Tapestry with own hands

Tapestry - great for decorating a house. The pictures, performed in this technique fascinate the look. Tapestries of machine production are very much inferior to tapestries made by hand. But, alas, are very, very expensive. It's much cheaper to make a tapestry yourself. In addition, such a solution will maximally harmoniously fit the tapestry into the interior of the room.

History of tapestry appearance

Tapestry is a one-sided carpet woven by hand with a cross-threaded yarn. The word tapestry itself has French roots. In the 16th century, Gilles Tapestry opened a dye-house. Later, a weaving factory was attached to it. Louis XIV redeemed this factory and began mass production of carpets of dyed yarn. The factory was called "The Royal Tapestry Manufactory", and the carpets - tapestries.

It can not be said that the tapestries appeared in the 16th century. Back in the III century. BC.the first samples of tapestries were found. In ancient Greece and Egypt, the tapestries were decorated with palaces of pharaohs and state rulers. Masters for making tapestries used only natural threads, sometimes inserts made of gold and silver were used.

The Renaissance dates back to the dawn of tapestries. The masters made entire rows of canvases made in one theme. Only aristocrats allowed themselves such luxury. Until the 18th century, wool was used as a material for making a tapestry. A little later they started making tapestries made of silk and flax. Now tapestries are woven both from synthetic yarns and from natural threads.

For the production of the earliest tapestries, a wooden frame was used, on which stretched threads and a special hook, which allowed securely fasten the knots.

Since the middle of the twentieth century looms have appeared that simplify the work on tapestries. Tapestries made by machine have a lower price and quality, compared to hand tapestry.

Tapestry types

Handmade tapestries are divided into:

• woven,
• nonwoven.

Woven tapestry is more difficult to manufacture. A thread-base of cotton threads is wound on a wooden frame. For fastening use a sumac knot. The weft thread is intertwined with the main thread along the entire width of the carpet, thus connecting and securing the main threads among themselves. The process of fabricating a woven tapestry is winding the weft yarn through the main one, while using a wide variety of techniques and knots.

The hinge or non-woven tapestry is easier. On a dense piece of cloth, a pattern is applied, and with a needle is sewn with woolen or synthetic threads.

Technology for the manufacture of woven tapestry

For the manufacture of woven mini-tapestry you will need:

• yarn - different colors and textures,
• wooden frame or weaving mini-machine,
• fork,
• scissors.

Stages of work:

• First we take a wooden frame or board. The size is 2 times longer in length and 3 times in height than the future tapestry. At the edges of the frame we hammer nails. Distance 2-5 mm, depending on the thickness of the filaments.
• We make the thread-base. On the nails alternately reel the thread. Next, horizontally fix the weft thread, using a knot. We begin to weave a tapestry. Changing threads, depending on the desired pattern. A fork will help tighten the structure of the tapestry. At the end of the tapestry ennoble fringed, pigtails or a brush.
• To make brushes for the decoration of the tapestry, you need to fold 4-6 threads in half, tie a thread and attach to the edge of the tapestry, using any knot.
• For fringe, cut the length of the thread two times longer than the required fringe. These pieces of yarn are attached to the end of the tapestry using a crochet hook or needle. If desired, the fringe is decorated with beads.

Methods of weaving threads in the manufacture of a tapestry:

• Linen is the most common way of weaving. The weft thread is passed through the main one through one.
• Pattern - the weft yarn is made of wool, each thread is wrapped around the main thread twice.
• Twilled - weft yarn is laid only between odd main threads.
• Egyptian - from right to left we braid the main thread of the weft thread, and then the weft thread goes down. It turns out an invoice in the form of columns. Well suited for depicting relief objects.
• The Greek method is used in combination with a smooth weave, because in itself it is very loose. Use bright and voluminous threads. Weft threads are intertwined with each other in the form of braids.
• Binding - woolen threads are laid from the right to the left. The first row is plaid in a linen way, then the weft thread is wound up behind the main thread and a loop is created through which the weft thread is removed. A relief surface resembling a weaving is created.
• Sumachovy - the two main threads are wound by the weft two times from the wrong side outwards and are withdrawn through the two main threads forward. The texture of the columns is created.
• Carpet - weft thread is cut into small pieces 4-6 cm. We attach the middle piece to the two main threads, and the ends are wrapped. After one such series, a series of linen weaving should be performed. Surplus nap is cut and weave is given the desired shape.

Ways to connect the weft yarn together:

• To create a clear boundary of the pattern, use a weft yarn at which weave the desired color to the boundary, and then join each other, continuing the weaving.
• A method is possible when the main thread lies on the border of an interlacing of two colors. The warp thread is laid to the border, and then bent and braided back and so on. On the other hand, a weft yarn of a different color is also laid.
• A pallet connection is used to obtain a clear and even line. At the same time weft yarns do not join at all and a gap forms between them. This method is rarely used, since the gaps between different colors have to be sewn with ordinary threads.
• Way of compensated connection - weft yarns are connected together and smoothly pass from one color to another.

Another kind of woven tapestry is a circular tapestry that is used as a rug or hang on a wall. The circular tapestry differs from the rectangular shape and technique of performing the captivity. In a rectangular tapestry, the capture takes place from the bottom up, and in a circular tapestry. For a circular support, even a gymnastic hoop is used, or a circle of dense material is cut out.

To make a circular tapestry at home, you will need:

1. Cardboard. Yarn for knitting and cotton yarn. Necessarily different colors and structure.
2. Thick needle for yarn.
3. Fork is wooden, if not - usual.
4. Scissors.

Stages of work on the tapestry:

• We cut out a circle of thick paper with a diameter of 30-40 cm.
• Cut the diameter of the circle by 2 cm. The distance between the notches is 2-3 cm.
• We pull the cotton thread-base on the circle. The warp thread will not be visible at the end, so its color is unimportant.
• We thread the thread in the needle and fix the thread-base in the center of the circle. We make stitches, then we turn to linen weaving.
• We pass the weft thread through each warp thread, thus making a weaving around the circle. We do this 25-30 times.
• Use a fork to seal and straighten the threads.
• Change the color of the thread. To fix a new thread, make a knot or twist it over the warp thread.
• We pass a white thread through two warp threads.
• We alternate colors on our own.

Fantasy here is boundless. Possibility to choose different colors and textures.

Photo tapestry round:

Work on embroidery tapestry

Tools for work:

1. Needle.
2. Threads.
3. Thick fabric.
4. Frame for fastening the fabric.

Stages of work on a non-woven tapestry:

1. Use a stapler to attach the fabric to the frame.
2. On a thick paper, draw a sketch.
3. Place the sketch on the fabric and circle it with a pencil. To correct, if something did not work out.
4. When the drawing is ready, circle it with a felt-tip pen.
5. The thread is threaded into the needle.
6. We make stitches along the contour of the picture, gradually filling the whole drawing.
7. If necessary, change the thread color.

Tapestry schemes :

How to make a 3D tapestry

There are several ways to make a 3D tapestry:

• "Braid" - by twisting the warp threads through one or two strands. If you want to achieve a convex texture, a flower, for example, you need to alternate this technique with the usual one, when the weft thread is threaded through a single warp thread.
• "Nodules" - first make the bottom row, which will serve as a background. Next, with a needle and thread knit knots, tightly adjacent to each other. Nodules are leveled on the surface and create the desired texture. So, draw a picture, for example, chamomile.
• "Embroidery" - we make a background. And on him we sew the future drawing, using various ways of weaving. It turns out a double tapestry.

Recommendations for working on a tapestry:

• Before you begin, decide on the picture. For beginners, it's better to choose not a complicated picture, without small elements.
• With a pencil and a tracing paper, sketch the main drawing. Circle the basic outlines.
• The strings are tight, but they do not have to be like guitar strings. The fingers between the threads must pass freely.
• Yarn is selected according to the drawing and the desired invoice.
• Decide what color scheme the picture will be made in, select the threads of the required colors.
• It's best to start the weave from the bottom right corner.
• Attach the picture securely under the warp thread.
• Use the plug to seal the components. Slap motions drive the knots after weaving each row.
• Check the width of the tapestry during operation.
• The free edge of the thread should be kept free.
• At completion, check that the upper and lower rows are of the same width.
• When the tapestry is ready, it is nailed to a large frame or stretched. Then cover with a wet cloth and leave for a day.
• Through the cloth, the tapestry is ironed with an iron.

Tapestry - an interesting design solution for the interior

The tapestry technique has not lost its popularity for more than two millennia, modern tapestries enchant the look and give the interior a special uniqueness. Tapestries perfectly fit in both classical and modern design styles.

Most often tapestries are used in country houses. Large walls and ceilings allow you to place entire series of tapestries, united by the same theme.

Various ornaments of juicy and balanced colors, mythological and medieval scenes, stylized paintings of plants and animals harmoniously fit into any interior.

Tapestries not only hang on the walls, but are also present in the design of a house or apartment in the form of tapestry bedspreads, pillow covers, tablecloths, napkins, paintings. Even furniture and walls are covered with tapestries. In these cases, of course, machine tapestry is used.

Tapestry gives the overall style of sophistication, luxury and versatility. A great addition to the tapestry will be mosaic, stained glass and fusing. And the vases, candlesticks and statuettes will make the style more classic.