Long Thread Podcast: Emily Nicolaides

When you think about circular weaving, you may flashback to weaving on a paper plate or cardboard using simple materials and methods. But artist and weaver Emily Nicolaides has taken circular weaving by storm, opening up the technique to include a new world of richness, beauty, and complexity.

In 2016, Emily began exploring shaped tapestry weaving and the possibilities and limitations of weaving in the round. She started with a simple arch and then developed more complex shapes, such as ovals, eventually finding herself back to weaving circles. In the years that followed, she tested many weaving methods to see how they could apply to circular weaving. She often discovered what worked (and did not) through trial and error. Her years of research and teaching her techniques landed her a book deal. Her book, Amazing Circular Weaving, came out in September 2022.

In this episode, Emily shares how weaving grounded her; how warp and weft coming together to create fabric mirrors how she brings herself and her knowledge together to make unique pieces. Host Anne Merrow connected with her at her home on the island of Cyprus and talked about her love of books, research, and the lineage and history we all take part in while weaving.

This episode is brought to you by:

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Links

• See Emily Nicolaides’ website for information on her, and her book, Amazing Circular Weaving.
• You can find the tapestry weaving series, “Tapestry Talk,” by Tommye Scanlin in the Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2022, and Spring 2023 issues of Easy Weaving with Little Looms.
• Emily mentions The Handweaver’s Pattern Directory by Anne Dixon, and Shaped Tapestry by Kathe Todd-Hooker, as two of her favorite resources.
• Learn more about fythkiotiko (the famous colorful patterns from the village of Fyti) at https://heartlandoflegends.com/fythkiotika/.

Anne Merrow is a cofounder of Long Thread Media.