For a long time I have wanted to try tapestry weaving.  I had joined the American Tapestry Alliance about 1.5 years ago, and had seen the two mentor programs they have.  In May I sent in an application for their Helping Hands program for beginning tapestry weavers, which is a six month commitment.  A couple weeks later I was matched with Pam Hutley, of Queensland, Australia.  We have started communicating and I’m looking forward to her advice, ideas, and critique.

At the end of my last woven shibori warp, I woven a foot or so of plain weave, no pattern weft rows.  I had the idea of trying to stitch a design in by hand (above).

After stitching a design, the thread sections were gathered and tied, and it will be going into an indigo vat this weekend along with two or three other samples.  Results in the next post.

I have fleece waiting to be washed, a job I do in warmer months, outdoors.  In the last post there was my usual area on the lakeside porch waiting for this, but I had to remove it all because the porcupines keep coming up onto the porch and chewing on the legs on my wood sawhorses!

I did set up the large canners/pots I use for washing fleece out on the lakeside porch, and did wash about half of a 6+ lb. fleece, which is now drying in the racks in the garage, away from hungry porcupines.

I’m looking forward to carding and spinning this fleece, as well as figuring out what I’ll be making with the yarn, whether knit or woven.