Liz Whiteside Studio

Workshops incoming …… My studio has been having a little makeover. My studio is in Ouseburn where there are lots of vintage furniture sellers. I have removed my huge Ikea tables and replaced with a teak extending desk from Bibelot Nook, vintage furniture, interiors & fashion . My students will have so much more room to relax.
I also spied a fab Ercol chair and drawers from I love them. Thank you 🙏
It’s great to support local. New dates coming xx

Fancy another lesson? I’ll be editing today’s filming for this lesson on hatching and semi circles later today.
Hatching (using two colours in the sea) is a great way to add interest to an area using solid colours.
Keep an eye on my stories when it’s ready to watch ☺️

I’ve been looking back at how my weaving journey has naturally evolved… one loom at a time. Well, tbh, it started with a crochet hook.

I know I’m very lucky to have a little collection, but in my defence, I do teach — so having different looms for students to try is very useful! 😉

I started with a 28” Mirrix and quickly moved into rug making. It makes a 2 x 3 ft rug beautifully and I loved working on that bigger scale.

Then, rather unexpectedly, I went tiny. A 5” pocket loom — and I LOVED it! From there came my 12” and 8” looms, and these little looms have really shaped the way I work and teach today. I love being able to show students the different options and let them discover what feels right for them.

Then came the floor loom. Was that excessive? Possibly. I thought I’d make cloth… and quickly discovered that making cloth just isn’t me.

But rugs? Colour? Exploring Krokbragd? Now you’re talking.

And I think that’s what this whole journey has really been about — discovering what kind of weaver I am.

I LOVE colour. I love experimenting. I don’t particularly enjoy feeling tied to a strict pattern. I am, and always will be, an artist at heart.

Now I feel like I’m finally bringing those two worlds together — art and weaving — and that is pure heaven for me.

And the brilliant thing about looms? They don’t have to be forever. Buy secondhand, try something, sell it on, change direction. Your creative journey doesn’t have to be a straight line. I never thought I would teach - I flipping love it!!!

How tiny can you go? I want to show you that you can create tiny pieces of art.
By working with multiple fine threads on your needle you can create very effective images - here one realistic and the other more abstract. I love both styles equally.
I keep glimpsing at the little cottage and from a distance it looks like a photo. I adore it and it’s now in my studio to show workshop students.
The tiny frames are both from Ikea and I sew the tapestry onto cotton board and leave glass free. My favourite method to let the yarns shine.

A little collaboration... 💛 What is this? It’s certainly not my usual colour blended work! Gist kindly sent me their Array colour packs (Nos. 1, 2 & 6), and the moment I opened them they just shouted summer. Bright, juicy colours that made me want to put them all together and simply play. Before long, this little retro caravan appeared. 🚐 I have a confession... I’ve secretly wanted a caravan for years, and this month I’m heading off on my very first campervan adventure. It seems this little tapestry got there before I did, and I have a feeling a whole series might be in the pipeline whilst on my future travels. Sometimes it’s good to step away from your usual style and see where a new palette takes you. Thank you, Gist, for inspiring me. 💛 . . #gistarray #gistyarns #tapestryweaving #tapestryart #retrocaravan

How cute is this? I wanted to show you that you can work at only 3.5” wide and still get a lot of detail in.
At 8 warps per inch that means working on 28 warps. I went to a height of 5” and it fits this little Ikea frame perfectly (it’s the 13 x 18 cm frame).
I also worked on the fringeless method so there was no warp fringe to sew in 👌