Friday, December 11, 2009

The Living Tapestry Workbook is now available

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The Living Tapestry Workbook is now available for order. Contact info@moonrain.ca or telephone 819 457 9711. Please check the Moon Rain website at www.moonrain.ca/TapestryWorkBook.html (PayPal available)
The Living Tapestry Workbook is an introductory guide to designing and weaving tapestry.
The step-by-step instructions simplify tapestry weaving, making it accessible and easy to do. The Workbook covers all the basics needed to get started and serves as a companion to further explorations in tapestry weaving.

The Living Tapestry Workbook introduces the philosophy of Canadian tapestry artist Thoma Ewen, and shares her technical insights and knowledge developed over 35 years of weaving and teaching tapestry. Ewen communicates the ancient indigenous understanding that weaving is a sacred path. She illustrates how tapestry’s vital contemporary role is to transmit beauty, harmony and Peace.


Monday, December 7, 2009

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"When Thirteen Moons Entwine"
a textile arts event in the Outaouais
late summer/early fall 2010

integrating textile arts with the natural environment
and the mythology of the thirteen moons


"When Thirteen Moons Entwine" is a professional textile arts event, inspired by the legends of the thirteen moons of the natural lunar calendar. It is an outdoor laboratory that brings together established professional textile artists with young emerging artists in the creation of textile arts installations along a scenic walking path. This festive event includes exhibitions, workshops and artist's talks at Moon Rain Centre in the Gatineau Hills in the Outaouais region of West Quebec, and collaborates with major exhibition centres in the region to present textile arts exhibitions during the late summer and early fall of 2010.

"When Thirteen Moons Entwine" presents four related textile arts aspects:
installations, workshops, exhibitions and artist's talks

For more information please visit

www.moonrain.ca/MoonsEntwineEnglish.html

or

www.moonrain.ca/MoonsEntwineFrench.html



Call to artists

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Moon Rain Centre announces
A Call to emerging and established textile/fibre artists for:
“When thirteen moons entwine”
an international textile arts event autumn 2010
integrating textiles, the environment and the mythologies of the
lunar calendar.
Artists are invited to propose outdoor textile/fibre art installations,
workshops and artist talks.
Deadline for submissions is January 15th 2010.

Information:
Moon Rain Centre
http://www.moonrain.ca/
info@moonrain.ca
819-457-9711

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Fibre Quarterly Article

An article on the Big Weave Project, Moon Rain and fibre was published in the Fall 2009 edition of Fibre Quarterly. The following is the link to the article.

www.velvethighway.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_frontpage&itemid=1

The theme of this issue is Fibre revolution: Tapestry: before During Now & Next.

Be sure to check out this publication.

Fibre Quarterly Article

An article on the Big Weave Project, Moon Rain and fibre was published in the Fall 2009 edition of Fibre Quarterly. The following is the link to the article.

www.velvethighway.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_frontpage&itemid=1

The theme of this issue is Fibre revolution: Tapestry: before During Now & Next.

Be sure to check out this publication.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Friday, July 31, 2009

Art In Action

Art in Action is a wonderful event that takes place near Oxford each year. It has become a showcase for Art and Craft in the UK. The intention is that artists set up as close as possible to workshop conditions so that the visiting public can enjoy seeing them at work. We were delighted to take The Big Weave along. We had a tent dedicated to The Big Weave and were busy weaving away over the four days of Art in Action. We had lots of visitors either joining in or just happy to watch the peaceful activity. The weather could have been a lot kinder, we had torrential rain, thunder and lightning! Joanne, our intrepid photographer came along despite the weather and took a few pictures of us working on the red brickwork of the Reading houses and bridge.


Here is a link for Art In Action if you would like to find out more...
http://www.artinaction.org.uk/ .







Photographs by
Joanne de Nobriga

Alfred Sutton School

The Big Weave was at a local school, Alfred Sutton. The classes had the opportunity to watch the tapestry weavers and had the chance to weave too.








Photographs by
Joanne de Nobriga

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Henley Festival

On July 10 and 11, The Big Weave was at the Heneley Festival. As can been seen from the following photographs, the tapestry is now at about 6 inches and has had many hands, eyes and minds involved. It is a wonderful community project.
For more on the Henley Festival visit the website





Photographs by
Joanne de Nobriga

Monday, July 13, 2009

Day Three Ends

Using the skills and techniques they learned on the small frame looms, the weavers work on the main tapestry

Placing the weft
Note the bubble technique of placing the weft
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Close Up
Putting the new skills to use
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Many hands
This is a community tapestry project

Photos by
Joanne de Nobriga

Sunday, July 12, 2009

The Big Weave Day Three

On day three Thoma Ewen gave a workshop for teachers, weavers and craftspeople at Maiden Erlegh school. The small frame looms were produced at the school and are an invaluable tool in learning how to weave a tapestry.

Frame looms
Putting a warp on the frame looms
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Separating warp threads
Using fingers to manipulate the warp
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Tapestry is started
The first couple of inches of weaving
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Nearing the end of this weaving
Only a few more picks to go
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Cutting the warp
The warp threads are cut and tied
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A small finished tapestry
Holding up a wonderful piece
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Two more tapestries
More example of the tapestries produced during the workshop

Photos by
Joanne de Nobriga

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Day Two Ends

Placing the cartoon The cartoon is set in place behind the warp
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Marking the warp
A black marker is used to draw the design on the warp
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Caroline & Thoma weave the heron's wingtip
The weaving is on!!


Photos by
Joanne de Nobriga