Tapestry diary for 2011 underway now

This year, as I'd mentioned before, I'm going to have a separate tapestry diary for each month.  I very much like the continuous ones done in 2009 and 2010 but I want to be able to take the weaving along with me when I travel.   By setting up a frame loom with around 36" of weaving length (using a continuous warping method) I'll be able to weave about 1" high each day.  I'm still using from the left-over wefts but decided to start with naturals, whites, grays and black for this year since I've used very little of those in the past two tapestries.

I'm beginning with soumak as my study in the diary for the year.  Don't know how often I'll concentrate on technique rather than recording date as in the earlier woven diaries.  But since I've used very little soumak in the past I thought I'd give it a try.  As chance would have it, there was an article in the latest Vav magazine about an ancient weaving in which a type of soumak was used for stylized figures.  I'd started the weaving by a few days when I finally had time to take a look at my issue of the magazine and--there was "snare weave" being described, later noted as soumak in the article!

So... couple of photos of the January 2011 progress:

More photos of the 2010 tapestry diary

Although I have quite a bit of finishing yet to do on this piece I decided to hang it up temporarily to see how the empty spaces will work with the woven bits.  Warps at both ends are still simply long and loose although I temporarily knotted the bottom to keep them off the floor.

Most of the cut ends at the top are visible in the six weeks of empty warps from my West Dean time... those are the vertical meandering lines behind the more orderly rows of blank warps.  I quite like the shadow cast by the open warps and that gives me thoughts about how to hang the tapestry.  I'll probably select about a 1/2" thick hanging bar, attach velcro to it and to the back of the tapestry, so that the piece will be able to be placed even further from the wall when completed.

I haven't exhibited any of the tapestry diary pieces (Month of May 2008; Month of July 2010; and the year of 2009) but I'm considering doing so soon.  The statement about the concept of the pieces will be included whenever I do exhibit them because I think that's quite important to the tapestries.

 The three empty rows near the bottom of the photo are showing my residency at Lillian Smith Center in June and July.  The next row of empties would be my trip to Convergence and ATA retreat in New Mexico.  Two weeks spent while teaching at Penland later in the summer are represented by the next larger area of unwoven warps.  I've been away so much during 2010 that I'll have to refer to my calendar to see just where I was for many of the blanks!

Jan Austin's tapestry diary for 2010

Jan Austin also decided to work through the year of 2010 on a tapestry diary.  She's just posted about her finishing and cutting off at her blog... take a look!

As Jan says, the process is the point of these daily efforts.  A few minutes each day to devote to a practice of one's craft.  We're not "making art" as we do these weavings... rather, we're moving through the process of making; from the effort we develop discipline, persistence.

And... my beginnings for the new year:

My tapestry diary for 2011 begins as a challenge to myself of the process of learning through the making.  Each day's few minutes experience with warp and weft will be one of learning more about the medium of tapestry weaving.  BUT, the ultimate goal is simply the process of putting weft into warp each day during this new year.  By doing that I will have a tangible record of my place on the earth in this life I hold for a short time.

Happy New Year--Tapestry Diary for 2010 is DONE!

End of the year... half-hitches in place at the top.

Unrolled from the breast beam... longer than I expected!

Cutting it off at last...

... and laying it out on the floor to see it for the first time.

More about it later...

... and now, later... to add these additional photos from yesterday:

Snipping ends before pulling out the posterboard spacer strips.

Strips are out... don't have a long enough table to lay it out on.

Empty warps for my times away.  I still have finishing work to do to tidy it up.  That will take some time to do... but doesn't matter, does it... it took a year to weave so I shouldn't complain about the completion process, I guess!