The Handweavers' Studio

One of the purposes of my trip to London was to get supplies. As I come to the end of my first tapestry, I feel that if I don't get another onto the loom, I might never start another! 

When I lived in London, I lived in Walthamstow, which was then home to The Handweavers' Studio.  It has recently relocated to larger, lighter premises in Finsbury Park.  It's an absolute treasure trove for weavers.  There are shelves of beautifully coloured yarn, books, postcards, fibres, magazines and a gallery of contemporary hand woven fabrics.  At the back there is a light and airy teaching studio set up with looms.

"Is melon good for meloncholia?" Lynne Curran 2000

Krokbragd rug. Valerie Opher

My new yarn stash

I came away with more rayon as I love the range of colours and also the fineness of the yarn and the detail I have been able to achieve, especially in the building of curves.  I also picked up some precut cards for weaving, with a view to experimenting a bit with different fibres.  For my next tapestry (yes, I still have to finish the other one) I'd like to keep with the curves but create a more abstract piece.

Beginnings

When I was studying woven textiles at Loughborough College of Art and Design, I went on a trip to Glasgow and saw an exhibition of tapestry by Lynne Curran. It was the first time I had seen contemporary tapestry weaving, and the first time I had understood the process of traditional tapestry weaving. During the final year of my degree, my woven pieces concerned themselves with colour and texture, my paperwork with shape, drawing and narrative. I went on to work with embroidered textiles, because I could make a living at it and because the opportunities to weave were so few (and commercial weaving so soul less). In London, I did a short course in tapestry weaving, taught by Pat Bloor. Having learnt to weave cloth, it was difficult to weave freely and create images. It's now years later and finally, the strands are coming together: the visual language, the patience to weave and the decision to commit to a craft. So here I am weaving again.