Change the Shed Episodes January through June, 2023
Group 9
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
Gtoup 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!
The video is HERE.
January 4, 2023 is HERE. Today I worked on a new Fringeless four-selvedge tapestry of a gnome woman to match the one from December.
My newsletter, Tapestry Picks
You can subscribe HERE.
Tapestry Discovery Box: A collaboration with Rebecca Mezoff and Gist Yarn
I talked about the new course and yarn subscription I’m doing with Gist Yarn starting January 11th. You can sign up that day on the Gist website.
Design Solutions for the Artist/Weaver, Season 1 live run
I am going to be doing live Q&As in the Design Solutions, Season 1 class starting January 9 and you can find more information on my website HERE. This is a great time to take this class if you want a group of people discussing the challenges of designing for tapestry weaving and help with your particular questions. Sign up any time, the class runs from January through June, 2023.
Untangled books
They’re HERE!
Tapestry diaries
I mentioned Tommye Scanlin’s tapestry diary and you can find that page of her website HERE. I have a category on my blog about tapestry diaries HERE.
Propping your copper pipe loom
I showed the foam yoga blocks I use to prop up my loom. Mine are by Gaiam. You could also just use a stack of books or anything else and cover it with some of the grippy shelf paper you find in kitchen stores.
January 11, 2023 is HERE. Today I continued working on the gnome tapestry I started last week. I talked about challenges with a complicated design at only 8 epi and 4 x 4 inches. I unwove some and modified the design as needed.
Tapestry Picks: my weekly newsletter
The best way to keep track of when the next Change the Shed is as well as other content I’ve created, new online classes, upcoming online or in-person events, or conferences I’m teaching at is to subscribe to my newsletter. I also often highlight new tapestry books or other fun tapestry-related things. You can sign up for the newsletter HERE.
Tapestry Discovery Box: A collaboration with Rebecca Mezoff and Gist Yarn
I spent a fair amount of time talking about this because it is launch day for this new class. You can find more information on my website HERE and sign up on Gist Yarn’s website HERE.
The live chat between myself and Sarah Resnick, owner of Gist Yarn, will happen Tuesday the 17th at 11am MT. The feed will be on YouTube right HERE.
Yarn company changes
I talked some about Borgs (who makes Faro) and their status change (bankruptcy) as well as weaversbazaar, Gist’s Array, and Paternayan (Colonial Persian now) around minute 30.
My in-person retreats
You can find more information about my retreats on my website HERE. Sign up for my newsletter, Tapestry Picks for notification of when registration will occur. These retreats tend to fill within days if not hours.
Other mentions
CJM Woodcraft needle blocks are HERE.
Taos Wools yarn is HERE.
Weaving in Beauty in Gallup, NM is HERE.
February 8, 2023 is HERE. Today I was broadcasting from a friend’s house in western Virginia. I had spent some time hiking on the Appalachian Trail and am weaving on a small tapestry diary piece using handspun about the mountains here.
Fringeless: Four-selvedge warping with Sarah C. Swett
This is the class I was speaking of where Sarah Swett teaches the four-selvedge warping method I love. You can find more information HERE.
Tiny pipe loom
Just reiterating that I do have plans for making copper pipe looms but I don’t know where to source the materials for this tiny loom. This one was given to me. The concept is very simple, so if you do some poking around and playing with materials you can probably figure out how to make one for yourself.
Other links from the broadcast
Longmont Yarn Shoppe: the shawl I am wearing was by the owner of this shop. I am pretty sure it is the Summer’s Meadow Shawl and you can purchase the special yarn she makes for it along with the pattern HERE.
Bobbin Boy: Milissa Ellison Dewey makes fantastic tapestry bobbins along with shed sticks and other tools.
Katrinkles: My travel niddy noddy that I use for handspun in small amounts is made by them.
Into the Whirled: This is where I get minis that I take traveling to spin often. They’re just small bits of roving in a variety of colors.
February 22, 2023 is HERE. Today I worked on the second gnome tapestry. This episode has lots of “learning” moments! We talked about the choices I made when I set this tapestry up and how they could have been better including different sett and/or simpler design, perhaps a larger size, and some value/hue choices that could have been better.
Tapestry: In Conversation
I mentioned a talk I did also on Feb 22nd with Nearly Wild Weaving. We did have a marvelous talk and if you want to watch the recording, you can contact Anna to get that HERE.
Calendar page on my website
I mentioned the new calendar page on my website where I list upcoming events and registration dates. You can find it here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/calendar
March 8, 2023 is HERE. Today I worked on the same gnome tapestry. I talked more about various color gradation techniques as well as eccentric weaving, weft tension, and paying attention to value. Donation link is here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/change-the-shed if you’d like to help keep this program free on YouTube.
Silvia Heyden film A Weaverly Path
I think there is only a trailer to this film on Vimeo. You can find it HERE. You may be able to watch the film for free through Kanopy at your local library. You can rent the film for $1.99 or purchase it for $4.99 through the producer, Groove Productions HERE.
Current course and retreat offerings are on my website at these links
Retreats: https://rebeccamezoff.com/tapestry-retreats. Join me in Colorado the end of May!
Online class/workshop: Fixing your sheds is coming up in April. https://rebeccamezoff.com/shedding-workshop
Wednesday March 22, 2023 is HERE. Today I worked on that gnome tapestry yet again. I talked about headers, finishing, Fringeless four-selvedge, using doubled warps, sewing slits, and various other technical and design considerations.
Jim Hokett
I mentioned that a favorite loom maker, Jim Hokett passed away a couple weeks ago. He had retired from making tools, but many of us loved his woodworking, his dedication to tapestry weavers, and his other artwork. I’ll have a blog post about this this week. You can find his blog here: https://wouldworkifhewantedto.wordpress.com/
Tapestry Picks
This is my newsletter which I send each week. I have links to the blog, a bit about what I’m thinking that week, and news from the tapestry world. This is also the place to get first notice about openings in retreats, upcoming online courses, and anything else I might be offering. Subscribe HERE.
Online tapestry courses
Fringeless: Four Selvedge Warping with Sarah C. Swett is here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/fringeless
Summer of Tapestry is here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/summer-of-tapestry
Tapestry Discovery Box is here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/discoverybox
Warp and Weft: Learning the Structure of Tapestry is here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/warp-and-weft-learning-the-structure-of-tapestry
Sarah Swett’s newsletter is back!
Sarah is an inspiring artist. I recommend reading her newsletter The Gusset here (you can read for free and I encourage you to get the paid subscription once you get hooked which won’t take long!): https://www.afieldguidetoneedlework.com/newsletter.html
Jiffy Steamer
I talked about finishing quite a bit. I do use a Jiffy Steamer for my work, but you can use a less expensive steamer, a steam iron, or some other method to finish your tapestries. I talk about finishing the most in the class Warp and Weft.
Wednesday, April 5 is HERE. Today I finished the second gnome tapestry and took it off the loom. I talked a lot about Fringeless four-selvedge and also showed some finishing steps.
Little Looms Magazine Article
The Summer 2023 Little Looms magazine has an article by me called Sketch Tapestries: Weave Your World with some tips for weaving this way yourself. This idea is something I’ll teach in more depth in my Summer of Tapestry online course this summer.
Fringeless: Four-selvedge warping
The tapestry I was taking off the loom uses the Fringeless style of warping. Sarah Swett and I taught an online class about that. More information is HERE.
Tapestry weavers to look up
I mentioned various tapestry weavers during this episode. They include Jennifer Sargent, Connie Lippert, Molly Elkind, and Sarah Swett.
Online Tapestry classes I mentioned in this episode
Fringeless: Four Selvedge Warping with Sarah C. Swett
Warp and Weft: Learning the Structure of Tapestry
Fixing Your Sheds
Summer of Tapestry
Dyeing with Acid Wool Dyes
Wednesday April 26, 2023 is HERE. Today I worked on a sampler that needed to be finished. I was using weaversbazaar heavy yarn on a frame loom I also got from them. I talked about the differences between their heavy yarn and their fine and medium yarns as well as comparing this yarn to Array from Gist yarn. The weaving involved eccentric outlining of a built-up hill as well as color choices.
Harrisville Designs
If you’re ever near Harrisville, NH, go and visit this beautiful spot. The town is wonderful and Harrisville Designs has a big shop and sometimes you can even get a mill tour if you arrange it ahead of time. https://harrisville.com/
The Gusset from Sarah C. Swett
I mentioned Sarah’s substack email and you can sign up here: https://sarahcswett.substack.com/. Her website is https://www.afieldguidetoneedlework.com/
Tapestry in Conversation
The May 26 talk is with Louise Oppenheimer. Don’t miss that one! https://nearlywildweaving.wordpress.com/tapestry-in-conversation/
weaversbazaar yarns
You can find more about weaversbazaar yarns and also the loom I was weaving on today on their website https://www.weaversbazaar.com/. I highly recommend these yarns and this company.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 is HERE. Today I worked on a new piece using shaped pick and pick. I had not started weaving the piece before Change the Shed so you get to watch me get my feet under me on a complicated shaped pick and pick tapestry.
Summer of Tapestry 2023
This fun class returns in June! More information is HERE.
American Dippers
The tapestry I was working on today was about the aquatic songbird, the American Dipper (Water Ouzel). I made a short video about these birds which you can see on my YouTube channel HERE.
Archie Brennan’s book, Tapestry as Modern Art
Brenda Osborn was the person who put this amazing book together. You can find a copy HERE. That is a bookshop.org affiliate link or you can get it wherever books are sold.
I had a bit of a confusing back and forth with someone about page 158 of this book where the description mentions flying shuttle. This is, I believe, a form of soumak. It is done while the tapestry is being woven instead of being embroidered later. This is definitely not an “Archie Brennan” technique but a very common weaving term. Sorry for my confusion during the live!
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 is HERE. Today I worked on a piece for Summer of Tapestry, an online course about sketch tapestry. The piece is about birds in my backyard feeder.
Summer of Tapestry 2023
You can still join this class! More information and a trailer video can be found HERE.
Mary Zicafoose
I mentioned Mary because someone is taking an ikat course from her at Midwest Weavers Conference this summer. You can find out more about her ikat work and large-format tapestries using this technique on her website.
Wednesday June 14, 2023 is HERE. Today I worked on the bird tapestry again. I talked about value, what I did and didn’t like about what I was working on, and we had a discussion near the end about natural versus synthetic dyes.
Sarah Swett
Sarah has used natural dyes in her tapestries for 30 years. You can follow her delightful newsletter, The Gusset HERE.
Estes Park Wool Market
I talked about the fun weekend at the wool market I had last weekend. You can keep tabs on this great show for next year HERE. You can find those great tapestry forks from Timber and Twine on their website, Small Acre Farm. https://www.smallacrefarm.com/ They also make lovely small Hokett-style looms along with a really great clamp for the edge of a table.