by Carol Lerner
Although the Tapestry Study Groups have not been meeting for several months, members of each are still pursuing tapestry expression in various ways. In fact, the Tapestry Weekend Study Group has decided it is time to stop waiting and reconvene virtually, graciously inviting the Thursday Tapestry Study Group to tag along on their Zoom meetings.
The original Tapestry Study Group formed several years ago after Anita Wolfenden taught beginning tapestry and a small but enthusiastic group continued to meet to practice and encourage one another. The Tapestry Weekend: Daily Diaries Group formed after a weekend workshop with Tommye Scanlin, providing a tapestry group for those who cannot meet during the week and focusing on tapestry diaries, as introduced by Tommye.
Often the meeting is the impetus to pick up a languishing tapestry project, and, if all else fails, at least there are the two hours of meeting time a month to make some headway. It’s a great time to reconnect with a tapestry work and with other weavers working to learn techniques and/or improve their skill levels.
During this time of hanging out at home, some of our weavers have had the time to finish long-standing works, and start new projects.
Jo Ann Burden has produced two works of different styles. The piece “Mary and Jesus” was inspired by a Christmas card made of banana leaves. It was created on a Mirrix loom with 12/2 cotton seine twine warped at 8 e.p.i., and 3 strand embroidery wool weft.
Jo Ann’s Navaho style rug is a stash buster, utilizing churro wool medium weight singles for weft from her stash. It is woven on a Dovetail Navaho loom warped at 4 e.p.i. with 2 ply Lincoln wool, utilizing her own pattern.
Louise Koslofsky created tapestries recording the daily high temperatures, experimenting with an unfamiliar loom and various stitches.
Naming these pieces “Tempestries,” Louise has recorded the temperatures from January to May, with the one still in process depicting June and July. I’m feeling the heat…
I also experimented with a new-to-me loom (Thank you, Victoria Taub!) and produced a piece I call “Sunriver,” warping at 8 epi with 12/12 cotton seine twine, and exploring hidden wonders of my stash. It’s amazing how long a stash lasts when weaving tapestries! And yet…
I produced four more small pieces (6 x 6), which convinced me I needed to up my game. I’m now in the middle of online coursework by Rebecca Mezoff, which has helped tremendously, and I highly recommend. More to come in future months…
The Tapestry Study Group meets(normally) on the first Thursday of the month from 9:30-11:30.
The Tapestry Weekend group meets the 2nd Sunday of the month from 1 – 4 pm. If you’d like to join via Zoom, contact Louise at lkoslofsky@hotmail.com