Threads in Sheds: Wall III

Ebb and Flow
Veronica Madden

26 x 75 cm; silk, nettle yarn, cotton, wool
veronica.madden@hotmail.co.uk

'Ebb and Flow' is the first piece woven on my new loom and as such, I worked instinctively, without a formal cartoon to follow. Walking along the shore in various places in Scotland, with the crashing of waves over rocks along with photographs and sketches all came together in this tapestry.

The variety of yarns complement each other and work with the composition to take the viewer on a wander along the shore.

The Red Mountain
Trisha Gow

33 x 33 cm; fine silk, handspun silk, linen
www.dyeingtoweave.co.uk

My inspiration for this weaving comes from the mountains of North West Scotland. I have seen them glowing red during sunrises and sunsets. I have taken so many images over the years and love the intensity of the colour. There are deep reds and coral colours and in the shadows they deepen and become blues, greys and browns. I wove an irregular shape as I wanted the Red Mountain to arise from the land.

Separation
Marilyn Eustice

30 x 30 cm; handspun silk, silk, linen weft; cotton warp
marilyneustice@gmail.com

This piece is a departure from my usual theme, as it is an attempt to illustrate the separation we have endured over the last year.

Shuttles of Silk
Jean Roberts

40 x 40 cm; wool, silk weft; cotton warp

In the "Shuttles of Silk" tapestry the shape of the shuttles and the linear design of the background suggest the flow of the stream that powers the mill.

The sheen of the silk in the shuttles is enhanced by the softer texture of the wool.

Image: Mick Roberts

Out of Depth
Lindsey Marshall

29 x 19 x 12 cm; wool and silk weft; cotton warp
lb.marshall@btinternet.com

This piece developed from thoughts about the strange times we are all experiencing and how we are reacting to the changes in our natural environment. The words resonate with thoughts of being out of control but also moving forward, out of the situation we find ourselves in: a developing awareness of our actions in relation to world around us. The form suggests a creature rising from the unseen depths of the sea. Knotting and the pulled warp tapestry technique enhance the shape.

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Image: John Seth Marshall

Requiem
Christine Sawyer

90 x 140 cm; cotton, wool, linen and silk weft; cotton warp, mounted on hessian
christinemsawyer@talktalk.net

As part of my ongoing series of work concerning environmental change, I came across an item describing a funeral for a glacier. In August 2019, a memorial plaque was unveiled at the site of Okjokull, Iceland's first glacier to be lost to climate change. The tapestry 'Requiem' is a response to this sad news of irretrievable loss.

The work is presented as seven woven fragments. The intention is to describe the vulnerability of the subject.

Bodmin Moor: After The Rain
Matty Smith

43 x 42 cm; worsted wool, silk weft; cotton warp
mattysmith.smith@gmail.com

'Bodmin Moor: After the Rain' was inspired by a photograph. The intention was to capture the departing rain cloud, the misty haze across the moors and the wetness on the boulders.

Moth
Penny Howes

42 x 87 cm; silk, banana fibre yarn; linen warp
pennyhowes@hotmail.com

Initially, I made a design for 'Moth' based on a detailed close up of a beautiful silk moth. Once I began weaving with the vibrant recycled silk sari yarn, I soon realised that I wanted to showcase its quirky, uneven and unpredictable character in the finished piece, rather than subdue it. As I was managing the yarn, I noticed a similarity with aspects of the insect world in the twists, loops and tufts that formed. The silk and banana fibre yarns resembled beetles.

Rockpooling
Jillian Morris

32 x 32 cm; steel/silk yarn, tussah silk, unspun silk weft; paper yarn warp
info@jillianmorris.co.uk

'Rockpooling' has a painted paper warp: I've allowed occasional warps to show through, and in the pools created gaps suggesting a glimpse of the creatures below the water.

Surface texture and movement were created by knotting, twining and soumak. It's the first time I've used this combination of warp and weft materials together in tapestry, so was pleased how the irregularity of the paper warps and the inelasticity of the silk caused slight puckering, adding a subtle 3D element.

Silk Wing
Maggie Kateley

40 x 30 cm; silk, rayon, bamboo weft; cotton warp
maggiek0203@yahoo.co.uk

A visit to the Silk Mill and a fascination with the silk moth's life cycle sparked my imagination and led to this tapestry's design.

I painted wing patterns with water colours and then tried more abstract designs using inks on wet paper. This is where I found my inspiration. I felt it was appropriate to use a lot of silk yarns in my weaving to give the sheen of the wing detail.