There are no tapestry police: Sarah Swett and Rebecca talk tapestry

There are no tapestry police: Sarah Swett and Rebecca talk tapestry

Sarah Swett and I had a fun time talking to all of you on YouTube as we discussed tapestry weaving, Fringeless four-selvedge warping, and not nearly enough about our dogs, though we were reminded to bring them into the mix! The recording of the chat is below and I’ve included some “show notes” below that.

Spending time with people who are deeply passionate about making, materials, and playing with ideas is invigorating to me and that is why people like Sarah are part of my world. We talked about many things mostly in the realm of tapestry weaving. We talked about the value of limitations and how important playing is to learning and growing.

Part of my mission in teaching tapestry weaving is to remind people that though this is an art tradition with a lot of history behind it, there are no tapestry police. You can make whatever artwork you want and utilize any fiber techniques you want to get there. Sarah is a fantastic idea of someone who uses the techniques of tapestry to experiment with all sorts of fiber ideas. Enjoy the chat and if you want to join the class which is full of more Sarah wisdom with some nuggets from me as well, there is a discount code in the video that is good a bit longer for 20% off.

The joy of a beautifully made tapestry tool

The joy of a beautifully made tapestry tool

I’ve come by a few new tapestry tools lately such as a new set of bobbins, some bones, wooden needles, and shed sticks came from Bobbin Boy. I also got a new tapestry fork from Magpie Woodworks. Along with these wonderfully useful tools, there was an unexpected gift. What a treasure trove all in the last few months.

A really well-made tool is such a joy. I think having a tool that works well for your body and fits your hand well is an important part of spending time making things. It is always interesting to me that the tools I love are not the ones everyone else does! But that shouldn’t be surprising since we are all different people who weave and use our bodies in different ways.

Laugh and weave in a free live event with Sarah C. Swett and Rebecca Mezoff

Laugh and weave in a free live event with Sarah C. Swett and Rebecca Mezoff

Sarah Swett is one of the most joy-filled people I’ve ever met. We made an online class together called Fringeless: Four-selvedge Warping with Sarah C. Swett in which Sarah teaches us all how to do her four-selvedge warping method. She is a fabulous teacher and by the end of the course you’ll not only have laughed many times over at our antics, but you’ll have a solid understanding of how to use this wonderful warping method yourself. Sarah also includes bonus material about her methods of tapestry weaving.

My point in saying all that is that I got to know Sarah much better over the course of the four days it took us to film the class and she has become a fantastic role model for my own creative practice.* From spinning novel materials (milkweed and coffee filters anyone?) to natural dyeing, tapestry weaving, backstrap weaving and tapestry ON a backstrap loom, to her daily cartoon journal and her new dog Beryl, her creative journey is an inspiration.

Spinning and weaving in the woods

Spinning and weaving in the woods

It has been a busy summer and I haven’t had nearly enough time to backpack. But I did get away for a few days to the Rawah Wilderness this week. This is one of my favorite places to visit but I hadn’t been back since the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire. The fire started perhaps 10 miles from where I camped but went in the other direction. It ended up lasting 5 months and becoming the largest wildfire in Colorado history. From this spot 60 miles from Fort Collins, the fire burned within 5 miles of the city limits.*

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I left the pups at home and hiked in about 7 miles to one of my favorite camps near Twin Crater Lakes. I spent three days sitting in the sunshine, exploring a bit, spinning, drawing, and weaving. It is a good reset to get outside, sleep on the ground, and listen to the quiet, the birds, and a moose chomping willows nearby.

Hurry up!

Hurry up!

Chaos reigns around here as the pups take over life day to day. I've been reveling in early morning strolls around the backyard muttering, "hurry up!" and waiting for two pees and two poops. And that is just self defense. If I’m not patient, they don't learn to potty outside and I have to clean it up inside.

If you missed my post about getting two dogs last month, you can read that HERE.

To be honest, the time wandering around my own backyard, watching the finches at the feeder and the puppy chase butterflies has been good for my soul. I’m in the middle of a couple big projects, one is personal and the other is a course, and the pups have the ability to remind me that taking a moment to relax is important. (And they do that by the pee pee on the floor reminder… I didn’t pay attention and the puppy couldn’t hold it any longer.)

Choosing weft colors for tapestry weaving: Overcoming choice paralysis!

Choosing weft colors for tapestry weaving: Overcoming choice paralysis!

I was chatting with an online student this week about what colors she needs to jump into the Warp and Weft course. Choosing colors can feel pretty daunting especially if you haven’t worked with color a lot. And color use in tapestry weaving differs from other art mediums because of the nature of the material (yarn) and the structure of the weaving.

When you’re new to tapestry and faced with so many color choices, how do you pick those first yarns and how many do you need? A commercial yarn line might have 60 colors or it might have 400. Both of those can feel overwhelming.

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Questions from the book: How tight should my warp be?

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Questions from the book: How tight should my warp be?

I am frequently asked this question by readers of my book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving, and by students in my online classes. The best way to really know how tight the warp should be is to feel the warps of experienced tapestry weavers. But if you aren’t able to come to an in-person workshop or retreat any time soon, the video and discussion below will help you figure out what the right warp tension is for you.

When I got my first Mirrix loom I was thrilled with how tight I could make the tension. The looms come with a little wrench that you can use to tighten the wing nuts beyond what you can do with just your hands. I use a cotton seine twine warp which is very strong and can take a huge amount of tension. So I’d tighten that Mirrix warp very very tight. It was far tighter than I can get the tension on my beefy rug loom.