I know is not having straight edges... but what is happening to me is ridiculous!


I started weaving about a year ago. Nothing fancy, I would take a large piece of cardboard, cut notches in it and weave a simple rag rug. My first few were a little wavy but I soon got the hang of tensioning. This Christmas I was given a Schacht Tapestry Loom, and I immediately began trying it out. My first project was horrid, it ended half the size it had begun. The second wasn't much better, it looked worse because I was trying so hard not to add any tension to the warp that the edges looked baggy. I've been looking all over for a beginner project on this loom; one that specifies warp and weft material and how many warps per inch, but all I can find is tutorials on a School Loom or a cricket. I've tried twinning the warp to keep it in place, but without any notches the warp seems to simply slide closer and closer together. honestly I'm not even sure I'm twining right. Is there a beginner tutorial for this loom? Each project I make turns out worst then the last and I have to admit I am a bit disheartened.

Comments

Tue, 01/25/2011 - 12:05

Claudia Segal (not verified)

There is a place to start with Tapestry weaving and it may be in books and here on Weavo.  Here is the link for a discussion about beginner books for tapestry weaving.  I love Kathe Todd-Hooker's book Tapestry 101.  It's been a wonderful guide for my weaving.  You can also send her a PM here on Weavolution and ask her opinion.  She is a very nice person, extremely talented and very easy to talk to.  She has always responded to my beginner questions.  Go to her profile HERE and scroll down and click on "Send this user a message".

Many tapestry weavers tie the edge of the warp to the vertical edges of the loom about every 1.5 to 2" to prevent the draw-in you are noticing.  Have you tried that?  

Both Kathe and Tommye Scanlin have wonderful websites full of information about tapestry weaving.  They have a link to their websites on their profiles here on Weavo.  And, they both teach!! all around the US.  Kathe is available for a 1 hour private class on Cyber-Fiber, the WEavolution online classroom.  If that interests you, please let me know and I will help arrange it. 

Claudia, Weavolution co-founder

 

Tue, 01/25/2011 - 18:23

tommye scanlin

 

Your query about the Schacht tapestry loom leads me to answer that the loom would be used as would any other frame loom for tapestry.  It's tapestry techniques rather than the loom that makes the difference. Claudia's suggestion about signing on for one of Kathe Todd-Hooker's classes on Weavo might be a way to go, as well using Kathe's book,Tapestry 101. 

But... to help you get underway without the book (or any book) on hand, let me make a few suggestions.

 

1.  About warp--the warp should be strong and not subject to easily breaking.  I usually recommend cotton seine twine.  It's available at many sources but I usually use Glimakra USA.  The sizes of the seine twine vary from small (12/6) to larger (12/18) with sizes in between (12/9, 12/12, 12/15).  About sett for each of those sizes, I recommend an 10 to 12 epi for 12/6; for 12/9 an 8-10 epi; for 12/12, 7.5 or 8 epi; for 12/15, 6 to 8 epi; for 12/18, 5 or 6 epi.  Those, of course, are suggestions.

 

2.  Weft may be of any type.  In beginning work it's usually a good idea to have the different colors of wefts to be used for the discontinuous wefts be of the same yarn type.  When the yarn is of the same type there's less difference of packing when using them side by side.  However, thinner wefts may also be bundled several strands as one to equal the size of a larger weft.  A rough guide for size the weft should be is that the weft (or bundled group of several strands) will fit between two warps at the sett you're going to use --  confusing?  Imagine two parallel vertical lines (two warps), and between those would be held another parallel line (weft being tested).  If the weft just fits between those two warps it will possibly be the right size when weaving to allow for covering the warp well--but not so thin that it takes more picks than necessary.  Another factor in weft choice is tightness of spin, number of ply, softness or loft of the strand.  Softer yarns pick in more readily, for instance, but that doesn't mean that only those are good for tapestry weaving.  As with any type of weaving, thinking "sample, sample, sample" is a good thing!

 

3.  Getting the warp spacing right (not too far apart for the size of the warp being used) and using the right size weft for the spacing (sett) will go a long way toward solving the draw-in that you describe "...the warp seems to simply slide closer and closer together."

 

4.  One other thing... when learning about techniques at the same time as trying out new equipment (the Schacht Tapestry loom, in this case) it's always good to begin with a fairly narrow piece.  When I teaching beginning tapestry classes, I ask students to put on a width no wider than 4"  and I often have them use the 12/18 cotton seine twine with a 6 epi sett.  Doesn't take too long to set the loom up and is easy to see the process.

 

5.  You might also want to visit the blog called Tapestry Share that Pat Williams and I have.  We hope the blog will be a forum for discussion about various aspects of tapestry, from beginning to end.  

 

Good luck with the process!  It's a challenging path to go down, I can say from experience.  But it's a rewarding one, as well.  Getting underway, finding out some few hints to make things easier, and telling yourself "Don't Get Discouraged!!" are all things to keep in mind.

Tommye

 

Tue, 01/25/2011 - 18:25

tommye scanlin

I'd formatted it with spacing but when posting it lost it all.  So sorry.  Have tried to correct by editing but it's still there.

This is why I don't spend much time at Weavo anymore, too dang frustrating--!!-- sorry, Claudia!