Blog: So I bought a tapestry loom

*This is the first in a series of more personal blog posts, a way to document my own creative journey. Working on CreatedHere has completely inspired me to be more creative myself, to make more time to do things with my hands. Here I will share my baby steps, projects, learning process and the challenges of trying to do said creative things whilst parenting three small children! I hope you’ll enjoy reading them and maybe get inspired to take the next step in your own creative journey!*

So, I bought a tapestry loom. It kind of just happened!

I can just hear you, “No MH, tapestry looms don’t just happen!” But really, it did! I messaged Liz Miller a simple inquiry asking how I might get started weaving some small hangings, picturing something I could do at the kitchen table. The next thing I know I’m googling Gobelin Leclerc looms! Liz knew a girl who wasn’t using hers and would part with it at a reasonable price (a steal!), and I now find myself with a 7-foot long solid wood tapestry loom and no idea on how to use it.  My plan is to learn, slowly, probably in 30 minute increments while the baby naps, how to make beautiful things on it.

I’m not intimidated or anything…

Last week Emily McCumber came over and patiently walked me through how to get started with the warp (see translation below) and I think it will take me hours… I'm using this random purple cotton that will hopefully be well hidden in the final product, whatever it ends up being. I’ll share more when I start actually weaving!

My weaving lexicon

I’m learning a lot of new words, and I’m still at that stage of learning a new language when you have to translate each word in your head. Here is what my weaving language looks like:

Warp - those tight threads that go up and down that you weave between

Weft - the other threads that go back and forth between the tight threads

Beater - thing that pushes the threads down

Shed - the space that happens when you pull every other tight thread away (to pull your thread through)

Bobbin - thing for winding threadsStay tuned for the next installment of Loom Vs. MH : Warping the Gobelin King