Starting your Tapestry Journey
Sometimes it is hard to know how to develop a new interest, so here is a page to help anyone who would like to try Tapestry Weaving to take your first steps.
Wool
Initially it is easier to use thicker yarn until you have tried the basic techniques of Tapestry Weaving - the thicker yarn also weaves up faster so it is more satisfying. Below are the colours and collections we have in our heaviest weight of yarn to make it easy to make some choices. Just be sure when selecting the type you choose heavy.
If you want to try out more colours or thinner wool yarn weights they can be found here
Warp
As with the yarn start with a thicker warp try our Liina 18 warp
Basic Equipment
The minimum equipment you will need is wool or other fibre, warp, a frame and something to beat your work down with - a kitchen fork can be used for this or a bobbin or beater. Here are some links to our basic equipment
Getting Started
The basic shapes to learn to weave are flat weaving, squares, circles, diagnoals and strips.
The basic techniques are warping up, adding more yarn, changing colours and finishing off
Video course - our online course taught by Margaret Jones, was designeed by her specifically for anyone wanting to learn the basics. Once purchased it can be visited and revisited as many times as you like and contains everything you need to know to get started.
Books - a really good 'how to' book for Tapestry Weavers is The Art of Tapestry Weaving by Rebecca Mezoff which is available here
Get-you-started Designs
You may have your own designs you would like to weave but if not at the bottom of this page are a few designs you can print off for free and some helpful hints on how to weave them.
Helpful information
In our knowledge zone we have some simple information on Tapestry Weaving but we also have a Learning for Free section (click on the title Tapestry Weaving) which will take you to a range of resources for more information including free guidance on how to warp a frame, a list of course providers and some helpful You Tube videos
How to develop further
One of the great things about tapestry weaving is that good work can be made simply with just the items mentioned above. However if you would like to challenge yourself then there are lots of techniques to explore, many yarns and fibres to try out and lots of design work that can absorb you and help produce some stunning and complex pieces. If you want to go further than the basics then here are some thoughts.
The British Tapestry Group and the American Tapestry Alliance have fantastic websites full of ideas, inspiration and resources. Going to these groups (virtually or in person) are also a great way to meet other weavers to ask questions, share thoughts, solve problems and swap ideas. Weaving is quite solitary so knowing other weavers is both fun and helpful. Via the Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers you may be able to find other Tapestry weavers near you. The internet, and in particular Pinterest, Instagram and You Tube and Blogs by different weavers, are invaluable tools for learning and seeing what others are doing. Finally take a look at our Newsletter Archive and consider subscribing to future editions of the weaversbazaar free monthly newsletter for updates and inspiration.
Here is our full range of Heavy Yarn and Yarn Collections
available 
low stock 
on order