How Tapestries are Made
All of our tapestries and wall hangings are Jacquard woven using modern looms based on the original Jacquard looms from the early 19th century. The tapestries are not screen printed – they are individually woven using centuries-old techniques on modern looms. Some of our pieces are licensed from the originals in private collections and museums.
Weaving Machine
Although modern methods of manufacture speed up the process, our wall tapestries still retain the individuality found in all tapestry art. Each piece is individually woven making each tapestry unique. The techniques used to make our tapestries are the same as craftsmen have used for centuries. Modern equipment has helped speed up the process but the end result is still a unique work of tapestry art. Our tapestries are woven in mills across Europe – from Belgium, France, and Italy; many being reproductions of old masters and famous works of art.
The designs are machine woven using a combination of yarns usually including cotton, wool and/or viscose. Historically, wall hangings were made using natural fibres, generally wool, however today’s combination of yarns adds texture, depth and fine detail to the tapestries whilst retaining their historical look. For example, a tapestry woven in wool and cotton benefits from the fullness provided by the wool and the fine detailing of the cotton. Each weaver has several different qualities of weaves with the simplest way to discern this being directly related to the price.
The unfinished tapestry off-the-loom is then imported to our workroom in Canada where it is individually hand-finished. Finishing involves adding a poly/cotton backing as a lining, with a rod pocket for easy hanging of the tapestry. At the end of this process each piece is individually checked for quality before being prepared for shipping. We enclose instructions to assist you with the easy hanging and care of your tapestry.
The video below shows how tapestries are woven by one of our esteemed French weavers. The video is in French, but you can adjust the close captions to be the language of your choice ("auto translate" in video settings).
