Emergence VIII: eventually you have to send your work on its way...

Emergence VIII: eventually you have to send your work on its way...

Yesterday I finally made the trip to FedEx where I shipped off my newest tapestry, Emergence VIII. I was surprised to find that I was a little shaky and sad when I got back in the car. Partly that was about entrusting this piece of art to the 19-year-old behind the counter. (In Marcus's defense, he was exceptionally professional, he helped me pack the piece extra well, and he made sure it was appropriately tracked and had to be signed for.) Partly it was that empty-loom syndrome and the need to take the next step forward and not being quite ready for it. 

Facebook Live: What is it and when is it happening?

Facebook Live: What is it and when is it happening?

Have you seen this new trend with people using Facebook Live? It is rather popular and I think that is because it is a lot of fun to know you're watching someone live and you are even able to ask them questions in real time.

Yesterday I did my first lengthy FB Live on my business page, Rebecca Mezoff Tapestry Studio. If you missed it, you can see the replay on my page right now. I have pinned it to the top of the feed for the moment, but if you're seeing this a week or more down the road, just search for it using the guide below.

Getting rid of the "too much" in favor of sanity

Getting rid of the "too much" in favor of sanity

Sometimes I think there are two different people living in my head in regard to stuff. There is the massive-yarn-stash and weaving-tools-collecting Rebecca and there is the woman who can head out for a month-long backpacking trip with 15 total pounds of gear (plus food and water of course) and be totally happy with the items in my pack.

I have a decision to make about an upcoming residency at Hambidge. I have been saying for months that I was going to drive to Georgia as The Hambidge Center is a difficult place to be without a car. But if I'm totally honest, the real reason I wanted to drive was because I could fill my little Subaru with ALL the tools. I could bring my spinning wheel and boxes of yarn and all the drawing materials I wanted. I could bring my hot pot and a folding chair and my yoga mat and even my favorite foods. It was about the stuff.

The Tapestry Heart Project, #thetapestryheart

The Tapestry Heart Project, #thetapestryheart

Valentines days seems like a day to remember this particular struggle and maybe we should just admit we are human and start with showering loving attention on the people nearest to us. While I'm not a big fan of this ultra-commercialized "holiday", I do believe that humans need to come together on a heart level, now more than ever.

So this Valentine's day, join me in a little weaving project. Let's see if we can weave ourselves a community of understanding and have some fun in the process. Below I show you how I wove a little heart. At the end of the post you will find a link to download a PDF with instructions and a template for various size hearts.

It isn't entirely my fault... a national seine twine shortage

It isn't entirely my fault... a national seine twine shortage

The United States is out of cotton seine twine. You can't blame it entirely on me. Other tapestry teachers recommend the same warp I do. That is my story and I'm sticking to it.

If you've tried to order cotton seine twine warp for tapestry weaving sometime in the last three months almost anywhere in the US, you may have been disappointed. Yes, my online classes are partially to blame, so I'm here to update you on the shortage.

A whole lot of tapestry weaving in one place

A whole lot of tapestry weaving in one place

I attended the opening for American Tapestry Biennial 11 in San Jose last weekend. Here are a few thoughts and photos from a weekend full of old friends, new friends, and tapestry. The video gives you an overview of the show. . . .

Discussion ranged from why tapestry was their preferred medium and what the strengths and weaknesses of tapestry as an art medium are, to contemplating the sublime in tapestry. I was silently egging Barbara Heller on in her desire to talk about the place of tapestry in the art world and the tendency of tapestry to be shown mostly in medium-specific shows, but alas, this was apparently not the forum for that potentially divisive discussion.

A game of yarn chicken

A game of yarn chicken

I finished the piece today. Emergence VIII. Three panels, total size, 54 x 54 inches. Though really I should say I finished weaving the piece. There is still a great deal of work to be done before it is hanging in the client's home.

At some point yesterday I realized I might run out of one of the colors in the spiral. This almost never happens to me with weaving anymore. Because it used to happen a lot and now I dye much more yarn than I think I will need for a piece (see photo, right--yarn for this very piece). But I miscalculated a particularly wide spot in the spiral and there I was. 5 inches from the end with an amount of yarn that looked suspiciously slim.

Refusing to panic, I looked around for another ball of the missing yarn.