Needlework is the theme of the Winter 2023 issue of PieceWork Magazine. This issue includes several articles about crochet, including my own that looks at tapestry crochet stitch variations in Colombia, Guatemala, Finland, Israel, Türkiye, Cameroon, and Morocco.
I thought of titling it “Different Strokes for Different Folks” because there’s no right or wrong way to tapestry crochet. The choices are many: the type and number of yarns, loose or tight tension, slip or single or half or double crochet stitches, carry the color or run it along the back, insert the hook into one or more loops? These choices influence the imagery and determine whether the fabric will be stiff or supple. I hope you’ll be inspired.
Positive Negative: Greed vs Generosity and Entitlement vs Responsibility is my most recent double sided bead tapestry crocheted piece. The open rim and positive dazzling interior invite and emanate love and the qualities that I hope will overpower the negativity of the exterior.
Positive Negative: Greed vs Generosity and Entitlement vs Responsibility, cotton thread and glass beads, 7″ x 9 1/2″, 2022.
I should probably rename it Negative Positive because this basket was rejected by one juror but awarded second place in another international exhibit, Small Expressions, sponsored by the Handweavers Guild of America. This traveling exhibit will be at Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum, WA, July 5 – September 3, 2023; Haywood Community College, NC, September 21 – November 9, 2023; Yadkin Valley Fiber Center, NC, December 8, 2023 – February 15, 2024; and Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Gallery, TN, March through early May, 2024. I hope you’ll be able to see it in person and soak up the positivity!
The American flag has inspired several projects over the years. A few magazine and book publishers let designers keep their rights, but most don’t. Since I no longer own the rights to my previous “flag bags” I decided to design some more. The below example has a narrow oval base, a 13 stitch wide star motif (to commemorate our original colonies), and 50 stars. The 1″ wide eagle button is perfect, don’t you think?
Stars Shoulder Bag, tapestry crocheted with Omega Sinfonia cotton, 13 1/4 x 9 1/2″, 2023.
My original intention was to make a more three-dimensional shaped purse (like the one below) but the above bag is too tall and the fabric is not very stiff, so I redesigned and repositioned the stars and switched to a smaller hook. The size 1 hook and tight tension produced a stiffer fabric that maintains the triangular shape (formed by the button and handle placements).
All the bags in this posting were crocheted with my new favorite, Omega Sinfonia cotton, which is thicker than size 3 cotton thread and available in more colors.
So, what do you think? The Stars Shoulder Bag and Patriotic Purse patterns are available on Ravelry, and you don’t need to be a member to purchase them. I hope you’ll give them a try!
My three day tapestry crochet workshop (August 26-28, 2023) at Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington, PA, is already open for registration! We’ll do the above projects, one each day. I’ll also teach how to design motifs with three different tapestry crochet graph papers, use a bead spinner to thread beads onto yarn, and block projects with a steam iron.
A large hook, two wool yarns (one beaded), and loose single crochet stitches will be used to tapestry crochet the flat bead felted bag on Saturday.
A cylindrical beaded basket will be tapestry crocheted with a smaller hook, beaded cotton threads, and tighter stitches on Sunday. Each thread will be loaded with one bead color, eliminating the need to load the beads in a specific color sequence ahead of time! The motif is formed on one side of the fabric by adding a bead to each stitch and on the other side the colored threads echo the image.
Flat tapestry crochet will be the focus on Monday. Unlike traditional crochet, flat tapestry crochet does not show the back of the stitches on every other row.
It will be lots of fun and learning, too! I hope to see you there!
Tapestry crochet redirects my mind to focus on things within my control – and since repetitive activities (like crocheting) release endorphins, I owe it my sanity. Designing new pieces stimulates my creative side and incorporating words adds another dimension. Sharing each finished project is pure joy, especially when someone notices.
White Lies Toteby Carol Ventura, tapestry crochet cotton, 8″ x 10″, 2022.
I was raised to trust people, to believe what they say. Although experience has made me less naive, I’m still a walking target. I detest all lies, even the little white ones because misinformation is destroying lives and the planet. My latest pattern expresses my personal frustration but the instructions include the alphabet, for more upbeat or even darker messages. It’s cathartic!
I shared the inspiration and technique used to bead tapestry crochet “White Lies” with juror, Judy Zugish, and other HGA Convergence attendees at the recent “Dogwood to Kudzu” basketry exhibit. Just click the picture or the caption to hear more about it. Thanks so much for making this video, Kennita!
Tapestry crochet has helped me through some of the toughest times of my adult life. It continues to help me deal with misinformation and now the pandemic. Lies are prolonging the pandemic and making so many innocent people suffer and die! I retired from teaching at TTU last summer, but will never stop trying to open minds and expand horizons. My most recent contribution is:
Prevention Trumps Disease: Covid Hijacks Independence but Masks and Vaccines Ransom Freedom, bead tapestry crochet basket by Carol Ventura, glass beads and cotton thread, 8″ high x 7 3/4″ wide, 2021.
Prevention Trumps Disease: Covid Hijacks Independence but Masks and Vaccines Ransom Freedom attempts to rectify the confusion between masks, vaccines, and freedom. Although Covid-19 is the disease overwhelming us now, all types of preventable illnesses restrict our freedom. The healthcare system, represented by red crosses, is able to contain, treat, and eliminate many diseases, thereby restoring our freedom to walk, run, dance, eat, pray, and sing together. Red, white, and blue represent more than just the United States, as the flags of many nations include the same colors. It is disease that takes away our freedom, but vaccines and masks can restore it. Doing something for your own good and the good of the world should not have to be mandated, but in some cases it is the only way out of a dangerous and disastrous situation.
This piece is in the 2022 Craft Biennial at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts, through June 12th, 2022. Not only are the compliments the finished piece is receiving a pleasant reward, the concentration required to bead tapestry crochet such a complicated basket was meditative and the repetitive motion released endorphins. Combined, tapestry crochet is a win-win-win!
My YES NO basket is one of 52 pieces (selected from 1100 entries) included in The Excellence in Fibers VI juried exhibition. Just click on the arrow under the Vessel category in the photo box of the exhibit web page to see it. The online exhibit runs through March 28th, 2021.
Yes No bead tapestry crochet basket by Carol Ventura, glass beads and cotton thread, 8 1/2″ x 7 1/2″, 2019.
The basket is read from top to bottom:
Three rounds of Yes and three rounds of No. Twelve Yes and Twelve No on every row. Twenty-four up and down all around. Twenty-four diamonds in a row. Twelve merged hearts below. How many times is Yes a No?”
You may interpret the message as you wish, but my intention is that the victim is saying, “No”, but the perpetrator is saying,” Yes”.
Inside look at the Yes No Basket.
How did I crochet different images on both sides of a single-walled basket? It was accomplished with four beaded threads, a white thread with white beads, a white thread with red beads, a red thread with red beads and a red thread with white beads. Carrying 3 threads made the fabric stronger and and having red and white threads with red and white beads allowed me to place red or white beads where they were needed while crocheting red or white stitches, following a graph. I used the same technique to make the White Lies Basket.
My web page includes a free video that shows how to tapestry crochet with 2 beaded threads and my Bead and Felted Tapestry crochet book has more projects using two beaded threads. I hope you’ll give bead tapestry crochet a try!
The Handweavers Guild of America’s Convergence 2020 has been postponed to 2022, including the exhibitions. So, what a happy surprise when a letter arrived informing me that my White Lies bead tapestry crochet basket had won the third place award in the Dogwood to Kudzu basketry exhibit!
A member of The Handweavers Guild of America wove the exquisite Third Place ribbon!
Very interesting, especially since the same basket had been rejected from Convergence’s Small Expressions exhibit; different judges and different criteria and different odds. It just goes to show that rejection of your work should not be taken personally, because the very same piece can achieve greatness in another venue!
White Lies, bead tapestry crochet, glass beads and cotton thread, 8 1/2″ x 8″, 2019.
This basket was inspired by the news, social media, and situations closer to home.
Let there be light. Let there be truth. Let there be no more white lies!
The international symposium organized every two years by the Textile Society of America includes a variety of exciting activities, workshops, and scholarly papers. Most of them focus on weaving and dyeing, but other textile topics are welcome, too, even crochet!
Presenting about tapestry crochet around the world and through time, 2018.
I worked on a small bag before and during the symposium. Not only did it help me relax, but crocheting during the talks exposed this misunderstood technique to many textile artists, curators, historians, professors, and students attending the symposium. Hopefully, more tapestry crocheted clothing and accessories will now be correctly identified in museums and collections!
Tapestry crocheting a bag on the ferry to Vancouver, September, 2018.
I grew up seeing people knit and crochet in public; today it’s a rare site. I’m one of the few who continues this tradition. I love crocheting where people can see what I’m doing and it’s certainly a great conversation starter!
Experience has taught me that geometric patterns tapestry crocheted with light, contrasting colors work best for crocheting in distracting places with low light – the usual scenario. I did the first rounds of the bag pictured below at home because they were a bit more complicated – but crocheted the rest of the tote while attending a number of very interesting talks at a honey bee conference and a textile symposium. I was the only crocheter at both events, but did see a few knitters there.
ME Tote tapestry crocheted with Omega Nylon, 2016.
I first crocheted this geometric motif in 2013, but didn’t see the letters back then. But after crocheting a few sections this time, I noticed the conjoined letters, M and E. I like to think it was a subliminal message from my inner self; I didn’t need the affirmation in 2013, but it’s very appropriate now.
First version of the ME motif, crocheted with cotton in 2013.
I usually create both right and left-handed versions of my patterns at Ravelry, but since “ME” only manifests when crocheting right handed, I decided not to create left-handed instructions because the word would appear backwards – not good.
The new ME Totepattern is based on the larger Leftover Bag seen next to me below. I also crocheted the Leftover Bag in public, but some of the colors were too difficult to see in the low PowerPoint lit venues where I crocheted it; lesson learned.
Beginning the handles during the 2016 Textile Society of America Symposium.
This tote was a joy to crochet. I hope you’ll give it a try – even if you find yourself crocheting in a well-lit, calm location.
My husband stuck his head in the door last May to say, “Ten more minutes.” The sun was starting to go down, but he was almost done mowing the lawn. When he didn’t come in, I went looking for him. I couldn’t believe what I found. He had died while resting on the porch, looking out on the yard that he loved taking care of. What a shock! We never suspected he had a heart problem. I crocheted the tapestry below in his honor.
I’m very thankful for the 17 years we had together. We accomplished so much! My life will never be the same.
A square base, floating motifs, and pull-strap joined forces to create the unique tapestry crocheted tote seen below. The heavy fabric was produced with tight stitches tapestry crocheted with Classic Elite Provence mercerized Egyptian cotton.
My Floating Squares Tote on exhibit in the 2014 Tennessee Technological University Art Faculty Exhibit.
The instructions for this Floating Squares Tote are in the April 2015 issue of QUICK & EASY CROCHET ACCESSORIES, published by Crochet! Magazine. The versatile shoulder strap that keeps the bag closed is easily converted into a pair of short handles (as seen below).
Floating Squares, in QUICK & EASY CROCHET ACCESSORIES.
The magazine includes instructions for more than forty stylish accessories. I think you’ll be inspired by this special issue – so please take a look!
