Lesson video

Hello, my name is Ms. Badru.

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 lesson is I can design and create a woven sample that uses shape and texture to produce a clear pattern.

Our keywords are tapestry, texture, and constructed textiles.

Let's explore each keyword in turn to find out what they mean.

Tapestry, woven fabric where the weft forms the pattern or image.

Texture, the surface quality created through weaving.

Constructed textiles, fabrics made by interlacing fibres through techniques like weaving or knitting.

Okay, our lesson outline is weaving techniques, crafting textures and patterns.

So let's begin with our first learning cycle, understanding image-based tapestry weaving.

Your outcome for today's lesson might look like this.

Pause here for a moment and carefully observe each image.

What do you notice? Constructed textiles are fabrics that are created by forming a structure, rather than just decorating an existing fabric.

Which is a constructed textile piece? Pause for a moment here and think about your answer.

Okay, which one do you think is the constructed textile piece? This image here shows this.

What do you notice? What are your observations? Can you notice the actual fibres that are interlaced to create a woven piece? And also the colours have been carefully selected, and the design is embedded in the structure of this woven constructed textile piece.

The fabric itself is built up from fibres, yarns, or other materials through specific processes.

These processes determine the texture, strength, stretch, and appearance of the textile.

Constructed textiles are fabrics made by creating their structure from scratch.

Weaving, interlacing warp and weft on a loom to make patterns, texture, and images.

Whereas knitting is looping yarn with needles or machines for soft, stretchy fabrics.

And we also have macrame, which involves knotting threads for decorative or functional items. And crochet, looping yarn with a hook to make patterns or 3D shapes.

Netting or lace making open patterns by knotting, looping or twisting threads.

Whereas felting involves matting fibres with heat, moisture, and pressure for flat or sculptural pieces.

Let's have a check-in here for understanding, true or false.

Constructed textiles are only made by weaving on a loom.

Is this true or false? So pause for a moment here to think about your answer and why.

Okay, let's find out.

The answer is false.

Oh, why might that be? Constructed textiles include any fabric created by interlacing, knotting, looping or bonding fibres, such as weaving, knitting, crochet, macrame, and even non-woven techniques, not just loom weaving.

Artists using constructed textiles in their work include: L.

J.

Roberts is a textile artist who uses knitting and craftivism to explore identity and activism.

Lorna Hamilton-Brown is a textile artist known for her machine knitting and public installations.

Hrafnhildur Arnardottir, known as Shoplifter, creates large-scale, sculptural yarn installations.

Simon Brown, known as The Gentleman Felter, creates life-like needle felted sculptures of wildlife inspired by the animals of his Northumberland countryside.

Tapestry weave is a type of weaving where the weft threads create patterns or images over hidden warp threads.

Each colour is woven only where needed, allowing shapes to form side by side.

Tapestry weaves are often used for wall hangings and decorative artworks, ranging from bold shapes to detailed designs.

Do you have any of these types of weaves at home? Design seen in Al-Sadhu and Turkish kilims use muted natural-dye colours and symbols to represent beliefs, productivity, and wealth.

These elements are reimagined in a contemporary style to create abstract designs that honour their cultural origins, while reflecting modern themes.

To help with their tapestry shapes, an artist might draw a simplified diagram of the design, breaking it into bold, clear areas that match the way woven threads build an image.

Curves are often translated into stepped, block like edges, and each section may be marked with colour codes or yarn samples.

Okay, let's have a check-in here for understanding.

When following a paper design for tapestry weaving, you should, A, match the colours and pattern exactly row by row, or B, weave freely without looking at the design, C, use the design only for the first few rows, or D, always use the same colour? Pause for a moment here and think about your answer and we'll resume shortly.

Which one do you think is the correct answer? Let's have a look.

The answer is A, match the colours and pattern exactly, row by row.

Designing a tapestry weave shape.

The diagram is a map for placing shapes, colours, and techniques.

The numbers on the grid mark rows and columns to help you keep the design accurate.

Let's bring our focus to task A, design a tapestry weave shape.

You should draw out your shape on a piece of paper, then transfer your drawing onto a piece of grid paper.

Decide which colours are going to go where, and start to colour the areas in.

Pause the video for a while to complete this practical task and resume when you are ready.

Okay, let's look at our feedback section.

So you were tasked to design a tapestry weave shape.

There are many possibilities.

You may have, says Izzy, "I have created my tapestry weave diagram using graph paper, which made it easier for me to count my rows and number them.

I think this will make it easier for me when I start weaving, as I'll be able to keep count of the rows I weave." Okay, let's continue our journey discovering weaving techniques, crafting textures and patterns with our second learning cycle, selecting materials and beginning the weave.

Artists often use a variety of yarns to add richness and tactile interest to a tapestry.

By combining yarns of different thicknesses, they can create areas of texture that either stand out with a raised, chunky feel, or recede with a finer, smoother surface.

Using natural fibres like wool, cotton, silk, or linen adds further variation.

Wool can be soft and warm, silk smooth and shiny, linen crisp and matte.

They may also blend in unusual materials, such as raffia, metallic threads, or recycled fabric strips for contrast.

These differences in fibre type, twist and ply allow the artist to play with light, shadow and surface quality, making the finished constructed textiles more dynamic and engaging to both the eye and the touch.

Let's have a check in here for understanding.

True or false, you can only use wool yarn for weaving? Is this statement true or false? Pause here for a moment and think about your answer and why.

What do you think? Let's find out.

The answer is true, and why might this be? While wool is popular, weaving can be done with many materials, including cotton, linen, silk, raffia, recycled fabric strips, metallic threads and even unconventional fibres like paper or plastic, each creating different textures and effects.

A woven constructed textiles piece doesn't have to remain flat.

It can be shaped, cut and sewn into items like cushions, bags, clothing, or sculptural forms. This flexibility allows woven surfaces to become both functional objects and statement art pieces.

Altering tension, folding, stitching, or adding supports like wire or resin can create three dimensional works from baskets and lampshades to abstract sculptures.

Let's have a check-in here for understanding.

How can a finished weave be used? A, only as wall hanging, or B, in fashion, home decor, or as a 3D sculpture, or C, only as a blanket, D, only for practise pieces? Pause for a moment here and think about your answer.

Okay, let's have a look.

The answer is B, a finished weave can be used in fashion, home decor, or as a 3D sculpture.

Artists who use weaving techniques include: Brent Wadden, who creates abstract woven works that merge painting and craft, embracing variations and imperfections to reveal subtle shifts in line, colour and form.

Rashid Choudhury blends weaving with fine art in vibrant tapestries.

Ernesto Neto is an artist who creates large-scale, immersive textile sculptures by stretching, knotting and weaving translucent fabrics.

Hiroko Takeda blends traditional Japanese weaving techniques with contemporary design to create architectural, textured woven works.

Weaving a tapestry weave can look like this.

Let's start with our first image.

Thread your loom and your weaving needle, and start weaving with your selected coloured yarn.

Our next image, prepare your paper grid design and place it underneath your loom.

In the third image, we can see how both parts come together.

So continue weaving, looking at the shapes on your design.

Let's continue with this journey.

So start weaving one section of your design up to the different coloured area.

Use your paper design to guide when to stop one colour and start weaving the other.

Keep weaving until you have filled up that whole section.

And now you can really see the importance of having your grid design to guide you, to keep your work in order, with the appropriate colours in the places where you want them.

And this will serve as a guide throughout the entire process.

Good luck.

So continue weaving on the other side to fill the section of colour.

You can complete the entire outer section before starting inside the shape.

So start weaving the cream area by following the shape of your paper design.

Finish your weaving by cutting the warp threads from the loom and knotting them in pairs to secure the end.

Let's bring our focus to task B, weave a tapestry weave.

You should select your coloured yarns and thread your weaving needle.

Thread your loom and start weaving.

Place your tapestry paper design under the loom when you need to see the shape you are weaving.

Start with the outer colours by weaving the sections following your paper design.

When you are ready, change the colour and start weaving the inner shape.

So we're going to pause here whilst you complete this practical task.

Please resume the video when you are ready.

Good luck.

How did you get on? Let's focus on our feedback.

You were tasked to weave a tapestry weave.

You may have had any of the following outcomes below.

So according to Lucas and his feedback, "Weaving a tapestry was fun, but I had to follow my pattern carefully.

I focused on counting my rows and cross-referencing my paper design to keep my shapes sharp and accurate.

I'll continue weaving over the next few lessons to finish my piece." We have now arrived at our summary for weaving techniques, crafting textures and patterns.

Artists working in tapestry often explore texture by combining different yarns and weaving methods.

As a form of constructed textiles, tapestry is built by interlacing threads to create both imagery and surface detail.

Artists plan their designs carefully, translating drawings into woven form, and experiment with materials to achieve texture and visual effects.

Well, I really hope that you enjoyed this lesson.

I wish you the best of luck on your weaving journey.

I look forward to seeing you again next time.

In the meantime, take care.

Bye for now.