When should slits be sewn?  I know that they can be done on or off loom, what I mean is how long can a line go before sewing?  The distance along the tree trunk on my project will be a couple of inches on each side.  Should I sew this, and if I do not, will it effect how the tapestry hangs when finished?

winter sentinel

The warp is set at 8 epi, if that makes a difference.  Thanks.

Comments

Tue, 01/28/2014 - 18:31

Walkingquail

I like my slits to be no more than an inch long and I sometimes save myself the hassle of stitching by interlocking one pick with the color next to it every inch or so. Whether or not a slit should be closed up sometimes depends on the application of the tapestry. A wall hanging will not be subject to the stresses that a bag would be. However, I have seen vintage rugs that were not sewn up, the slits were part of the design. Happy weaving!

Tue, 01/28/2014 - 19:26

tommye scanlin

As Walkingquail said, "It depends!" All that she mentions are factors to consider. Susan Martin Maffei has an article about slits at the ATA website: http://americantapestryalliance.org/education/educational-articles/slits/ in it she addresses some ways slits can be sewn. As Walkingquail mentions, you can use interlocking as a way to avoid slits but areas where you're interlocking would have to be worked at the same time, background, tree, background, etc. A slit that's not sewn won't effect the tapestry negatively when hanging, for the most part. And the shadow of the edge of the slit might be something wanted as a design effect. In my own work, I sew slits as I go (usually) although I'll occasionally use an interlock if I want strength at the junction. But... as always, the best answer is "it depends!"
Wed, 01/29/2014 - 00:24

Artistry

Theresasc , I usually sew slits after the tapestry is done. I guess I've gone as long as 3-4 inches long. It's just a preference. However if I think there is going to be a threat of draw in between those slits I start sewing while I'm weaving and that takes care of it. Probably because I'm more aware:) As far as how long the slit is afterwards for me to sew it, it could be as small as 1/2 an inch but lie in a critical area, but anything over an inch gets sewn up. I haven't seen a difference in my work as far as hanging on the wall, each method appears equal. Your tree looks good,BTW, I like the shading on the tree and the gray shadowing as well.
Wed, 01/29/2014 - 15:21

theresasc

"it depends" - made me laugh, I guess this is another thing that keeps me coming back to tapestry, the rules are there are no rules - LOL!

Tommye, thanks for the helpful link, good information there.

Thu, 01/30/2014 - 15:28

Kathe Todd-Hooker (not verified)

Slits are interesting because there are so many ways to deal with and so many reasons not to deal with them at all. The thing to remember is that there are no tapestry police. What works works and should be determined by the designer and weaver of the piece. In trad. Gobelin weaving anything longer the .5 inches should be sewn as yo go-stitch in the ditch. Sewing a slit gives a very smooth visual joining of the two sides. Most joins will leave a toothy look where they come together and depending on the look your after or the dictates of the design you may or may not want that look. Slits can even be pulled slightly to create a shadow or eve be umbricated or made too lap over each other. Pulled slits for shadows in faces and other places sort of got lost in French tapestry. When i first started weaving tapestry we told all slits needed to be sewn so that when the tapestries were hung sideways the weight would pull the slits open. Turns out their was probably a little truth to this, but what was lost too general knowledge was the slits were probably pulled in order to create ver subtle shadows especially in faces, etc. Anyway this is getting long. I need to go weave. I am thinking this will be a good subject for my blog the first of February
Thu, 01/30/2014 - 15:37

Kathe Todd-Hooker (not verified)

Another reason for stitching slits as you go. If you have a lot of long slits together the stitching can keep the slits from curling at the edges and making them difficult to weave. Also it serves as a visual and structural reminder that the slits and columns aren't pulling in or out as you weave them. such as the trestle in the piece i am working on. Joins would have been inappropriate for this piece because of the high contrast the toothed edges on the side of the vertical columns would have created and I wanted them to be very smooth looking as they were wood and metal.
Sun, 02/02/2014 - 01:04

tonyaleacht

I am looking forward to reading that! I find a lot of info on sewing slits, but not so much about using them as a design element.

Keep me posted.