Tablet Weaving at the Guild

The Deep Cove Weavers and Spinners were pleased to have Brenda Nicholson visit our Guild and give a talk about Tablet Weaving.  Tablet weaving is a centuries old tradition for making strong, narrow bands.  There have been examples of tablet weaving found dating back to the 6th Century BC in Germany, and on all continents except Australia and the Americas.  Early tablets were made of various materials including wood, bone, fish skin, leather and parchment.

This ancient craft has survived the test of time and is still practiced in many parts of the world today.  'Modern' tablets are often referred to as 'cards' and usually made of heavy cardboard in various shapes.  The cards are punched with holes and set up with threads through each hole.  Turning the tablets/cards twists the warp ends together and changes the shed by raising and lowering the ends in rotation.

Brenda's collection for Tablet Weaving 

In the afternoon Brenda held a workshop for some of our members.  She provided us with a set of cards which were 'pre-warped' and we were strapped in and anchored to a table.  After some basic instructions we were weaving our sample bands.  It was an enjoyable afternoon and interesting to learn this weaving technique.  Thank you Brenda for your patience and instruction.