Tapestry Weaving Tutorial: Getting Started with a Tiny Tapestry

20 September 2022

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Ad description: Cover of the book Sheep, Shepherd & Land, and the words, "THE book about Canadian Wool, by Anna Hunter. Photos by Christel Lanthier. Buy now."

Ad description: The words, "The socks you knit won't last forever, but you can make them last for years and years. Shop now." Also featuring the cover image of the Sock Mending Guide.

Building on her introduction to tapestry weaving and its unique vocabulary, instructor Janna Maria Vallee returns with a thorough step-by-step tutorial on how to make a tiny tapestry on a cardboard loom you’ll construct yourself.

Ed. note: This tutorial was originally published in late 2021; we have republished it so all of the instruction is on one page, rather than broken down into sections. We hope you find it easier to navigate this way!

Tapestry Weaving Glossary:

Pick: One line of weft woven into the warp on the loom.

Sett: The relationship between the warp yarn and the weft yarn.

Ends per inch (EPI): The spacing of the warps and how many warps fall within a 1-inch (2.5 cm) area across the loom.

Shed: The space where the weft passes between the warps which are lifted and the ones which are left in a resting position.

All images credit Janna Maria Vallee.

Copyright © Janna Maria Vallee except as indicated.
Janna Headshot Low Res

About Janna Maria Vallee

Janna Maria Vallee is an interdisciplinary artist working primarily within the media of botanical dyeing and tapestry weaving. In 2008 Janna attended Capilano University’s Textile Art diploma program and in 2013 graduated with distinction with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University’s Fibres and Material Practices program (Montreal, Quebec.) In 2016 Janna returned with her family to the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia and in 2018, as her son entered kindergarten, launched Everlea Yarn, a specialty shop offering naturally dyed yarns for knitting and weaving, tapestry weaving supplies and knitting kits.

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