Learn To Weave Geometric Tapestries
tapestry weaving is, at its core, a geometric craft.
the horizontal weft is threaded through the vertical warp - and this grid forms the basis of the woven design
geometric motifs can be found in weavings from around the world, spanning centuries and traditions
despite this, weaving geometric shapes in tapestry can actually be very challenging
my own early experiments in geometric weaving often went disastrously wrong - but I persevered
now I’ve been weaving geometric tapestries for almost a decade
and I’ve created a series of online classes and courses, to share what I’ve learnt, and help you explore geometric weaving for yourself
Learn Geometric Weaving
Work From Past Students
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Sylvan, USA
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Adam, Australia
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Ewa, Poland
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Lynda, UK
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Petra, France
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Ellen, USA
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Sue, UK
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Andrew, USA
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Glebe Field Studio, UK
The Geometric Weaving Curriculum
Intro To Geometric Weaving
A detailed introduction to weaving geometric shapes in tapestry. It takes you through the foundational techniques step-by-step from setting up your loom, starting to weave, and constructing symmetrical geometric shapes.
Ideal if you want to try tapestry weaving for the first time, without committing to a full course.
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8 Pre-Recorded Videos
Covering everything from choosing tools & materials, setting up your loom and weaving 4 tapestry samples. Closed captions and transcripts are available for each one.
1 PDF Workbook
This includes notes and step-by-step instructions from each video to refer back to while weaving.
Community Group Membership
The Balfour & Co Community Group is an exclusive forum where you can share your progress, ask questions and get feedback
Email Support
There is a dedicated email address where you can get in touch and ask questions
Lifetime Access
Your access to the class will never expire and you’ll be able to come back to it as many times as you like.
Geometric Weaving Discount Code
Get £35 off the cost of the Geometric Weaving Full Course, so you can continue your geometric tapestry journey!
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When you sign up for the class, you'll receive an email from us inviting you to create an account on our online course platform, Podia.
Once you have an account you’ll get instant access to the class material, and the Community Group.
Remember - you have lifetime access to all class content! So you can keep coming back to it as many times as you need.
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A Tapestry Loom
I am using a 16” x 20” tapestry frame. Choose a tapestry frame loom of a similar size, or a notched frame loom. You’ll need a minimum weaving area of 6” x 12” / 15cm x 30cm.
Warp Yarn
All the tapestry samples in this course are woven on a 12/9 cotton warp. This is 1mm thick or 24 WPI. You will need approximately 150g for the class.
Weft Yarn
I am using DK and Aran weight rug yarn in the course. You can use rug yarn or another sturdy, worsted wool yarn. You can also use 4ply cotton. You will need around 100g / 3.5oz of weft yarn for each tapestry sample.
Weaving Tools
For weaving each sample you’ll need at least one flat stick shuttle, a tapestry bobbin, a comb. For finishing your samples, you’ll need a tapestry needle and sharp scissors.
Click here to view our recommended stockists & suppliers for this class.
Geometric Weaving : The Full Course
An in-depth online weaving course, showing you how to weave geometric shapes in tapestry from start to finish.
It covers both fundamental and advanced techniques, starting with simple shapes and working up to more complex designs. Along the way I’ll be sharing what I’ve learnt in almost 10 years of weaving professionally, helping you to weave beautiful and symmetrical geometric shapes.
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24 Pre-Recorded Videos
These videos cover the full process of tapestry weaving from start to finish, including 12 different tapestry samples. Closed captions and transcripts are available for each one.
5 PDF Workbooks
Each module comes with a PDF workbook, that includes notes and step-by-step instructions from each video to refer back to while weaving.
Community Group Membership
The Balfour & Co Community Group is an exclusive forum where you can share your progress, ask questions and get feedback
Email Support
There is a dedicated email address where you can get in touch and ask questions
Lifetime Access
Your access to the class will never expire and you’ll be able to come back to it as many times as you like.
-
When you sign up for the course, you'll receive an email from us inviting you to create an account on our online course platform, Podia.
Once you have an account you’ll get instant access to the course material, and the Community Group.
Remember - you have lifetime access to all course content! So you can keep coming back to it as many times as you need.
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A Tapestry Loom
I am using a 16” x 20” tapestry frame. Choose a tapestry frame loom of a similar size, or a notched frame loom. You’ll need a minimum weaving area of 6” x 12” / 15cm x 30cm.
Warp Yarn
All the tapestry samples in this course are woven on a 12/9 cotton warp. This is 1mm thick or 24 WPI. You will need approximately 500g for the class.
Weft Yarn
I am using DK and Aran weight rug yarn in the course. You can use rug yarn or another sturdy, worsted wool yarn. You can also use 4ply cotton. You will need around 100g / 3.5oz of weft yarn for each tapestry sample.
Weaving Tools
For weaving each sample you’ll need at least one flat stick shuttle, a tapestry bobbin, a comb. For finishing your samples, you’ll need a tapestry needle and sharp scissors.
Click here to view our recommended stockists & suppliers for this class.
Geometric Weaving : Advanced Techniques
This is an in-depth online class that builds on the Geometric Weaving course. It looks at weaving geometric shapes on a larger scale, and constructing complex designs that fit together on the loom.
I’ll be sharing what I’ve learnt in almost a decade of weaving professionally, and helping you increase the scale and ambition of your own tapestry designs.
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16 Pre-Recorded Videos
These videos cover the full process of designing, weaving and finishing a large-scale geometric tapestry. Closed captions and transcripts are available for each one.
1 PDF Workbook
This includes notes and step-by-step instructions from each video to refer back to while weaving.
5 Patterns
1 pattern covers the whole design, and the remaining 4 break the design into smaller, more achievable sections.
Community Group Membership
The Balfour & Co Community Group is an exclusive forum where you can share your progress, ask questions and get feedback
Email Support
There is a dedicated email address where you can get in touch and ask questions
Lifetime Access
Your access to the class will never expire and you’ll be able to come back to it as many times as you like.
-
When you sign up for the class, you'll receive an email from us inviting you to create an account on our online course platform, Podia.
Once you have an account you’ll get instant access to the class material, and the Community Group.
Remember - you have lifetime access to all class content! So you can keep coming back to it as many times as you need.
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A Large Tapestry Loom
You’ll need a loom large enough to weave a tapestry measuring 65cm wide and 60cm high, at a sett of 8epi (8 warps per inch).
Warp Yarn
The warp yarn I am using in the class is a 12/9 cotton warp. This is 1mm thick or 24 WPI. You will need approximately 200g / 7oz for the class.
Weft Yarn
I am using 4ply and DK weight rug yarn in 7 different colours. The yarns I use are all between 15 and 22 WPI.
You can use rug yarn, or another sturdy, worsted wool yarn. You will need around 5-7 colours, in quantities of around 100-150g each one. If you plan to use more of a single colour, aim for 200g
Weaving Tools
You will need at least one flat stick shuttle, a tapestry bobbin, and a comb. For finishing your tapestry, you’ll need a tapestry needle and sharp scissors.
Click here to view our recommended stockists & suppliers for this class.
About Your Weaving Teacher
My name is Christabel Balfour and I am an artist and tapestry weaver based in East London. I’ve been weaving professionally for almost 10 years, and I specialise in handwoven tapestries, rugs, and other interior textiles.
My work has been featured in the Guardian, the New York Times, and profiled by The Modern House.
You can find out more about my work on my website here.
Geometric shapes have been a focus of my weaving practice since the very beginning. I continue to be fascinated with the complex simplicity that goes into creating curves on a grid of warp and weft.
I founded Balfour & Co in 2020 to share my weaving knowledge, and since then I’ve taught hundreds of students around the world about geometric weaving.
Stockists & Suppliers
We’ve put together a detailed list of stockists & suppliers for our students in the UK, USA and EU.
We’re also working to add more countries to the list! Get in touch with us here if you’d like advice on where to find what you need to start weaving.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve signed up for a class or course. How do I access it?
You can access our online courses & classes by logging in to your account here. You can also reset your password if you have forgotten it.
If you have paid for a course or class but are not able to log in, please get in touch with us at info@balfourand.co so we can sort this out for you.
How is this curriculum different to your Rug Weaving courses?
Our rug weaving courses focus on weaving functional textiles to withstand daily use. We weave some geometric patterns, but they are not the main focus. The Geometric Weaving curriculum focuses entirely on geometric images and how to capture them exactly in tapestry. We work slowly, and on a more detailed scale.
Can I use a different loom?
I use a 16” x 20” tapestry frame in the intro class and the full course, and for the advanced techniques class I use a much frame loom. But the techniques I demonstrate can be recreated on any loom - you just need to make sure it can a) maintain a good tension and b) weave on a sett of 6epi and 8epi.
What device do I need to access my class or course?
You can access our online courses & classes on any phone, computer or tablet with internet connection. Our videos are hosted on a platform similar to Youtube - if your internet connection is not strong enough to watch Youtube, it will not be strong enough for this course. Please check this before you sign up!
Can I download the videos?
While you can download the patterns, templates and PDF workbooks, the videos themselves cannot be downloaded.
Why is there a separate shop for EU customers?
Due to EU regulations around VAT, we have created a separate shop for EU customers which collects VAT from them automatically. The base cost of our online content remains the same for everyone, but sales tax will vary depending on your country.