In my last post Two Coats Colder I told you about my attendance at a tapestry design and weaving workshop run by professional tapestry weaver Bobbie Cox.  The report of that workshop, along with that of the workshop I attended shortly afterwards,  appeared in the March 2003 edition of The Journal for Weavers Spinners & Dyers, and I repeated the report on the first workshop in my post.

At the end of that post I promised to tell you about the second workshop, so here’s the rest of the published report:

“Sydling St Nicholas, A Bit Warmer than Peter Tavy, But Not Much.”

“Two weeks after Peter Tavy, I attended a two day Miniature Tapestries workshop run by another resident of Devon – Pat Johns, but this time in Dorset.  Our Guild had arranged for Pat to talk to us at the April Guild Meeting about the Tapestries she had been commissioned to weave for a Synagogue in Washington DC.  This really whetted our appetites, although, having been given details of the size of the Synagogue tapestries (larger than Pat’s living room in which they were woven) we were pleased that we were only attempting miniatures.

“The workshop took place at another Village Hall, over the two days following the Guild meeting.  There were fifteen of us, and (I think) only one beginner (me).

“Pat’s approach to warping was to use frames fitted with rows of nails at either end and to wind a continuous double warp from one end of the frame to the other round the nails, starting and ending with a fixed loop.  The warp was then tensioned by taking up the slack from each section of downward travelling thread until the last section was reached.  The slack on this was taken up by moving the end loop around one or two extra nails until the thread was taut.  A strip of hard nylon parcel banding was then woven into the bottom of the warp and pressed down so that it sat against the nails and provided a base for the heading.  A length of warp string was also woven through on the opposite shed and tied at each side of the frame.

“The double warp was made up of two colours, an ordinary white cotton thread and a cotton thread of the colour of our choice.  The heading consisted of four rows of twining (as in basketry) using the same thread as that used for the coloured warp.  This made a very neat start.

“We were then sent off to look at Pat’s vast array of weft threads in all sorts of fibres and all sorts of colours, from which we were to take our pick.  We were not given a specific subject or theme, but were to take our inspiration from the available threads.  There were also various books to look at and Pat’s folder of notes and samples.

“Also available for us to look at were Pat’s three miniatures of an apple in various stages of being eaten.  One unusual effect demonstrated in these was the coloured section of the double warp – red – being allowed to remain on the surface of the work, adding to the shading of the rosiness of the apple.  This illustrated to us why Pat had suggested that one thread of our double warps should be coloured, so that we could incorporate it into the design if we wished  by leaving it unwoven.

“Pat’s other reason for using a double warp was to facilitate, the smooth transition of curves in her work, curves being notoriously difficult in any weaving.  The idea was to split the warp where necessary so that a curve could increase by half a warp at a time.   This method is also helpful when negotiating diagonals which are more vertical than 45º.

“Pat showed us how various effects could be obtained by using different formal tapestry techniques in conjunction with the use of colour and handed out some very useful notes.  She also gave us some hints on finishing and hanging – although none of us got anywhere near that stage at the workshop.  Pat insisted that each of us should take sufficient threads from her store to enable us to finish our pieces at home, and packed us off tired but happy at the end of our second day.

“Judging by the noise that we were making most of the time, everyone enjoyed the experience.  Indeed I believe that we were making more noise than the pre-school children who occupied the main hall on the morning of our second day, I certainly don’t remember hearing them at all over our din!

“Pat Johns and Bobbie Cox both have individual and distinctive styles.  Bobbie’s work incorporates lots of straight lines – vertical, horizontal and diagonal – with hard and stark colours.  It makes great use of symbolism.  Pat’s work contains many curves and flowing lines with softer colours and, quite often, lettering.  Her work is much more representational than Bobbie’s.

“Both are excellent teachers.  Despite their different approaches to their subjects, they both take the view that if what you do in your work (even if it breaks orthodox rules) works for you,  it is right.  If you want  to do something that they think may not work, neither of them will say “you must not do it”; they will both say “try it and see what happens”.  The best way to learn is to make your own mistakes.

“I am privileged to have been able to attend  classes with both Bobbie Cox and Pat Johns.”

As I mentioned in the previous post, I didn’t own a camera at this time so I don’t have much in the way of pictures of this workshop for you.  However I have found a photo of the tapestry which I started at Pat’s workshop and, unusually for me, finished at home.  The subject was a beech tree which had just come into bud in the spring, which I had seen while attending a completely different workshop at Sydling St Nicholas Village Hall.  I had managed to beg a friend to take a photograph of this tree and I have photographed the photograph, so it’s not as clear as it might have been.  Here’s the photograph and the tapestry.

Just to fill in a bit of space I will quote from the chap who’s regular posts on You Tube my husband watches avidly.  The presenter always finishes up with “Here’s something to put a smile on your face”:

I was indoors sheltering from a really heavy downpour one afternoon.  I peered out of the window to see if the sky might be lightening a bit.  It wasn’t, but this is what I did see.

 

I was horrified, frozen to the spot, just staring at this poor bird.  I thought I was going to have to go out and try to catch this obviously injured pigeon and take it to our vet.

And then while I was watching I saw this:

Bet you’ve never seen a pigeon taking a shower before.  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  There was this pigeon standing/squatting in a puddle with one wing in the air.  Then I saw it preening a bit and then it changed wings – we’re obviously not the only beings who wash under our arms!

Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful, peaceful Holiday and New Year.