Another August update...

~Sunday 16th august 2015~

As you can see work on the tapestry is coming along

and we are now almost at the centre of the sun!

We have had lots of visitors coming in to view the tapestry

and as I've said before, it's always nice to hear comments 

from people about returning to see where we are up to 

and some will point out which area they did a little

 weaving when they last visited.

 It's been a while since any photos have been

 taken of people working on the tapestry...

 Katie Wells from Tikipunga doing a few rows of weaving.

 Katie with her Mum, Lydia from Russell.

 The left-hand side of the tapestry..

..and the right-hand side.

We sleep, but the loom of life never stops, 

and the pattern which was weaving 

when the sun went down is weaving

 when it comes up in the morning.

                                                              Henry Ward Beecher

August 2015 Update

~August 2015~

 Many different shades and colours of wool are being

 woven into the Whangarei Community Tapestry. 

 Each colour is wound onto a separate bobbin and presently 

there is fifty-five bobbins being used to weave all the

 different shades and colours!

Each colour is woven back and forth to form the shapes 

in the design. Sometimes, only one colour is used to form

a solid colour but sometimes more than one colour is used

Shading in tapestry weaving is carried out by a hatching

 process which is most simply explained by a diagram

 There's lots of different terms and techniques in 

tapestry...too many to explain here so I'll post some 

links for readers to investigate at their own leisure.

  When the bobbin is not in use, it is secured with a half

 hitch knot. In process of making; the loop is passed

 from the finger on to the bobbin; it will unwind as

 wanted and yet hold firm whilst hanging down.

Glossary of Weaving Terms

Beater: Frame holding the reed, used to beat the weft threads in place.
Cartoon: A drawing in full size used as a "map" for the weaver.
Cloth beam: A beam in the back, below the warp beam, that rotates and holds the woven tapestry.
Dent: Narrow spaces in the reed that hold the warp threads in place.
Heddles: Loops held by the shaft with eyes for threading the warp through: in conjunction with the treadles they enable the warp to open and close and bind the weave.
High-warp loom: A loom with the warp set on a vertical plane.
Loom: A structure made to hold a warp in position for weaving.
Reed: A comb with both sides closed which sits in the beater below the heddles.
Shaft: A frame, with heddles, which moves to form sheds.
Shed: The opening created on a loom where the weft passes.
Slit tapestry: A tapestry technique, leaving slits where two colors meet.
Treadles: Foot pedals used to move the shafts to open and close the sheds.
Warp: Threads running the length of the loom, across which threads are woven.
Warping mill: A four corner frame that rotates and arranges the threads into the correct length of the warp, and produces the right amount of warp threads for the width of the tapestry.
Weft: The threads which are woven under and over the warp threads, building the design in the tapestry.

You can learn more about the history and techniques

 of tapestry weaving HERE and HERE

July 2015 update

Thursday 15th June 2015

It's winter time here in New Zealand but that hasn't stopped the visitors coming in to The BACH to see the Whangarei Community Tapestry Project. As always, it's lovely talking to all those who asre interested in how the tapestry works, how long it's been going and when we think it will be finished. 

Gigi Choy from Hong Kong was visiting the area with her family.

She thought the tapestry was amazing!

Hostess Annie shows Cheung Wai Hung 

how the weaving is done with the bobbin.

Cheung Wai Hung was happy to be here!

Cheung Po King enjoyed working on the tapestry..

..and so did Li Heung Fun....Thanks for having a go!

Brian Gwyn from Whangarei was their Host and was 

encouraged by Gigi Choy to do some weaving also.

JULY 2015

 It takes many different colours to weave a tapestry and presently 

we have 55 bobbins holding all the varying shades of wool that is 

being woven in to this design. Click on the images to see it bigger.

 This is a close-up of the left side of the tapestry...

 ..the centre showing the base of the mountain and the sun...

..and the right-hand side. Very impressive, don't you think!

June 2015 update

~JUNE 2015~

We've had many visitors coming through The BACH to see the Community Tapestry over the past few weeks. As work on the project had come to a pause while we came to terms with the passing of our Tapestry Master Beverly Compter, we also needed to decide how to proceed without her guidance.

Naoko Watson, Beverly's Assistant has stepped up to take on the role of Tapestry Master and Karen Taylor has offered to continue the dyeing of wool for the project.

Glenda Fergusson, Life Member of The BACH and Loom Designer/Story Board Writer and Editor wrote a lovely tribute to Beverley and update details for the public in memory of her.

Lesley Marshall had a go at weaving with friend Johanna.

Johanna was visiting Whangarei from Blenheim.

Work has started on the sun. We were just waiting on the wool 

being dyed and thank Karen for offering to do this for us.

 Weaving on the mountain is on hold while wool is being dyed

Thank you to all of our volunteering hostesses and the public 

for your patience while wool is being dyed to continue weaving.

Our Treasured Tapestry Master

It is with much sadness that I write this post...

On the 26th April 2015, our precious and treasured 
Tapestry Master Beverley Compter passed away suddenly
 after a short and totally unexpected illness at Auckland Hospital, 
aged 72 years. She inspired and taught so many people
 to weave and her work with the Tapestry project was
 unstinting. It does not seem possible that someone
 so full of life and enthusiasm is gone from us.

 She worked tirelessly and with great inspiration....

 ..and she always had a warm smile on her face.

 She had a wealth of weaving knowledge, had travelled
extensively and leaves behind a wonderful legacy, not just
within her family and friends, but the many lives she touched.

She inspired many of us to "give things a go"

..and she worked "behind the scene"

 graciously, without any expectations.

We shall dearly miss her.

Beverley with one of her daughters, 

Patricia and some of her grandchildren.

Beverly (bottom right) with Naoko Watson (front left)

Jill Ruddell, Nancy Jackson and Jill Hartles (holding cake)

 

Beverly, you will not be forgotten..

End of March 2015 update

 27 MARCH 2015

 Every now and again we get a group of people like 

these lovely ladies who are interested in participating 

with the Whangarei Community Tapestry Project. 

 They arrange a day and time to come in so we can have our 

 hosts available to assist and explain weaving techniques.

It's a great way to relax in the company of friends

and be involved in a community project.

Thank you ladies for being involved. We hope you enjoyed

your experience and would love to see you all again soon!

APRIL 2015

 We are now over 3/4 completed!

 Here's some close-up photos showing the blending of

 colours.This weaving technique is called "hatching"

 We often have people coming in thinking we

 have commenced a new weaving project. 

 When we take them around to the back of the loom,

 they understand how the tapestry is being done. There's

 always something to talk about with a community project!

 Yarn ends and bobbins at the back of the tapestry...

No, they don't "get knotted". We cut them to an

 inch, and sew up the seams with a fine cotton

 thread as we go. The compaction of the wefts 

keeps the ends from unraveling undone.

29 MARCH 2015 

 As well as groups of people coming in to work on the tapestry

regular individuals come in to The BACH to see how the

project is coming along. Jean Cartwright is one of those "regulars"

Here she is (front in red) talking to Jason Kena (in green)

and Charmaine Soljak from The Hits Radio about weaving.

Charmaine has had the opportunity to do some cloak weaving

enjoyed conversing with Jean, comparing weaving processes.

Jean Cartwright has been a weaver for a long time and 

has started up a number of wool groups over the years.

Jean's daughter in law, Helen (taking a photo of the

 tapestry painting) is from Te Puke and she brought her

in to seeing the Community Project but ended up giving 

the "Tapestry Project Talk" to Charmaine and Jason as 

there wasn't a hostess available at the time. How lovely

to see a member of the community educating another

on our wonderful Tapestry Project! Thanks Jean :o)