Sometimes a bright idea comes along , you get excited about it, start planning and just can't wait to get on with it. But every now and then you can just get stuck and find you can't make any kind of a decision about how you envision your tapestry may look when it is finished? I have had a large tapestry cooking away on a slow simmer in my mind for almost a year now, a very personal work, as it is to be a gift to my son Coen and I would like to make it while he is still living at home. Every now and then ideas can change simply by chance, or in this case almost by accident. I felt a need to make a tapestry in softer and quieter colours something very different from my normal bright hues. I decided on the design, chose the colours ,but while doing some research ,as I was very drawn to the Henry Moore tapestries, I had a few photo's of them colour copied for my journal. I have found from time to time that having colour copies printed of from different printers can give you slightly different results but I don't think that I was really expecting this. So now to the decision. You can see by the photo the original tapestry in the book on the left and my new lovely mauve hued copy on the right. So which one do I like the best? well I can't decide!
I dyed lots of different grey's in up to 13 gradations in the blue violet grey that I like the best, but I could not resist dyeing the purple grey's as well. I see them sitting all together in my studio each time I walk in there for almost a year now and I still wonder?
I have a few issues with the design to resolve and have done a few samples with different warp settings. Some I like and some that I don't. I am inclined to want to weave it on a number 12 warp but that is slow going for a big tapestry.......but you have to be happy with what you are doing rather than regret it later. Even as much as I hate weaving samples this time I don't see that I can ovoid it. I may need to weave a few samples in both colours and then decide. I did ask Coen how he felt about being purple?......do I have a choice? was the reply. Only time will tell I suppose. Back to thinking at a slow simmer.
Ooo, that's going to be gorgeous! I'm leaning towards the purply greys myself ... it's more unexpected ;)
ReplyDeleteHmm, that's a tough one. I think I'd prefer something in between! Like the black and white one, with a little purple thrown in as details.
ReplyDeleteBut I know what you mean about making a decision... sometimes you just have to try it out and see how it looks when you start weaving it.
I'm a warm colour girl myself. But perhaps you could do some cooler greys as well, just for variation. How big will the tapestry be? Actually, the three pictures are all slightly different and I prefer the final one, beside the wool samples. It seems less purple than the second image.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle, I am a purple girl!
ReplyDeleteHi Jan, yes tough decisions, maybe its because I don't 'DO' grey! Will do many samples before I start I think.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, I am a warm colour girl too. I never 'do' grey in fact I had to dye all the wool as I had no greys. The tapestry will be 1 X about 1.5 meters. So that's a lot of tapestry and I need to be happy with what I am deciding before I start.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie
ReplyDeleteLove the range of colours you have achieved (as well as your work).
Do you get your wool from Bendigo? and what do you buy?
I went to see the About Time exhibition and loved it. How could you not appreciate the work of such fantasyic weavers. There were several people there on the day.
Glennis Winding Thread blog
Hi Glennis, thanks for the complements. Yes the wool is from Bendigo Woolen Mills it is 2/16's 9 t.p.i. Sadly Bendigo no longer make any tapestry twist wools. You can no longer buy any two ply in skeins. The only wool in 2 ply that the sell now is from their colour chart in 200gram cones. You can still buy a white colour but unfortunately you would have to wind it off and weigh it if you want to dye it with acid milling dyes. If you want to dye tapestry wool send me an email, link on the side bar and I can send you some details. Debbie. Glad to hear that you enjoyed the About Time exhibition. Debbie.
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