EPISODE GROUPS
Group 1: March 27, 2020 through April 17, 2020
Group 2: April 20, 2020 through May 27, 2020
Group 3: June through September, 2020
Group 4: October through December, 2020
Group 5: January through June, 2021
Group 6: July through December, 2021
Group 7: January through June, 2022
Group 8: July through December, 2022
Group 9: January through June, 2023
Group 10: July through December, 2023
Group 11: January through December, 2024
Return to main Change the Shed page
Many episodes have photos or links for more information about what I was talking about under the summary. Donation button for Change the Shed is on the top of THIS page if you’re interested in helping support the technology and time taken to make this free program happen. Thank you!
January 10, 2024 is HERE. Today I worked again on the American Dipper tapestry. I talked about weaving eccentrically, some about pigtails, and some about color mixing and weft bundling.
I wrote a blog post about American Dippers HERE and you can watch me weave on this as-yet unfinished tapestry in four past Change the Shed Episodes HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Classes I mentioned
Tapestry Discovery Box
Design Solutions for the Artist/Weaver, Season 2
Warp and Weft: Learning the Structure of Tapestry
What Makes a Good Tapestry Yarn?
Fringeless: Four Selvedge Warping with Sarah C. Swett (and myself!)
Sarah Swett’s Guides
I mentioned Sarah’s Tucking the Tails guide which is a downloadable PDF. You can find it HERE. Make sure to check out the rest of her website while there and don’t forget to subscribe to The Gusset. It is fantastic.
January 31, 2024 is HERE. I worked on the American Dipper tapestry one last time because I couldn’t find the yarn for the other one I wanted to show you. Fingers crossed I can find it before the next CTS on Feb 14th. Moving will get you!
Fate, Destiny, and Self-Determination
I mentioned this wonderful project run by Line Dufour in the episode. If you want to contribute a shape or just learn more about it, the website for the project is HERE and you can find it on Facebook HERE. You can contribute a shape and have your work travel the world with this piece!
Online courses I mentioned
Rare earth magnets
We talked about how to hold a cartoon onto your weaving. Rare earth magnets can be a great way to do that, but you have to be careful if you have any beings in your house who might swallow them. They are also so strong they can pinch your fingers. I think the larger ones are safer and easier to use. Just google rare earth magnet for options.
February 14, 2024 is HERE. In this episode I worked on a new tapestry inspired by the desert. This is a piece I had on CTS March 2, 2022 and you can watch that video HERE. Dave asked what my inspiration for this piece was and as it was 2 years ago, I honestly no longer have a firm grasp of where this idea came from. I promised to do some research into my sketchbooks and will get back to you on that on the next CTS in two weeks.
This piece involved building up a shape and then outlining it on a Fringeless four-selvedge warp.
February 28, 2024 is HERE. I worked on this topo-map inspired piece again today. I took out some of what I did two weeks prior and I talk about why I did that. We talked about materials as well as things like using a cartoon as a reference versus an exacting following of dots on the warp. One choice might be good for one person and another for another. It depends. I also talked about twisting the yarn as I lay it in versus not twisting the bundle and why I might do one or the other.
I was weaving the beginning of this piece on March 2, 2022 on Change the Shed and you can watch that episode HERE.
Shows people mentioned
Tiny but Mighty: The American Tapestry Alliance unjuried show. I love this show and it is well worth entering and definitely worth seeing. It’ll be shown during Convergence in July in Witchita, KS.
Small Expressions: This is a Handweavers Guild of America show which is a juried show. I believe it will also hang during Convergence.
Summer of Tapestry 2024
You can find more information and register HERE.
Books
You can get my book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving from anywhere books are sold but I recommend getting it HERE.
My other book, Untangled: A Crafty Sheep’s Guide to Tapestry Weaving you can get either from Mirrix Looms or on my website HERE.
I read a quote from Dare to Sketch: A Guide to Drawing on the Go by Felix Scheinberger.
March 13, 2024 is HERE. I worked on the topo map piece again. We talked about filling in low spots and a lot about weft tension.
Fixing Your Sheds
This popular workshop is happening again the end of this month. More information and registration is here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/shedding-workshop. If you miss this live run, you can always take the recorded version.
The Joshua Tree book I mentioned
Things I learned from falling was a good read. It is by Claire Nelson.
Weft Tension
I have a short YouTube video about this HERE but I recommend taking one of my online classes if you’re struggling with this concept. Every tapestry weaver does and it takes some knowledge and a lot of practice to overcome it.
A Fiber Life podcast
You can find this really wonderful podcast about raising guanacos and other animals on a small farm in Washington HERE.
Donations to Change the Shed
You can find the donation button on the main Change the Shed page HERE.
April 10, 2024 is HERE. Today I worked on the topo line piece and was able to finish all the decisions and make it almost to the end of the piece before the end of the episode.
Classes I mentioned
Fixing Your Sheds
Summer of Tapestry
The Tapestry Discovery Box (Please contact me if you’re in the UK and want to get the Discovery Box)
Fringeless: Four Selvedge Warping with Sarah C. Swett
Textiles and Tea
I mentioned this in passing. It is an interview program that Handweavers Guild of America runs and they interview fiber artists and creators. You can find out more here: https://weavespindye.org/textiles-and-tea/
Other random things I mentioned
S or Z twist and plying for tapestry weaving (join Summer of Tapestry 2024 to talk more about this or watch for a workshop I’ll be teaching with Jillian Moreno in 2025)
Faro yarn at The Woolery
More about my teacher James Koehler
Resources on my website for tapestry forks and other things: https://rebeccamezoff.com/resources
Susan Iverson’s new book, Tapestry With Pulled Warp (affiliate link)
My books
The Art of Tapestry Weaving (affiliate link)
Or if you want a signed copy you can get it from me HERE.
Untangled: A Crafty Sheep’s Guide to Tapestry Weaving
The April 24 episode is HERE. I worked on a new piece which is an example for Summer of Tapestry 2024. We talked about pick and pick, shedding issues, and how important value is. We also talked some about finishing tails and options for why you’d have clean backs or not.
Donations to Change the Shed can be made HERE.
Classes I talked about
Summer of Tapestry
Tapestry Discovery Box
Warp and Weft
Fixing Your Sheds
I used the word crapaud at one point when I was fixing the shed. That is just a short piece of yarn to shift the shed. I talk about this in many classes, but especially in the Fixing Your Sheds class.
May 15, 2024 is HERE. Today I did a little show and tell of my adventure kit. I talked about the looms and tools I bring with me when traveling or backpacking. We looked at a few different small looms. I also worked more on the piece I started two weeks ago which is an example for one of the Summer of Tapestry prompts.
I am researching the ads on the live feed… stay tuned and hopefully they’ll be gone in the next episode. This will incur further fees, so if you’d like to donate to this program so that I can keep offering it in this way, you can do that HERE.
Summer of Tapestry 2024
You can find more information about this class and register HERE. If you want to try the process before signing up, I have a free mini course you can access HERE.
IST spindle
The spindle I take backpacking is by IST. I get them from the Woolery. Like THIS.
Sarah Swett and backstrap looms
Backstrap looms were mentioned as they are just a bundle of sticks and you can do tapestry on them as demonstrated by Sarah Swett. She has a wonderful short guide to backstrap weaving which is a PDF download. You can find it HERE.
Backpacking and travel blog posts
I have written a lot of these over the years. This one is about equipment. Or if you look at the Tapestry Diary category on my blog, you’ll find more adventures and tiny tapestries.
May 29, 2024 is HERE. Today I worked on the Hovenweep walls tapestry again. I talked about weft tension and other issues that are common in tapestry including when to use meet and separate.
You can join Summer of Tapestry HERE.
Donations to Change the Shed can be made from THIS page.
On June 12th I will have a pre-recorded Change the Shed for you. If the internet deities are with us, I may be able to join the stream in the comments. It will show up as a video, not a live stream.
June 12, 2024 is HERE. This was a pre-recorded Change the Shed where I answered some questions I’ve been getting about my business and personal weaving practice. I did not do any weaving in this episode and it is only about 20 minutes long.
July 17, 2024 is HERE. I worked on an example piece for the Tapestry Discovery Box that just opened. The box is about weaving vertical curves and circles and you can join and fine more information on my website here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/discoverybox
July 31, 2024 is HERE. Today was an adventure. A beeping smoke alarm 16 feet above the floor in my studio moved Change the Shed to the porch courtesy of a long ethernet cable. (No, I do not yet own an extension ladder but I will by tonight!). I worked on a new sketch tapestry piece on a Fringeless four-selvedge warp. We talked about steps and angles and color palettes a bit.
Class info
Tapestry Discovery Box information is HERE.
Fringeless class information is HERE.
Palette Scout
I did a blog post about this here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/blog/2024/6/27/palette-scout-choosing-colors-for-tapestry-and-other-fiber-art-applications
You can order from Zollie (sister company to Gist Yarn) here: https://zolliemakes.com/collections/palette-scout
Susan Iverson
Her NO tapestries are numerous and wonderful. You can find more about Susan’s work on her website and by some googling: https://www.susaniversonart.com/
Ergonomics
I talk some about positioning for tapestry weaving. The book I mentioned is Knitting Comfortably by Carson Demers who is a physical therapist who specializes in ergonomics along with a knitting and spinning teacher. It is a self-published book but it is an excellent publication and worth the price. I recommend this book for all fiber artists, not just knitters. It is beefy and covers all sorts of issues which are applicable to weaving. I reviewed the book on my blog here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/blog/2017/9/15/frequency-duration-intensity-knitting-comfortably-with-carson-demers
Box easel. The smaller classic Mirrix looms (Lani, Little Guy, Big Sister) will sit on a box easel. This is an easel that sits on a table top and has a holder for painting canvases that will drop down in front of the edge of the table and also tilt. This is a great ergonomic advantage for many people. I do not have one, but this is the one many of my students have brought to workshops and like. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EV2NCDA/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_9?smid=A23ADOZFIJNPFB&psc=1
September 11, 2024 is HERE. Today I worked on a new Fringeless four-selvedge tapestry that includes some doubled sett. We talked about how Fringeless four-selvedge warping works and why that allows me to do a small portion of this tapestry at 16 epi instead of 8 epi. I talked about materials and some of my choices there.
September 27, 2024 is HERE. I worked on the white rock stack piece which uses a double sett for a piece of it.
Tapestry online classes
Fringeless: Four-selvedge warping with Sarah C. Swett
Tapestry Discovery Box
Episodes of Change the Shed where I worked on Hot Flash and Handbasket which were both double sett pieces:
Hot Flash (linked on this page: https://rebeccamezoff.com/cts-episodes-2)
Handbasket (linked starting with this page: https://rebeccamezoff.com/cts-episodes-4)
Tapestry shows we talked about
Murmuration Collaboration
Timelines
TWINE It looks like they don’t update this blog any more so you will need to email them or look at their social media feeds. Tapestry Weavers in New England.
American Tapestry Alliance shows and calls for entry
Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay at the National Museum of the American Indian, now through next July.
Get your copy of the catalog HERE. It is gorgeous and I’ll review it on the blog soon.
October 16, 2024 is HERE. Today I worked on the white rock tapestry using some double sett. We talked about materials quite a bit, making vertical curves, and I demonstrated some shedding fixes.
Weft materials I’m using in this tapestry
weaversbazaar (the black was WB fine)
Faro (Swedish single made by Klippen and sold many places in the USA)
Array (made by Gist Yarn in the USA)
Dyes
I talked some about dyes and the yarns listed above. When I dye my own yarn for my pieces, I’m very careful to use the most lightfast and colorfast dyes and to make sure I am careful to complete the dye process in a way that the dye really sticks. I use Sabraset acid wool dyes from Prochemical and Dye (these are the same dyes as Lanaset dyes). If you’re interested in learning how to dye your own protein fibers, I have an online class about that HERE.
Classes I referenced
Tapestry Discovery Box
Summer of Tapestry 2024
Fringeless: Four Selvedge Warping with Sarah C. Swett
Dyeing with Acid Wool Dye
What makes a good tapestry yarn?
Blog
I write a blog almost every week about tapestry weaving and my fiber adventures. You can find it HERE. If you want to get the blog in an email each week, you can sign up for that on the sidebar of that page (scroll down on mobile).
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 is HERE. Today I worked on the white piece again. We talked about eccentric outlining, shedding issues, materials, and a bunch of other things!
Things I mentioned
I have a resources page on my website under FAQ where I list some of the yarns and tools I like. Find that here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/resources
Handywoman Shop Looms: https://www.handywomanshop.com/ Her shop is closed until January, but please make a note to order from her then.
Design Solutions for the Artist/Weaver classes. More information is HERE and HERE. (There are two classes, please take them in order.)
Fringeless: Four-selvedge warping with Sarah C. Swett is here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/fringeless
Gist Yarn: https://www.gistyarn.com/ They have an introductory tapestry weaving kit that includes my Introduction to Tapestry Weaving course HERE and they also manage the Tapestry Discovery Box which is an ongoing course I teach that comes with their yarn.
Archie Brennan: Tapestry as Modern Art is the book I was talking about written by Archie and put together posthumously with a lot of additional material by Brenda Osborn.
Fårö yarn
Borgs went out of business recently but this beautiful tapestry yarn is being made by Klippen now. You can find it at a many shops in the USA like GlimakraUSA, Eugene Textile Center, The Woolery, Yarn Barn of Kansas, or likely others. Oooo! After a little digging, I realized that Magpie Woodworks carries it now, so grab a beautiful tapestry fork while you order it from them in full 4 ounce skeins. Or Mirrix Looms winds off tiny bobbins of it that gives you a lot of colors to try in tiny amounts. You can also get the full range of color from Vavastuga in a similar kit of tiny amounts called yarn in a jar.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 is HERE. Today I introduced the Winter Trees weave-along I’m doing in November and December. You can find more information and download your PDF to weave along from my blog post today here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/blog/2024/11/13/winter-trees-weave-along
Sarah Swett chat and Fyber Monday sale
I’ll be having a fun chat with Sarah Swett on December 2 at noon MT (2pm ET) right on YouTube. It is free and no registration is needed. Just go to THIS link and join us! If you have a YouTube account you can ask us questions live as well. It will be recorded if you can’t make it. This is part of my Fyber Monday celebration. It is the one time a year all my classes including the one I made with Sarah (Fringeless) will be on sale. So mark your calendars for December 2.
Susan Iverson’s Pulled Warp book
At the end of this episode we were talking about making pulled warp tree ornaments. I think this is a fabulous idea. I haven’t reviewed Susan’s book from this year yet because I haven’t tried any of the projects, but I have many friends and students who have loved it. The book is called Tapestry with Pulled Warp and you can purchase it HERE.
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