Thursday 9 August 2012

Work.

One thing about this course at SWTAFE is the amount of work involved.  I think the designers of the course must have known my old great - aunt Bridget who was full of sayings; one of her favourites was, "the devil makes work for idle hands".  He certainly misses out on me as I am never idle. Since doing the designs for our major assignment this year, the Large Tapestry, there have been 2 other tapestry assignments as well as 2 design assignments.  The tapestry ass. were  a commission and the other working with themes.  The commission took me forever as I over thought the subject matter I chose which was  a tapestry for a chapel based on the history of a particular order of Sisters.  We were required to weave a sample of the design and mine is 15 cm square.

 
The next assignment was about working with themes and as I had done a drawing of the black and white tree trunks that line the driveway into a vineyard in NE Vic I decided to do tree trunks.  Why? because it was nearly August and I hadn't started the Large Tapestry yet and I was slightly panicked.  We had to do 4 drawings and choose one of these to weave yet another sample.  The drawing I chose was one of a tree in Adelaide near Captain Light's lookout whose branches bear the scars of people's stupidity in the names and marks that have been cut into it.

If you look carefully at the right hand side of the sample you can where I have made a monumental error.  I have never done this before in my weaving life.  The good news is that yesterday I actually started my large tapestry and have done a little of it.  I will blog about this soon.  I have worked out it will take me 200  to 250 hours to weave.  I had better get started.

6 comments:

Michelle said...

I'm feeling the panic too ... I think I'll have to take a day off from work here and there in order to get that large tapestry done - eeek!!

Your work is gorgeous - I'd love to weave as neatly as you ... one day! ;)

Glennis said...

Hi Michelle
I have had a look at your blog and am very impressed with both your tapestry and how much you have done. It is looking good. I have begun my large tapestry and have run into problems; so I think I might email Sue and see what she says.

Michelle said...

Aww, thanks Glennis!

Hopefully your problems with the large one can be easily sorted ... your technical ability far surpasses mine, so I'm sure you'll be fine ;)

Mary said...

I wouldn't have seen the monumental error but now I do. What can you do about it?? Can you just sew the warp in and sew the little bit under - have your asked your teachers? Does it matter, seeing it is a sample? I can see the pressure must be getting to you - take a deep breath and relax (says she!).

Christine said...

wow, your weaving is so neat....mine looks like a 3 yo wove it! I'm looking forward to seeing how the large tapestry develops. I love seeing how everyone's work is so different.

Glennis said...

Hi Christine
Thanks for your comment. My weaving should be neat because I have been doing it for years; short courses at ATW and 2 years At RMIT. I think I must be a glutton for punishment. However I enjoy it. PLan to blog about my big tapestry today, I have started at long last.