Every year I run a class I call Summer of Tapestry. It revolves around a practice I’ve had for many years of bringing a small loom with me when I’m hiking or traveling and weaving something about what I experienced or saw. I call the practice sketch tapestry because my goal is to capture something interesting about the experience, not to replicate what I saw in a realistic way.
I find that the practice of really looking at something and then weaving about it makes me pay attention instead of just rushing blindly through the experience and more generally, my life. The inspirations I’ve woven something about are things that I remember months and years later.
My book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving, was published a year ago this week. It was a labor of love and I’m pleased at how well-received it has been all over the world.
This week I stopped by my local library and found a copy on the shelves. This was rather thrilling since every time I stop at the bookstore, they don’t have it. I am choosing to believe it has been sold and they buy another and it has been sold and they buy another and it has been sold...
Before my Colorado Trail hike I made a new tapestry course which has just gone live. For years many of you have been asking for an intro course that is less of a commitment than Warp and Weft. This course leads into Warp and Weft but it is also a stand-alone class that can help you figure out if you want to do more tapestry weaving. I am also collaborating with Gist Yarn in their roll-out of their new tapestry yarn, Array. They are offering a kit that includes my course.
And finally if you know someone who wants to dive into tapestry, I’m offering a beginners bundle for the holidays that includes a signed copy of my book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving and the Introduction to Tapestry Course along with a bonus. All the details are in this post.
When I sample for a large tapestry as I’m doing now, I usually take the full-size cartoon and weave a portion of it at the size it’ll be woven in the tapestry. The sample isn’t a tiny version of the large piece but a piece of the whole woven as it would be in the final tapestry (potentially). In reality, I often ask more questions as I weave a sample so I try out different things as I weave along and the sample does not look like a chunk of the final tapestry but a collection of possibilities.
Last month I finished a 500-mile backpack along the Colorado Trail. This beautiful route goes through some of the most wonderful scenery in a very beautiful state. I talked about my reasons for hiking the trail and included some photos in a blog post last week as well as HERE and HERE. And I did a preparation post about the art materials I was bringing along HERE.
In that post I talked about bringing along journaling materials including watercolors as well as a small loom and a spindle and fleece. I didn’t bring exactly those materials and not everything stayed with me for the whole 6-week hike.
When thinking about making art on the trail, I wanted to make sure I had some basic materials to record my thoughts and sketch out some potential tapestry designs. In general when backpacking I only bring journal paper and a pen. This year I added a small watercolor kit so that I could add some color to my scribbled sketches. I was surprised how effective having that little bit of color was. It turned out that that journaling was the most powerful art practice for me during the hike. A thru-hike is a big physical undertaking and your job each day becomes walking and making sure you have what you need for survival (water, food, a place to camp, the right gear).
“I am an absolute beginner. I have just purchased two tapestry looms and Rebecca's book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving. I wish to take a course, Weaving on Little Looms or the newest course, Introduction to Tapestry Weaving. I can't decide. Which would be the right course?: —Marilyn
Marilyn’s question is a good one! I want to clarify the difference in these two classes and help you choose the one you might want to start with.
I walked from Denver to Durango this summer which is a distance of about 500 miles. I didn’t do it to figure out the meaning of life, answer any big questions, or recover from any sort of trauma. I just did it because I wanted to walk for a long time. I started July 27th, 2021 at Waterton Canyon in Denver.
I finished the trail on September 9, 2021 in Durango. I wrote a lot about my experience while I was on the trail in my Instagram feed. The posts started July 29th and you can read all about the trail in more depth there. I wrote those posts when I had zero days in town. I did not have much cell coverage on the trail and I would not have spent hiking time posting to social media in any case! I was there to live outside, not to remain connected.
I am writing this from my phone and mile 412 of the Colorado Trail. I am in Silverton, CO having walked here from Denver. I have 75 miles and about 5 days of hiking left.
The trail has been stunning, challenging at times, amazingly beautiful, and full of curiosities. I am grateful to have the time living outside and experiencing the backcountry of Colorado in an extended format.
I have been telling the story of the trail in my Instagram feed. I invite you to go there to see photos and read about the hike. If you want the story chronologically which is how I wrote it, start with THIS post and then scroll up (that should be the photo below on July 29, 2021).
