The Art of Tapestry Weaving

Put aside those preconceptions of dusty, medieval tapestries hanging on castle walls! Tapestry weaving has a whole new look, and fiber enthusiasts of all levels are eager to try their hand at creating images with yarn. Rebecca Mezoff, a renowned teacher of contemporary tapestry weaving, shares her techniques in this in-depth guide to every aspect of the process, from developing a color palette to selecting yarn, warping the loom, and weaving the image. Crafters can choose from inexpensive tabletop and hand-held looms to larger floor looms. Detailed step-by-step photos and inspiring examples from a range of weaver-artists make this a one-stop resource for tapestry weaving how-to.

Tapestry weaving has a fresh new look! With this in-depth technique guide and a small, inexpensive loom, fiber enthusiasts learn to create a range of images with yarn, including funky abstract designs, detailed geometric configurations, and realistic pictures
art of woven images.

With clear, in-depth instruction and photos for each step, Mezoff walks you through the process from selecting good yarns to mounting finished works for display. Her detailed guidance on how to choose and warp a loom, weave stripes and curves, mix yarns to create illusions with color, and more make this comprehensive volume an invaluable reference for weavers of all levels.

- Learn warping techniques for popular tapestry looms

- Master weft tension

- Adjust the steepness of woven angles and steps

- Create vertical curves, circles, and outlines

- Discover design inspiration from dozens of modern artist-weavers Foreword

Introduction: Why Tapestry?

Why Weave Tapestry?

How to Be a Beginning Tapestry Weaver

How to Use This Book

1 This Is Tapestry

Stacked like Bricks

What Tapestry Is Not

Tapestry's Storied History

Terms to Know

2 Looming Large (and Small)

Characteristics of a Good Tapestry Loom

Anatomy of a Tapestry Loom

Types of Looms

Choosing a Tapestry Loom

Approaches to Weaving

Additional Tools

3 Yearning for Yarn

Fiber Common in Tapestry Yarns

The Wonder of Wool

Yarn Terminology

Good Tapestry Yarns

Choose an Anchor Yarn

How Much Yarn?

Other Yarn Considerations

4 Only the Warped Can Weave

Why Warp Size Matters

How Weft Size Influences Your Textile

Sett Affects Image

Tips for Warping Success

Warp Length

Warping Procedures

5 Learning to See Color

You're Not "Bad" at Color

Hue and the Color Wheel

Color Harmonies

Creating Your Own Color Palette

6 Let the Weaving Begin

Parts of a Tapestry

Using Shedding Devices

Headers

7 Heading Off Trouble

Bubbling's Effect on Weft Tension

How the Loom and Beating Affect Your Selvages

8 Color Blending Magic

Creating Color Illusions with Irregular Hatching

Creating Forms with Stripes

Hachures: Formalized Hatching

9 Closing Up the Holes

Sewing Slits

Weft Interlocks

Warp Interlocks

Using Hatching for Joins

10 Angling

Straight Angles