A project of the Alliance for Democracy created by Jan Edwards of the California Center for Community Democracy

Tapestry of the Commons - Construction of Tapestry

Buy 7 (seven) 5/8" x 36" wooden dowels [check for straightness] and 2 (two) 90% elbow and 2 T shaped copper pipe fittings ½ "[connectors]

note: If you want a sturdier frame you can get 3/4" copper fittings and then buy the appropriate size dowels.

Using 2 (two) 12" pieces of 2x4 board [we used scraps], drill holes in the tops and sides to fit the dowels. A drill press helps get the holes straight.

Cut 2 of the dowels to 30" for the legs. Sand the dowels if they feel rough and might snag the ribbons. If your frame doesn't need to travel much, glue [epoxy] the dowels into the fittings. If it must be taken apart for travel, drill holes through the fittings and dowels and screw together with little screws. It will be wiggly but sturdy enough for weaving ribbons.

For the ribbons you will need 1 1/4 yard each of 30 satin ribbons [1 ½ " wide] If you go to a big fabric store like Jo-Ann's they sell spools of 11/2" satin ribbon in a variety of colors. [each spool is 12 ft. long and enough for 3 lengths of ribbon] If you find these spools, buy 10 assorted colors. Also buy stick-on velcro to attach the ribbons. [4 yds is plenty]. If you plan to write on the ribbons with anything but a ballpoint pen, you should buy a product called "No Flow" by Jaquard. It can be painted on the ends of the ribbons and will dry clear. You can then use any marker to write without fear of the ink bleeding. For dark colored ribbons I used a silver colored marker by Pilot which showed up beautifully. I also made a large 4" ribbon to go around the legs that said Tapestry of the Commons. I used satin quilt binding which is 4" wide if you iron it out flat.