Grape Table Topper

I like to say that in my past life I worked as a historian. While today, my job title is “editor,” I still see the world through a historian’s eyes. For example, when I see a pin-loom project like the Grape Table Topper by Gabi van Tassell from Easy Weaving with Little Looms 2018, I can’t help but think of ancient mosaics.

Artists in cultures from around the world used tiny little pieces of tile to create works of art from simple, figured designs to scenes from famous stories of the time. In her table topper, Gabi uses the same method to create a beautiful bunch of grapes, complete with leaves and stem, from simple pin-loom woven hexagons.

Gabi van Tassell cleverly pieced together pin-loom woven hexagons to create a cloth mosaic.

Gabi created depth by weaving the pin-loom pieces using variegated yarns so each grape looks different and stands out from the rest. Ancient mosaic artists would sometimes use this same technique to create shading and visual interest. In the weaving, and in mosaics it adds a level of sophistication to the art created.

Unlike the ancient mosaics, Gabi’s pin-loom table topper is easy to recreate using her project pattern. Just be careful, though, this pattern is a gateway to thinking about pin-loom design in a new way. How can these little shapes of cloth be pieced together to create images and designs? The possibilities are endless—I’m picturing flowers made up of little hexagons or a honeycomb design with little embroidered bees. You might enjoy weaving and designing pin-loom mosaics so much you won’t want to stop!

Happy Weaving, Christina

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Project at a Glance:

Loom type: 4” hexagon pin loom; 7” weaving needle; crochet hook; tapestry needle.

Yarn: Classic Shades (Universal Yarn); #705 Wild Berries; #703 Rust; #704 Reef.