Rebecca Mezoff, tapestry in progress on her Macomber loom
I’ve been doing a little weaving. There are seasons where I don’t have enough time to play with yarn and the last few months have felt like that. So I spent four solid days last weekend weaving and I finished a piece. A fairly large piece actually. It is a wonderful thing to completely give yourself over to making something for several days in a row. I had enough of a plan to get me going and I had previously dyed the yarn. Sitting at the loom, despite the ache in my rear after the first day, was marvelous. I made some decisions and added some elements as I saw the thing unfold and in the end I was quite pleased with it. I can’t show it to you right now, but I’ll give you the details after I learn the fate of the show submission.
Weaving for days in a row reminded me of how brittle I start to feel when I don’t weave. My fiber crafting with knitting and spinning here and there helps, but there is no substitute for making art. So until the next large piece is started, more tapestry diary work it is.
Riding the wave of tapestry inspiration, last night I was working on another small diary piece. The idea came from a hike I took in September at Red Mountain Open Space north of Fort Collins. The chamisa were blooming and on the drive north there were bands of bright yellow flowers alternating with blue-green sage. I didn’t get a photo of those colors, but here is one of the chamisa from that day.
Chamisa blooming at Red Mountain Open Space, Larimer County, Colorado
Weaving the piece below late at night as the weather turns, I was able to go back to that hot hike just a month ago and remember the colors of those plants against the red of the cliffs. The act of weaving my memories into a diary of sorts helps me savor the moments and remember the special things I saw or experienced. It also helps me pay attention in the moment.
What are you weaving this week? Do you weave memories or photographs or feelings? Tell us in the comments!
Rebecca Mezoff, September bloom: chamisa (in progress), four selvedge tapestry, wool
Four selvedge tapestry is something I have really enjoyed immersing myself in this year. Thanks to Sarah Swett for encouraging the new addiction! We made an online course about it together this past summer. Sarah brings all her expertise in weaving, teaching, and this particular technique to Fringeless: Four selvedge warping with Sarah C. Swett. You get to see me in the course too… mostly asking questions and in some fun videos where Sarah and I talk about all kinds of tapestry ideas.