How to Join Tapestry
A tapestry is a heavy, woven fabric that traditionally features a pictorial design. Tapestries traditionally depicted famous historical scenes, religious stories, or the person or family to commission the piece, according to online tapestry retailer Mille Fleurs. Created on large looms, by many craftsmen, they were symbols of wealth with the practical use as insulation against cold stone walls. Because the height of a tapestry was often defined by wall height, tapestries were often made with a fixed height and indeterminate width. The panels of a tapestry are joined along their sides to form a complete image.
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Tapestry
- Linen scrim
- Scissors
- 3-roller conservation frame
- Needle and thread
- Lining fabric
- Pins
- Sewing machine
Instructions
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1
Measure the tapestry. An old tapestry may have a selvage at the top and bottom and a galloon at each side. The selvage may note the origin of the tapestry by the weaver's name and the workshop where the work was done. The galloons are solid color borders. If the galloons are missing you may want to replace the galloons prior to joining the tapestry to a lining.
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2
Cut linen scrim to 2 inches beyond the length and width of the tapestry. Linen scrim is a strong, lightweight fabric that has no impurities, chemical treatments or dyes. This fabric is sewn to the back side of tapestries to support the sideways weave of the tapestry and to support repairs.
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3
Attach the tapestry and the scrim to a three-roller conservation frame. (The frame rollers may have clamping attachments.) The scrim mounts to the front roller with the tapestry fabric over it. The remaining scrim is rolled onto the center roller. The tapestry crosses over the center roller and the remaining (unsewn) tapestry mounts to the third roller. This frame allows the person sewing the support to the tapestry to work between the front and center rollers.
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4
Couch the weak weft with a simple darning technique that works across the fabric by stitching over and under alternate warp threads. This technique sews the weak tapestry fabric to a stronger support fabric. Parallel lines are sewn every 3/32 inch. Each line crosses over warp threads not crossed in the previous line. Repairs are often made to support gaps in the tapestry while the support (scrim) is being attached. Missing sections can be worked and fitted into gaps using similar color threads and skilled embroidery techniques.
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5
Add missing galloons to the sides of the tapestry by using the support scrim to attach the galloon to the existing sides of the tapestry. Hand sew the galloon to the scrim so that you can stabilize both the tapestry and the galloon edging.
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6
Cut lining fabric to 1 inch beyond the outer size of the galloon and selvage edges. Place the tapestry face up and the lining face down. Pin along the edges carefully and sew a 1/2-inch seam from the lining to the scrim along the edge of the tapestry at the outside edges of the selvages and galloons. Leave enough room to turn your tapestry. Turn the tapestry right side out. Hand stitch the opening closed using a hem stitch.
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Tips & Warnings
Hang your tapestry freely for a few days to a week to allow the fabric to move naturally before you attach the lining to a hanging system. This will allow you to make hanging adjustments to compensate for sag.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit old tapestry image by sumos from Fotolia.com
