Lesson video

Hello.

My name is Ms. Batrou.

I hope that you are all doing well.

I'm really looking forward to teaching and learning with you today.

Our learning outcome for this learning cycle is, I can explore unusual materials and create a simple woven tapestry.

So, here, we have our keywords for today, tapestry, weave, and loom.

Let's look at each keyword in turn and find out what they mean.

So tapestry, tapestry is a textile art where weft threads are woven to create patterns or textures.

Our next word, weave, the process of interlacing threads or strips of material over and under each other to create fabric.

And our final word in this set, loom, a frame or machine used to weave fabric by holding threads tight while others are woven through.

Okay, let's look at our lesson outline on constructed textiles.

And on this learning cycle, we'll be looking at exploring materials and selecting a loom.

Okay, so let's look at some examples of potential outcomes from today.

And they might be as shown in the images below.

Take a note of the textures and the colours, and how each one is actually quite a unique piece of work.

What would your outcomes today might be? Let's take a closer look.

Tapestry weaving is a special type of weaving where the weft threads are used to create patterns, textures, and even pictures.

Weaving is one of the oldest textile techniques in the world and is part of constructed textiles.

It involves passing threads or strips of material, the weft, over and under other threads held in place, the warp, on a loom.

So we already have a couple of words to think about, the weft and the warp.

You can weave with traditional materials, like wool and yarn, or more unusual materials, such as plastic bags, wire, string, or fabric scraps.

What kind of materials can you find to experiment with? And how about thinking about the combinations between traditional materials and more unusual ones? What kind of unique outcomes can we create by using this method? What other materials can you add to the list? The possibilities are endless.

Okay, let's have a look at the following statement.

Is it true, or is it false? Plastic bags cannot be used in weaving because they are too soft.

Now, is this statement true or false? And why? The answer is false.

And why may that be so? Okay, plastic bags can be cut into strips called plarn, in other words, plastic yarn, and woven over and under the warp threads like regular yarn.

They add bold colours, interesting textures, and make your weave more eco-friendly by reusing waste materials.

Now, the term plarn is a relatively new one.

What other words can you come up with to describe your unique material? A loom can be anything that holds your threads tight for weaving.

You can use a wooden frame, cut notches in a shoebox, or even wrap threads around a Y-shaped twig to make a creative, personal loom.

So what other things, what other objects could potentially be a loom, a unique loom at that? With picture frames, you could have large ones, small ones.

What other shapes can we use that could be a potential loom? Okay, there are many different types of loom, such as a wooden frame, a shoebox, or a Y-shaped twig.

Artists inspired to create woven artwork include Doreen Gittens, the tapestry weaver, using traditional techniques with vibral, cultural influences.

Rezia Wahid weaves fine-textured, heritage-inspired textiles.

Michael Crompton, for example, creates colourful tapestries inspired by nature and movement, using simple looms and traditional techniques.

And we also have Grayson Perry, who creates large, colourful tapestries inspired by his fascination with taste and class.

And just from this short list of artists, we can see that each one has a unique way of expressing themselves, and have unique ideas, unique approaches, different themes and ideas, which inspires their woven works.

What kinds of themes and ideas and culture influences would you might think about including in your woven piece? What are you inspired by? Okay, let's keep on exploring our materials.

A plastic needle or shuttle helps you pass the weft over and under the warp threads.

The needle is great for thick materials like plastic bags, while the shuttle keeps yarn or strips tidy and easy to weave.

Okay, so let's see what Jun says, "So think about the materials you would like to use to weave with and start to collect them." Now, here is where the fun begins.

There's nothing better than a really good old rummage to find out what you could use potentially.

We've got traditional materials, such as yarns and wool and string, and we've also got our plastic bags as well.

And the fun is in the actual collecting.

And this is the exciting part of the journey.

So have fun and enjoy.

Okay, we are still in preparation mode.

And the plastic bags will need to be prepared by cutting them into long strips.

So try to collect a different variety of plastic bags, different thicknesses, different colours, some with lettering on even, and start to cut them into long strips.

Now, these strips can be thick or thin, okay? So start preparing those strips, ready for the next process.

Okay, I think it's time that we had little check-in for understanding, which of these statements about weaving is false? Let's look at each one.

Statement A, you must use expensive materials to make a good weave.

Statement B, you can use a shoebox as a loom.

Statement C, plastic bags can be woven like yarn.

And statement D, adding fringes can make your weave more decorative.

So what do you think? Which of these statements about weaving is false? The answer is A.

So statement A is you must use expensive materials to make a good weave.

And as we are on our journey of discovering different kinds of materials and exploring those materials, we know we can use whatever is around us, wool, yarn, plastic, bits of fabric, the possibilities are endless, and it doesn't have to be expensive at all.

So have fun in your selection.

Okay, so let's continue exploring our materials and getting organised, ready for making our woven pieces.

So number one, choose your loom and collect your weaving materials.

Collect a large plastic needle, collect the yarns you would like to use in your weave, think about the colour scheme, and collect both thick and thin yarns.

Now, this is where you can have lots and lots of fun.

Collect a few different coloured plastic bags that will match your colour scheme.

Decide what type of loom you would like to use.

So in the process at this stage, there is a lot of freedom and a lot of choices that you could make, and the possibilities are endless.

Okay, so number one, select a loom and collect materials.

Like I said, there are many possibilities you may have, and you want to reach to a point where you feel prepared.

So let's see what Jun says, "I feel I am well prepared to start my weave.

I have collected my yarns and plastic bags, which I have cut into long strips.

I have also found my loom, which is a strong wooden frame." So it is really important to have all your materials ready.

So you've got your wool, your yarn, your strips of plastic.

You've made decisions about what kind of colours you want to use.

You've made decisions about the kinds of wool and yarn you want to use as well, and you have actually selected your own loom.

So let's get ready to get moving on to the next stage of the process.

All really exciting.

Okay, so let's continue on our constructed textiles creative journey.

So we're gonna go on to the next learning cycle, and this one is called Weaving and Adding Tapestry Fringes.

Now, this is going to be really, really fun, and I can't wait to get stuck in with you on this.

Okay, so we'll be focusing on weaving and adding tapestry fringes.

Weaving can be very expressive and exciting when you use a variety of mixed materials to weave with.

So spend a few moments just studying each of these images, and each one is actually a unique piece of artwork.

Look at the different combinations, and look at the fringes, and start to think about, "What kind of field I want to create with my woven piece? How will my colorways work?" So let's move on and see how we can do this.

You could add fringes to the edges of your weave for decoration and texture.

This is a simple way of using tapestry weaving techniques.

Look at how artists use different materials, like plastic bags and wool, to make their work more creative and exciting.

What additional alternative materials can you use and experiment with for your individual tapestry work? Take a look at the example in the picture here, and look at the different kinds of textures that have been woven into this piece.

Hopefully, that will inspire you to discover, explore, and come up with your own.

Okay, weaving is done by passing the weft, horizontal threads, over and under the warp, vertical threads, on a loom.

This is called the over-under technique and is the most basic way to create a weave or tapestry.

Spend a few moments looking at the illustration that shows us what the weft is and what the warp is.

And the actual process of the weaving is the over-and-under technique.

It's the basic way, and it sets the foundation for you to build your woven piece.

Okay, so let's have a look at some artists who use weaving and tapestry in their work.

So artists using weaving and tapestry in their work include Kristina Veasey, who uses basket weaving as a metaphor for resilience and navigating life's barriers as a disabled person.

We have another artist here, Diedrick Brackens, who creates complex, narrative tapestries, exploring identity, culture, and heritage.

Mitsuko Asakura, whose ombre silk tapestries explore subtle shifts of colour and shadow.

And we have Josh Faught, who uses weaving as a way to explore a LGBTQ+ identity, history, and personal memories.

What other artists can you include in this list? And again, what kinds of stories do you think that your woven textiles could share? Okay, let's do little check-in for understanding for our weaving and adding tapestry fringes.

Okay, which of these materials would you weave into a tapestry? Let's look at our options.

A, is it wool, B, plastic bags, C, wire, or D, all of the above? So let's pause for a moment, and let's see what you come up with shortly.

Okay, the answer is D, all of the above.

Okay, so we're going to continue our journey of exploration, and looking at weaving and adding tapestry fringes.

So when weaving a tapestry weave, it may look like this.

Let's look at the first image.

Wrap the wall around your frame to thread the loom and tie the ends securely.

This is really important to secure your weaving process.

Our second image, thread your large plastic weaving needle, then start weaving with the over-and-under technique.

Okay, let's continue our journey of the weaving process.

So continue weaving until you have a strip of weave.

Then you're going to start weaving with your plastic strips.

And every so often, push or reposition your strips, so they are neat and tidy.

So, now, you can see your woven pieces coming together with your warp and weft, your yarns that you have chosen, and your plastic strips.

It's all really exciting.

Let's see what the outcome's going to be like.

Okay, so, now, we're moving on to some really exciting parts.

For the fringes, you're going to cut long strips of wool, okay? You choose the colour in line with your colour scheme, okay? And then you're going to tie these strips into the weft of your loom.

Make sure you tie a knot here.

Keep tying the wool in if you want a thick effect.

Now, you're beginning to see how this is building and becoming a really unique piece of work.

Really, really exciting.

Okay, so once you've included several knots where you'd like to have them, you're going to tidy the knots up, and then you're going to continue weaving with wool to secure this area.

And once you have another strip, you can trim the fringe.

Okay, let's have a look at the following statement.

Is it true, or is it false? True or false, fringes are used to hold the weave together and stop it falling apart? Now, is this statement true or false? Let's have a look.

The answer is false.

And why may that be? Okay, so, remember, fringes are added for decoration, they don't hold the weave in place, but help make the edges more interesting, and add texture or movement to your tapestry.

Okay, so let us continue on our creative tapestry weaving journey.

Okay, so trim the fringe to the length that you want.

Check the weave is neat and secure.

And very carefully, start to cut the weft from around the loom.

So once you've completed your tidying up, put your weave on a table, neaten up the strand, then start to tie each double strand into a knot, and secure your wave.

Do the same on the other end.

What does your final piece look like? Okay, right, so when you weave a tapestry weave, these are the steps that you need to follow.

Okay, number one, wrap the wool around your frame to thread the loom and tie the end securely.

Number two, thread your large plastic weaving needle.

Number three, start weaving with the over-and-under technique until you have a section of fabric weave.

Number four, start weaving with your plastic strips.

Number five, for the fringes, cut long strips of wool and tie these strips into the weft of your loom.

Number six, keep tying the wool in if you want a thick effect.

So these are the steps that you need to follow when you weave a tapestry weave.

So when you are weaving a tapestry weave, there are so many possibilities you may have.

And hopefully, by the end of this journey, at this moment in time, you'll be able to say to yourself, as Jun says here, "I'm really pleased with my textured weave.

I have managed to experiment with some simple tapestry weaving techniques by adding a fringe to create texture." How do you feel about your finished piece? And I'm sure that your piece is absolutely unique.

Okay, so, now, we are just gonna go through the summary of constructed textiles.

Artists use a loom to weave materials like wool, fabric, strips, and even recycled plastics.

Through tapestry techniques, they experiment with colour, texture, and pattern to create rich, layered surfaces.

Simple methods, such as adding a fringe, a basic tapestry technique, allows them to introduce movement and interest into their work.

Well, I hope that you've enjoyed this journey, and I hope that you continue to experiment and explore your own techniques when you are creating your own tapestry weave.

Thank you very much, and bye for now.