My Tapestry
my journey from beginner to hosting workshops
It was after learning to weave on my rigid heddle and frame looms that I realised I wanted something different.
My background is an artist - but I worked in more muted colours. I created a lot of charcoal pieces and animal artwork. It was very limiting looking back. My weaving journey has helped me embrace colour more and 'find' my colour palette.
My tapestry journey started on a wooden frame loom. I didn't understand it all at first but then it just clicked. I'm a big believer in learning by error - just get weaving and make lots of mistakes.
I purchased my 28" Mirrix loom and created a large piece simply playing with colour graduations. The weaving width got thinner as I got to the top but I did it!! It is proudly hanging on my wall in my studio as a keepsake. You can see bubbles in the work - that means I had put too much weft (horizontal wool which forms image) in between the cotton warps (vertical string attaching to the frame).
I won't carry on in too much depth but my learning continued by purhasing a smaller Mirrix loom - the Saffron pocket loom (the smallest and cheapest of the Mirrix range and still my favourite). I went from using medium wool threads to finer threads - where multiple strands can be combined to create colour blending. I am finally back on my artistic journey but with threads.
I want to say that you don't need expensive equipment to weave. I can show you how to create a very good loom from a wooden frame. The best can be art canvas frames which you strip the canvas off.
In the gallery below I have shown my progression - I still like both styles of abstract and simple to creating more realistic images with colour blending.
I now offer workshops in my studio in the heart of the Ouseburn disctrict of Newcastle upon Tyne. See my workshop page for all the information.
2025 sees me launch workshops from the well known Biscuit Factory Gallery.
