“Tapestry” often evokes an image of traditional European wall hangings utilizing the artistic designs of the classical age. We have broken out of this mold by creating a beautiful line of tapestries adapted primarily from the work of present-day artists.

Our unique line includes Floral and Garden, European Impressionist, American Scenic, Contemporary Abstract and Nature designs. Our design team works with established graphic artists from the USA and Europe to translate their best designs into original hand-woven images. The result is a woven painting with warmth and texture that easily finds a place in any interior design scheme.

Unlike machine-made tapestries, each of our designs is created by hand on a traditional upright loom using the finest quality carpet wool. Tapestries de la Mere are wool tapestries woven on a cotton warp (the threads around which the tapestry is constructed). The design you see is all wool. We use the finest grade of carpet wool from the northern province of Punjab in India.

Our color palette includes an extensive range of rich and subtle colors. Most of our wool is dyed by hand at the weaving center in Pondicherry using the highest grade commercial dyes to ensure uniformity, color-fastness, and resistance to fading. The wool is moth-proofed before being spun into yarn for the weaving, and the finished tapestries are all shipped with mothballs.

Our customers have never had problems with moths in the wool. The weaving is done by young adult women from the local community who receive special training in European style tapestry weaving. The weaver sits on a stool in front of the loom to work on the tapestry. She works from a drawing called a cartoon, which is a black and white rendition of the tapestry with numbered areas corresponding to the various colors of wool to be used. The weaving technique used is called split-weave, so-called because there are gaps or splits in the tapestry upon completion of the weaving, generally wherever there are color changes in the design. This technique allows for the depiction of very fine, life-like detail in the design.

When the weaver is finished, the tapestry is sent to the finishing room, where the splits in the design are hand-sewn tightly shut and the edges of the tapestry are turned and sewn over. A sleeve is also sewn on the back where a rod can be slipped through for hanging on the wall. Occasionally there is interest in using these hangings as rugs. This is fine in an area where there is little foot traffic. The overall construction of these tapestries is strong and finished pieces are very durable, but they are still not woven in the same manner as rugs meant to hold up under a lot of foot traffic.

You can hang your Tapestry with a rod through the sleeve on the back (a wooden do well, or curtain rod is fine), or you can use a strip of Velcro attached to the wall on a wooden strip. The wool will adhere to the sticky part of the Velcro. With proper care, your tapestry will be a source of enjoyment for many years.