How Is a Tapestry Made?
Making a tapestry requires a loom or frame, yarn or thread, and a plan or design. The fundamental techniques of tapestry weaving have remained unchanged for centuries. Today's tapestries range from small to large and from simple to intricate, but they all spring from the same ancient beginnings.
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History
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Tapestry weaving dates as far back as 3000 B.C. in Egypt, according to Kirsten Glasbrook in her book "Tapestry Weaving". Weavers throughout history have created tapestries depicting their surroundings, often using their art for social commentary. Early practical applications of tapestry include clothing, floor rugs, blankets and cushions. In ancient Peru, finely textured tapestries served as wrappings for the dead. In many cultures, large tapestries warmed homes by insulating cold stone walls. Today, tapestry is recognized as a fine art form, and decorative tapestries grace homes, offices and public buildings.
The Loom
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When making a tapestry, the weaver interlaces two sets of yarn or thread together on a loom or framework. Simple weaving projects need only a wooden frame slightly wider and at least 10 inches longer than the finished tapestry will be. Ready-made frames are available in different sizes, but you can notch an old picture frame at top and bottom to serve as a loom for a beginner's project. Advanced projects require a sturdy floor loom or table loom made specifically for tapestry weaving.
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Technique
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A weaver usually works a tapestry vertically, building the fabric from bottom to top. As a foundation for the tapestry fabric, she tightly winds vertical warp threads on the loom, spacing them evenly and allowing ample room for the horizontal weft threads. She weaves the weft threads over and under across the warp, either in patches or from edge to edge according to her design. The weaver firmly presses the weft down against the previous weft row, using her fingers or tapestry tools called forks, combs or beaters.
Yarn
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A tapestry requires a strong yarn for the warp since it must be kept taut on the loom. Linen, cotton and wool fibers lend themselves well to warp yarns, with cotton being the best choice for a beginning weaver. When choosing weft yarns, the weaver must consider texture, elasticity, color and size. Weft yarn choices include any material that can bend sufficiently to be woven over and under the warp, even such unlikely items as rags, bubble wrap and pipe cleaners. However, traditional weavers use cottons, linens, silks and wools, either singly or in combination.
Butterfly
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A butterfly of weft yarn facilitates passing the yarn through the shed, or the opening between two warp threads. The weaver fashions a butterfly by winding up to 5 yards of yarn around his hand in figure-eight fashion, then securing it in the center with a half-hitch knot. He draws out the needed length from this convenient bundle as he weaves. Special tools, such as bobbins and shuttles, may also be used for carrying and passing the weft across the warp.
Design
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In most visual arts, the artist adds an image or design to an existing surface. In contrast, a tapestry artist creates a design and its surface concurrently during the weaving process, explains Carol K. Russell in "The Tapestry Handbook." To guide her weaving, a weaver either marks her design directly onto the warp threads or draws the design on paper, which she places behind the warp as a visual aid. She weaves each color or design area independently of the others, using a separate weft thread for each section.
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References
- Photo Credit old tapestry image by sumos from Fotolia.com
