Mirrix Tutorial

Mirrix Tutorial
TAPESTRY
TECHNIQUES
WITH THE SHEDDING DEVICE
• CHAPTER 1 •
COMBINING BEADS AND FIBER WITH THE
SHEDDING DEVICE
This tutorial will go over some of the very basics of weaving tapestry.
If you are interested in learning how to weave tapestry, we suggest
you get a good book on tapestry. We sell them on our site but you can
also get them elsewhere, including at the library. It's like having a
dictionary when you write, a good place to look up things when you
aren't sure or need reminding.
To begin, warp your loom for tapestry (This means you will put on
warp thread in each dent (space) in your spring but do not put on the
shedding device. You can learn how to warp for tapestry here: http://
www.mirrixlooms.com/images/warpinginstructions/tapestry.pdf .
Techniques: Pick and Pick, Wavy Lines & Hatching
Note: The photos in the tutorial were taken on a loom with a bottom spring kit on it. This kit is not necessary
for this project. It can be purchased on the Mirrix Looms website (under accessories) and is used to help
organize your warps on the bottom of your loom. It is most helpful for small-scale tapestry and wide bead
pieces.
A short explanation of pick and pick and wavy lines:
Both of these techniques require that you alternate the weaving of two different color threads. In pick and pick,
you alternate them one after another. In other words, thread one, thread two, thread one, thread
two, etc.. Wavy line technique requires that you weave thread one twice, thread two twice, thread one
twice, thread two twice. Pick and pick produces vertical stripes, wavy lines produces the effect of wavy lines.
These two have in common the necessity to deal with the selvages in a slightly unusual manner. You will have
to manage these two threads in a way that will guarantee the selvage thread has enough weft around it. In the
first case, depending on the position of your threads you will have to wrap one of your weft threads around
the selvage thread in order to guarantee complete coverage.
In the second case, the top thread will pull the second
thread and by doing so the top thread will cover the
selvage thread twice. These techniques take some time to
master but are well worth the effort.
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Second line of magenta
(refer to earlier in this
tutorial to learn how to deal
with your edges).
Remember to change your
shed every time you bring a
thread across. In our example, we've used
magenta and a golden yellow to
begin our pick and pick. We
alternate the colors thereby
creating vertical stripes. In other
words, weave the yellow thread
once, and then the magenta thread
once (making sure to change sheds
every time you weave a new thread)
then the yellow, then the magenta,
etc... Follow the pictures for a visual
of what we did:
First line of yellow
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Notice the
beautiful vertical stripes
emerging To continue with this design, but to add something extra, we stopped the
magenta in the middle of the piece and started a purple thread at that place,
thereby replacing the magenta with the purple. This allows us to continue the
design but with a different color scheme. You could theoretically keep
replacing threads as they run out with new ones for the entire bracelet and
allow that to be your design. One way to approach this would be continue with
the yellow thread and only replace the other ones. That would give you the
most interesting effect.
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Wavy lines are very similar to pick and pick
but instead of making one pass with a color,
you make two passes creating what looks
like wavy lines. Here, we started with two passes weaving
with green, then two with yellow, then two
with green, etc... The first pass through with
green.
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Continue on like this.
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This technique also involves two threads but the left
thread will stay on the left and the right thread will stay
on the right. In a full scale tapestry this is a great way to
blend two colors together to create shading. This
technique also involves warp interlock because when the
two ends meet at a warp thread they each wrap around
it before changing direction.
The way hatching works: The two threads will come
meet each other at any place within the tapestry you
would like. The threads must be woven toward each
other. They will then wrap around a common warp
thread and head away from each other in the next shed.
These two colors will dovetail into each other. A lot of
other techniques can spring from this one including
adding additional colors. For now and for such a small
piece we suggest you keep it simple and just use two
colors.
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The yellow and blue
thread heading toward
each other.
Wrap the two threads around
the common warp, change sheds
and head in opposite directions.
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A clear visual of the threads
wrapping around a common
warp.
See how the
dovetailing is
beginning to reveal
itself!
That’s it! Some
basic tapestry
techniques.
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