FAQs

Tapestry weaving is a technique in which the design is formed by weft (horizontal threads) which are tightly packed to cover the warp (vertical threads). It differs from needle and canvas work, as a tapestry is woven on looms rather than embroidered or stitched.

Each colour, wound on its own bobbin, works only across its own section of the design and weft threads seldom pass completely from one side of the work to the other. Hundreds of bobbins may hang from a tapestry during the weaving process at any one time.

The Australian Tapestry Workshop uses the traditional handmade Gobelin technique of tapestry weaving.

You can commission a tapestry to be woven specifically for your home, institution, corporation or even to celebrate an anniversary or special event. The ATW also has a range of large and small completed tapestries for sale, for further enquiries, please contact the ATW Director, Antonia Syme at asyme@austapestry.com.au

The success of the Workshop's tapestries is due to the weavers, who are trained artists and skilled weavers. Weavers are employed by the Workshop and paid an annual salary that is consistent with tertiary training and experience in the arts.

Every weaver at the Workshop has some kind of art background, whether in painting, sculpture, or printmaking or in areas such as graphic, textile or fashion design. On joining the Workshop the weavers commence a traineeship in tapestry weaving which can take at least three years to become a fully proficient production weaver.

Trainee weavers undergo a comprehensive selection process before they join the ATW. On completion of art school training, aspiring weavers often start at the Workshop with a short term studio placement where they are able to experience the process of production weaving as well as being assessed for their talent as a potential weaver. A weaver’s role is one of interpretation rather than simply copying a design — of investing an artist’s original concept with specific tapestry qualities.

The cost of a tapestry is influenced by the complexity of the design, the intricacies of the colour palette, economies of scale in relation to the size of the tapestry, and how finely it is woven.

As a broad guideline, tapestries usually range in cost between AUS$20,000 and AUS$35,000 per square metre.

All ATW tapestries are produced to the highest quality in accordance with our uncompromising standards of craftsmanship and are one-off, original art works.

The factors which determinate how long a tapestry will take to weave include: complexity of design, size, the number of weavers able to be accommodated on it. and how finely the tapestry is to be woven. On average, most of our larger commissions take between 6-12 months to complete.

Yes. Our yarn is available for sale in our shop or online in 25 gram cones spanning 365 colours and tones.  It is a high quality worsted yarn (close to a 2 ply) which is not prone to piling or fluffing, making it suitable for tapestry, knitting and other textile arts. 

All the yarn is dyed on the premises by master dyer Tony Stefanovski. The dyes used are the best available for light fastness and colourfastness, helping to ensure that the Workshop's tapestries will last hundreds of years. 

For more information about the wool, see this page. 

For any further information phone (03) 9699 7885 or email contact@austapestry.com.au, or place an online order.

Yes, we currently offer one beginner's class and one masterclass per year. For more information, visit the Tapestry Weaving Classes page  or contact the Workshop on (03) 9699 7885 or email contact@austapestry.com.au.

Finished tapestries are attached with heavy-duty Velcro tape to an aluminium batten which is bolted to a wall or can hang freely from hanging wires.

Usually, commissioned  tapestries are designed to hang in a specific place, but they can be hung in any suitable environment. Areas with unusually high levels of dust or moisture, or prolonged periods of direct sunlight, are not good environments for tapestries. It is also best to avoid hanging tapestries near air conditioning extract grills as the air drawn over the surface of the tapestries can cause an accumulation of dust and grease.

Cleaning should be undertaken at least every 12 months, preferably by textile experts. Contact the Workshop on (03) 9699 7885 or contact@austapestry.com.au if you would like to discuss this further.

ATW is open to the public Tuesdays to Fridays, 10am-5pm.

You can visit the retail shop and the galleries for free, or pay $5 entry for a studio viewing.

Guided tours of the Workshop are available on Wednesdays at 11am and Thursdays at 2pm, which go for approximately 45mins - 1 hour and cost $10 per person. Bookings are essential for guided tours. For more information on visiting us, please go to the Contact Us page.

ATW's business hours for enquiries, appointments and deliveries are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. The Workshop is closed on weekends and public holidays.

Guided tours are run twice a week: Wednesday at 11am and Thursday at 2pm. Tours are run by trained guides and go for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Tours are $10 per person and bookings are essential.

Please call us on (03) 9699 7885 or email contact@austapestry.com.au for more details.

262-266 Park Street, South Melbourne, Victoria. 

The Workshop occupies a National Trust heritage listed building in South Melbourne. Erected in 1885 as the drapery establishment, Harcourt and Parry Emporium, the building was later adapted for use as Patross Knitting Mills.

In 1976, when the Australian Tapestry Workshop was established, the building was dark and dingy. Today, with its original high, sawtooth ceiling, it is bathed with abundant southern light that creates a perfect environment for a tapestry studio.

With its elegant cast iron columns supporting the roof and the elaborate parapet and squat central tower that rise above the building, it is one of the finest commercial buildings of the 1880s in inner suburban Melbourne and a distinctive example of Victorian Free Gothic architecture in the state of Victoria.

You can read about the process of making a tapestry by clicking here.