I seem to be having a dictionary moment.
Looking up semantics you get Selvedge (selvage) and semaphore too Bonus!
 "Textile" 9" x 5" ;hand woven tapestry ;wool warp and weft" | It's all about words and fonts, definitions, dictionaries and the fun of looking things up -- Why choose this word? Why that? What do any of them really mean? |
Looking Into It ©Sarah C. Swett 2015
 The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language; American Heritage Publishing CO., Inc. New York 1969 | Note to self: Next time I teach at a textile conference ask for a no.men.cla.tor (Latin meaning) to follow me around so I won't embarrass myself when name tags are backwards, or hung too low for subtle inspection Note to everyone else: the Apple computer dictionary does not know this word. |
from The Oxford American Dictionary and Language Guide; Oxford University Press 1999 Word choice
in the realm
of textiles
however,
not to mention
the medium
of tapestry
where
nomenclature
and
semantics
duke it out daily,
is not a topic
to be tackled
by the
faint of heart.
a ; 1.25" x 1"; hand woven tapestry; hand spun wool warp and weft; indigo
The ATA glossary defines tapestry thus:
Tapestry weaving: A weft faced, woven cloth with discontinuous wefts, usually plain weave.
The Wikipedia entry begins like this:
"Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom. However, it can also be woven on a floor loom. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length (called the warp) and those parallel to the width (called the weft); the warp threads are set up under tension on a loom, and the weft thread is passed back and forth across part or all of the warps. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike cloth weaving where both the warp and the weft threads may be visible. In tapestry weaving, weft yarns are typically discontinuous; the artisan interlaces each coloured weft back and forth in its own small pattern area. It is a plain weft-faced weave having weft threads of different colours worked over portions of the warp to form the design."
And of course there is Other Wikipedia entry for Tapestry:
"Tapestry is the second album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1971 on Ode Records and produced by Lou Adler."
Tapestry weaving: A weft faced, woven cloth with discontinuous wefts, usually plain weave.
The Wikipedia entry begins like this:
"Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom. However, it can also be woven on a floor loom. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length (called the warp) and those parallel to the width (called the weft); the warp threads are set up under tension on a loom, and the weft thread is passed back and forth across part or all of the warps. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike cloth weaving where both the warp and the weft threads may be visible. In tapestry weaving, weft yarns are typically discontinuous; the artisan interlaces each coloured weft back and forth in its own small pattern area. It is a plain weft-faced weave having weft threads of different colours worked over portions of the warp to form the design."
And of course there is Other Wikipedia entry for Tapestry:
"Tapestry is the second album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1971 on Ode Records and produced by Lou Adler."
All this is even before bringing in the element of size (small format vs 'regular'),
or wandering into the world of jacquard
or wandering into the world of jacquard
 The Bayeux Tapestry; Alfred A. Knopf New York 1985 pl 47 detail |  The Bayeux Tapestry; Pl 2 detail |
or narrative embroidery
where history has been stitched into linen for nearly 1000 years,
the word tapestry more firmly fixed with every gorgeous thread.
where history has been stitched into linen for nearly 1000 years,
the word tapestry more firmly fixed with every gorgeous thread.
The Prestonpans Tapestry 1745: Andrew Crummy, dorie Wilkie, Gillian Hart; Gordon Prestoungrange and The Stitchers; Prestoungrange University Press with Burke's Peerage & Gentry for The Battle of Prestonpans 1745 Heritage Trust; 2010 Here are links to three:
The Prestonpans Tapestry 1745
The Great Tapestry of Scotland
The French Shore Tapestry (Conche, Newfoundland, Canada)
Then there is Needlepoint,
the medium of choice for my Grandmother
and also a favorite of mine.
The Prestonpans Tapestry 1745
The Great Tapestry of Scotland
The French Shore Tapestry (Conche, Newfoundland, Canada)
Then there is Needlepoint,
the medium of choice for my Grandmother
and also a favorite of mine.
Stripes panel #2; Needlepoint Comic; 60" x 40" Hand Spun Wool; Cotton; Hemp; Natural Dye ©Sarah C. Swett
Will the real tapestry please stand up???
But of course they all are real.
I know it can make things awkward to have several media employ the same word,
and don't doubt there are always issues involving status, or perceived lack thereof
(Please don't think what I do has any relation to that," whatever 'that' might be).
But embracing all the meanings makes life less exclusive, less 'us and them.'
It also makes naming things easier.
But of course they all are real.
I know it can make things awkward to have several media employ the same word,
and don't doubt there are always issues involving status, or perceived lack thereof
(Please don't think what I do has any relation to that," whatever 'that' might be).
But embracing all the meanings makes life less exclusive, less 'us and them.'
It also makes naming things easier.
Five Small Tapestries. ( I know, this is the same photo I used last week, but it is late and I'm too tired to go find another)
The word Tapestry, then, allows me to be specific and general at the same time.
And calling myself a Tapestry Weaver gives me
the freedom of limitation inherent in the structure
as well as some built-in elbow room for experimentation,
which is how I work best.
Face; Needlepoint; Hand Spun Wool; cotton canvas; Indigo; ©Sarah C. Swett
Many of the old textile words have this quality -- structure and elbow room together--
and I love how such words can glow with the patina of centuries
even as the things we do with them changes daily.
and I love how such words can glow with the patina of centuries
even as the things we do with them changes daily.
Walking the Walk (detail) 5" x 4.25"; tapestry; embroidery; wool; indigo ©Sarah C. Swett 2015 I also love the specificity of these words, and the astonishing things when the specific action implied by the word is coupled with unexpected approaches -- some of the blackwork I've recently seen on Pinterest, for instance, is astonishing.
Of course it may be that my passion for tapestry, sewing, knitting, embroidery and other such rich words is because I am writing them on blog, on a computer, through the internet and my soul longs for and clings to the things over which I have some control, have been here for a long time and most importantly, reference yarn.
Because I do love yarn.
Which in turn reminds me that
despite all these ways of messing around with ideas,
all work is new
and all work is old
and ideas keep going round and round.
And perhaps that is what semantics is about.
Which in turn reminds me that
despite all these ways of messing around with ideas,
all work is new
and all work is old
and ideas keep going round and round.
And perhaps that is what semantics is about.
Apple; Hand Woven Tapestry; hand spun wool warp and weft; ©Sarah C. Swett
