, just trust yourself.” [...] Overall I enjoyed using the treadles and beater, but I missed the experience of grazing my hand past every warp thread (something I experienced more with frame loom weaving). But since I completed this project within three weeks, I would consider floor loom tapestry weaving a quicker process.”

“For a project meaty enough for 100 days, I chose to interpret one of my daughter’s art pieces in a tapestry which was woven primarily from my supported spinning. My previous tapestry experience (all four self-taught months of it) had been free form, textured and chaotic, so this would provide a fresh, new challenge. [...] I blended custom colors, spun them, wove with them, decided I hated the colors and started all over again. [...] I quickly learned I screw up as often with weaving as knitting. Most of my mistakes took the form of weaving in the wrong shed when changing colors or adding new weft yarns. Other mistakes included the aforementioned poor color choices. Weaving differed from knitting, however, in how fast I noticed the mistakes. This meant I fixed them sooner than I ever manage when knitting. As a result, I enjoyed the process of tapestry weaving more than knitting, even though both are equally slow and tedious for me.”

“It was an incredibly challenging week – being away from my family, away from my business, not being able to do my other work (income), and spending a week in the company of other people (I’ve become quite reclusive so this was a big challenge for me. Thankfully, most of them were lovely.) And then there was, of course, the mind-bending challenge of learning the intricate details of these amazing techniques! I’ve come home amazed, overwhelmed, and sick, but I’d do it all again in an instant. Mostly, I’ve come home inspired. This has shown me the possibilities of tapestry. I had wondered why people bother… now I get it! There’s nothing like it – being able to create these textures. I’m a convert.”