How Are Tapestries Made?

Woven Tapestries

• These are known as true tapestries as they are woven on a loom. A weaver constructs a base of vertical threads of cotton or linen under tension, attached to the top and bottom of the loom and known as the warp. The weft--the horizontal lines of work--are woven into the warp using thread mounted on bobbins or shuttles. Each line of weft is tapped down onto the previous line with either a beater--a small wooden stick tapered at one end--or a comb-shaped tool that taps down the weft along five or six warp threads.

Embroidered Tapestries

• Examples of embroidered tapestries include the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry on linen, on permanent display in Bayeux, France, and the New World Tapestry embroidered on canvas in England in the 20th century. The underlying design is drawn onto the linen or canvas, probably via vegetable dyes in the 11th century, and the color is filled in using a variety of stitches to suggest texture, depth and perspective.

History

• The earliest known tapestries originated in Ancient Egypt. Adel Hanna of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology describes the earliest fragments being found in the tombs of Amenhotep II, 1428 to 1397 B.C. and Thutmosis IV, 1419 to 1410 B.C., with subsequent generations taking tapestry to an even finer level of craftsmanship. The medieval period in Europe saw woven tapestries come into their own, used as wall hangings, art, floor coverings and draught excluders.

Tapestry Stitches

• Sue Levick, writing for Regia Anglorum, details the embroidery stitches commonly used in the 11th century as variations of running stitch and couching and outlining, as well as chain and split stitches. Stitching has evolved into many more variations that give extra leeway to illustrate and define textures and shapes and to fill space. Small embroidered tapestries can be worked using an embroidery hoop to keep the base fabric taut, while larger pieces keep their tension on heavier floor-based frames.