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linsey-woolsey and the tapestry invasion

5/28/2019

 
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So there I was, 
happily weaving along,
 ​minding my selvedges,
thinking about the interlacement
of linen, wool and plain weave
through the millennia,
​when I remembered this book.
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Picture
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I've owned Nancy Arthur Hoskins'  book
for a long time

but until last week had not actually tried
the ever-intriguing  notion
of tapestry as built-in embellishment

in an otherwise unadorned balanced plain weave--
at least for clothing-- 
as was the case with Coptic Tapestry.

Ten or fifteen years ago
I did the wool/ wool sample pictured below
as part of some early
Four Selvedge Tapestry experiments,
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Tapestry-Tabby; Four Selvedge Tapestry; hand spun wool; natural dye; 9.75" x 2.75"
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Tapestry-Tabby with Needlepoint embellishment
and long time  readers of this blog
will know that exploring ways
to 
get tapestry off the wall
has long been a passion of mine,
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so you might imagine my delight
when I suddenly realized--
wait-- I'm making cloth for clothing
and I can work tapestry into this cloth
RIGHT ​NOW!
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As I think I mentioned last week,
historic Linsey-Woolsey
usually seems to be wool weft on a linen warp,
and the the same holds true 
for  late 3rd to mid 7th Century Coptic Tapestry
(which makes sense  given ease of dyeing wool for imagery
and a centuries old tradition of growing flax for clothing.).
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Since my cloth had a wool warp and linen weft however,
I decided to do the tapestry part backwards too --
weaving a weft faced linen ground 
with little woolen squares
(using the same yarn as the warp).
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The Luminist and Storymaker go at it again.....
Those of you who have read Backstrap Dialogues
are already familiar with the endless disagreements
between my inner Luminist and Storymaker--
so while they are fighting over aesthetics
 I will just mention that technically,
this first stab at tabby/tapestry
​was both a delight
​ and a pain in the butt. 
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There are issues of tension,
shrinkage, sett,
connection with
(and the simultaneous weaving of)
the tabby areas on the sides,
all of which I want to mess about with
​in future experiments,
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but overall I'm thrilled --
both with the addition of tapestry
and with the cloth itself which,
now that it is off the loom and washed,
(by hand as for wool, with extra agitation for fulling)
I find to be crisp, light, fluid
and even a little glittery.
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The tapestry section is smooth and weighty
in an intriguing and satisfying way.
Nothing odd or 'unbelonging' feeling about it.
I will probably sew the slits
before beginning the actual garment --
and of course that can't happen
until I've completed 
the next swathe --
linen warp/wool weft
with whatever touch of sartorial tapestry
​ Luminist and Storymaker decide upon--
and designed whatever it is I'm going to make.
Picture
Two final thoughts --
1. Linsey Woolsey has a long rocky history
from breeds of sheep, to the use and abuse of power,
from linen processing in Coptic Egypt
to ramifications of the British Wool Act of 1699,
from The Fibershed  movement
to the enforced spinning and weaving of slave clothing--
as I was reminded by Mary Madison in last week's comments.
It is a history at once painful, fascinating and full of possibility--
 worthy of serious inquiry on many levels.
As usual I've no idea where it all is going for me,
but as you can see,
I'm on the path,
spindle in hand.
and thank you kindly
​ for your company.

2. Switching Newsletter providers last week seemed to go well,
though a few people reported
that their newsletter went into Spam
because it came from Sarah C Swett
instead of A Field Guide To Needlework.
I have now changed that and hope it works better.  
Thank you again for your support and patience!
Picture
Zann
5/28/2019 01:33:40 pm

The tapestry is just beautiful, the colors elegant and serene.

Velma Bolyard link
5/28/2019 02:01:03 pm

The first sense of peace in my hectic day came with your weaving video. Sold a spinning wheel today, and tomorrow a floor loom, but the craziness of my life now needed to just see you weave, to remember what it is to weave.

Noël Nicholls
5/28/2019 02:56:45 pm

I am in a state of awe and delight at your amazing weaving and cloth making. Best dressed woman in town I reckon!

Terri Bryson
5/28/2019 03:05:56 pm

Love this blog. Coptic weavings are fascinating (to me). I'm looking forward to more about your experiments! Thank you for sharing!

Sarah
5/28/2019 03:31:13 pm

I so love watching what you're doing..I'm with you all the way.
We are growing sheep and flax and looking for ways to make use of both. Undyed.
Did you know that linen and wool combined is "shatnez" or forbidden for Jews?

Thanks for sharing everything you are doing ;-)

Sarah
5/29/2019 09:38:24 am

How wonderful to grow both fibers so have room to really experiment! The concept of shatnez is, indeed, another fascinating piece of the power of this fiber combination. It certainly does get people riled up! A quick Wikipedia check implies that there are many ways that it is looked at -- not least that most people may not wear shatnez as it is reserved for ceremonial occasions/ rabbis etc. Seems like an entire field of study right there. Marvelous.

Bethany Garner link
5/28/2019 03:36:02 pm

Stunning and so prolific, your ideas, and wise counsel... the building of the cloth with every shuttle/bobbin pass, and the insertion of tapestry is a beautiful link to our weaving heritage... THANK YOU, Sarah. I am way behind your skill level, but will try the insertion of tapestry into a linen/wool piece one day. Perhaps not as elaborately wonderful as yours, but a try anyway!

caroline
5/28/2019 04:49:05 pm

LOVE, LOVE LOVE your sweet illustrations as well!! :)

Patti Kirch
5/28/2019 09:07:11 pm

Love your woven wonders, linen, woolen, written, stitched & sketched

Debra Thomas
5/29/2019 03:07:39 am

This is very timely for me, as I’ve been thinking about incorporating tapestry into a garment, probably something like a cloak. Thank you for dragging me down the rabbit hole with you. Oh, and also thanks to you, I’ll be taking a Coptic book binding workshop next month. Love all of your work!

Sarah
5/29/2019 09:39:52 am

How thrilling to think of incorporating two Coptic techniques into your work and life at the same time.

Barbara Rickman
5/29/2019 04:19:12 am

Human beings, fallen nature and all, will use what every they can to dominate others for personal benefit without any regard for who they are using at that moment. Wool, silk, linen, or anything else is no exception. If they can use it and abuse it for their own selfish ends, be they political, fiscal, or personal, they will do it. Fallen human nature knows no bounds. Thanks Sarah for your work, experiments and your blog. You have taught me a great deal about "just do it and see where it goes" You have shown me how to ask questions. Tell Luminist to be patient and Storyteller to let go a little. Compromise is not such a bad thing when it comes to fiber.

Sarah
5/29/2019 09:41:54 am

Compromise, indeed, is a fine thing in so many areas, and has the potential to ease up that very use and abuse of power, however it manifests itself -- from the depth of our hearts to the planet. Thanks.

Barbara Rickman
5/31/2019 01:25:14 pm

Hi Sarah,
Did you wet spin or dry spin your flax? I am haveing a real problem spinning this bast fiber or at least finding a method of keeping the supply consistent for spinning. It is beginning to really make me a bit angry I either get too much fiber or not enough and the yarn is very inconsistent. I could never weave with it as it ranges from fingering weight in some spots to ultra lace weight and thinner! Please share with me how you spun your flax!!!!!!!!

Sarah
6/1/2019 10:29:21 am

Gosh Barbara, I'm just learning myself! So far what has worked best is wet spinning good quality, well prepared fibers -- open and clean (well retted, skutched, hackled etc), and evenly dressed on a distaff. Also, slowing down from my wool rhythm. My info comes mostly from two sources: Issue 20 of PLY magazine (spring 2018), and Patricia Baines book Linen: Handspinning and weaving. good luck!

Barbara Rickman
6/1/2019 01:27:18 pm

Well. Looks like I had better get Patricia Baines' book and dig thru my Ply issues and find #20. It seems I did not study quite enough.


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    ​Sarah C Swett 
    tells stories
    with
    ​ and about

     hand spun yarn. 


    Picture
    Click for info on
    my four selvedge
    warping class
    with
    ​ Rebecca Mezoff  
    fringeless


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