Back in the studio after wonderful NC trip

I'm back to the studio (almost) and have taken many photographs in Noel & Patrick's paradise in the mountains of western NC. During the 10 days away I also completed one 6" x 9" tapestry, began a tiny one, did five small watercolor sketches, and one larger watercolor.

As I think back through the years, most of my images, either woven or painted, have been based on inspiration I've gained through experiencing the beauty of the 150+ acres of property near Sapphire, NC that Noel and Patrick own. I feel fortunate to be able to reap the visual harvest of all their hard work in organic gardening. Then there's also the surrounding lush forest and waterfalls, the pond and waterlilies, the heath and heather gardens--not to even mention the photogenic animals! It's such a treat to have a personalized artist's retreat such as this and wonderful, supportive friends who share it with me.

Tapestry Weavers South weaving cut off today!

I'm happy to say that that I was able to finish the last of the TWS collaborative tapestry today and cut it off the loom! Janet Hart will finish the slit sewing and maybe stitch back weft ends. I just posted the photo to the members who exhibited in "Southern Yarns" and essentially turned it over to them now...to make decisions about bottom finish and for someone to do it. It's been a great learning experience for me to work in this way...only attending to small sections at a time, having no pre-conceived plan, using what wefts are available from my assorted thrums.

The tapestry, as I looked at it today, reminded me of a tapestry I saw in a dream about twenty years ago...it was multicolored, many shaped, and (in the dream) was so beautiful. The dream, along with several other events of my life at that time, convinced me I needed to turn to tapestry weaving in a serious way and either learn to do it or to shut up about wanting to weave tapestry! I'm still learning but am not sorry I listened to whatever I was hearing inside my head and heart to tell me to "put up or shut up!"

For several reasons, my past week or more has been spent working on the Tapestry Weavers South collaborative tapestry that we used for demonstrations at the "Southern Yarns" exhibit, Southern Highland Craft Guild's Folk Art Center Main Gallery. The exhibit was held from January 12 to May 13. I set up one of my looms, took it to the exhibit in early February and left it there for a series of demonstrations we did over the following three months...mainly on weekends. I picked up the loom when the show ended, brought it back to my studio and have been working on it since then.

The view on the right is the piece as I picked it up on the last day of the exhibit. The second view, with the TWS logo, is what I've woven since then (with a small section on the left side done by a student of mine here in Dahlonega).

The piece is nearing completion, it's 18" wide x about 32" long. One of the TWS members, Jan Hart, has volunteered to sew slits and finish the ends at the back! I'll finish the piece tomorrow, I think...have to level up the right side and decide about hem or not.

This has been a wonderful learning experience for me! Talk about taking a journey in tapestry with no preconceived plan--well, this has been one! Since we had several people to work on the piece over the demo time it seemed that it would be best to just play with the tapestry...make it a "crazy quilt" in a way...that way anyone who was able to come for demonstration time could feel free to do whatever she wished. Also, it was easy to ask visitors if they wanted to try their hand at it. There have been at least a dozen hands weaving on this tapestry...maybe even more!

The weft used has been mostly bits and pieces of my past tapestries--mostly Spelsau and Vevgarn since that's what I use mostly in my work. I filled zip lock bags arranged in color groups to leave with the loom at the Center. Because there wasn't much of any particular color combination to choose from the multi-color/small shape approach was the one that best adapted to yarn available. The warp sett I chose was 6 epi because I thought it would show up best for demonstration purposes. The weft was used 3-fold and caused us to sort through my excess yarns to mix and match a bit. As I finished off the tapestry in my studio I kept to my "rule" of using only the yarn I'd given for the tapestry. This has caused me to really dig through the yarn bags to find enough of particular colors! But that's added fun to the challenge.

Tomorrow I hope to finish this, cut it off and send it on to Jan. Then I need to get serious again, tackling the black walnut piece in earnest before Thomas and leave for about 10 days on June 4.

Hi Lyn!
I think Tissart looms are great looms...just modify them for one's own needs. Pat Williams has one that's older than mine--the look of the frame is a bit different. Might be like yours, perhaps?

I got mine from an older lady in Atlanta as she moved to an assisted living situation back in 1988. She'd had it a number of years, having purchased it at the Mannings. For some reason, I like to know the history of my looms...just curious about who they've lived with over their working life.

I really am glad I had the steel beam added at the top. How wide is your loom? Mine is only 45" wide but I had two more treadle sets added to each side of the loom...from LeClerc. Since I'm building shapes and sometimes sitting at one side or the other for a period of time it was uncomfortable to stretch my leg to the middle to change the shed. Plus, just sort of "walking" up and down on the two treadles with each foot is how I prefer to change the shed anyway. I don't even open the shed very much with the treadles--just enough for my fingers to feel the space as I reach up. Of course, when weaving across a short distance I usually just pick the shed and don't fool with the treadles anyway. And, I've started thinking how I can possibly add leashes to the Tissart so I could use a dowel for the open shed and then have the leash shed available. I'm sure there's a simple way to do that but I haven't thought it through yet.

Thanks again for your comments!