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Workshop: Tapestry Techniques in Fabric for Clothing (1 day)
A Workshop with Nancy Harvey © 2000
P. O. Box 1540 Colfax, CA 95713-1540
Phone(530) 346-6184
Fax (530) 346-8887
e-mail: info@nancyharvey.com

GENERAL INFORMATION

DESCRIPTION:
Tapestry weaving has consumed my weaving career since the mid 1970's. Although I began weaving with an interest in weaving fabric for clothing I got side tracked by tapestry weaving for 20 years. In 1999 I began exploring the use of some tapestry techniques in fabric for clothing. The resulting fabric is not weft faced, and has a wonderful hand. The flexibility of tapestry techniques like hatching and hachures allow you to work spontaneously or follow a pre-planned design. Once I did all the planning and sampling, it took me less than 6 hours to weave the fabric for a vest using these hand manipulated tapestry techniques! First you'll learn how to weave two tapestry techniques, hatching and hachures. Then we will take a commercial vest or jacket pattern pattern, enlarge it to create a cartoon to weave from, (to accommodate fabric shrinkage). Then we'll plan a design and mark the garment "cartoon" and you'll be ready to go home and weave your fabric.

Phone(530) 346-6184 Fax (530) 346-8887 e-mail: info@nancyharvey.com

STUDENT INFORMATION:
Loom: Since the garment length will be the weaving width we will weave only a small sample of the fabric during the workshop (due to the small width of most workshop looms). You may use any 2 or 4 harness floor or table loom, or even a tapestry or rigid heddle loom.

Warp your loom for a width of 12 inches with a 10/2 cotton in a color of your choice in a medium to dark shade. Sett the warp at 18 epi and long enough to weave at least 16 inches. Thread the loom in a straight draw 1, 2, 3, 4. Tie-up 1-3, 2-4 for plain weave.

Weft: You will need small amounts of 3 different wefts. You will need about 50 yards of a 5/2 cotton a shade lighter or darker than your warp and 30 or 40 yards of 2 different types of novelty yarns with about 900-1000 yards/lb. Now is a good time to use up a lot of odds and ends. Bring a variety of miscellaneous novelty yarns to play with in the weft!!

OTHER MATERIALS: In addition to the normal workshop items...a notebook, pencil and scissors, please bring 2 T-pins, some heading material to space the warp (I use plastic bags cut into 2 inch strips); a tapestry packing fork or comb (a kitchen fork or hair comb will work). You will also need to bring a vest pattern (which we will be cutting up to enlarge). I will provide large cartooning paper.

If you have a copy of my book, "Tapestry Weaving - A Comprehensive Study Guide" bring it along...I'll be happy to autograph it for you. My book and videos will also be available for purchase during the workshop.

PREREQUISITES: Tapestry is a hand-manipulated weave. Anyone with an interest in weaving is welcome. No previous weaving experience required. If you are using a borrowed loom, please make sure you know how to use it.

FACILITY/CLASSROOM NEEDS:

1 8' Table for instructor materials, 1 Chalk board, chalk & eraser, Tables & chairs and adequate table top work space for all students, slide projector, screen & carousel. Classroom should be able to be darkened for slide projection.

I look forward to a fun-filled informative workshop. If you have any questions, prior to the workshop, please feel free to contact me. If you have a copy of my book, "Tapestry Weaving - A Comprehensive Study Guide" bring it along...I'll be happy to autograph it for you. My books and videos will also be available for purchase during the workshop. See you soon.
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