ly, no change
is visible on the right side. The joined weft will last as long as any
other part of the weaving.

The process of stitching up at the back is simply an oversewing with
silk or other strong thread. The stitches must be rather close, drawing
the edges just sufficiently together, and they must not show through to
the right side. The stitching together should be done while the work is
on the loom, since the web would then be in less danger of pulling out
of shape.

[Illustration: Fig. 184.]

Shading in tapestry weaving is carried out by a hatching process which
is most simply explained by a diagram (fig. 184). The difficulty is not
in the working, but in getting the form of the shadow or light correctly
expressed. There is no need for fine gradation of colour and tone, for
the shading looks best when carried out simply and boldly, but the
drawing of it should be decided and good. The above figure gives but one
intermediary tone in shading from one colour to another, which is the
ancient method of working; at the present day the weavers in the
_Manufacture des Gobelins_ employ several other intermediary tones, thus
allowing of finer gradation; possibly however these fine gradations are
not of such great importance, and so need not have an unnecessary amount
of attention and time devoted to their accomplishment.

The student will do well to examine fine examples and make careful
drawings from them, since this will teach the right way of going to work
better than anything else can. Fig. 185 is simply a shaded leaf taken at
random from a piece of weaving; the same leaf was shown in outline in
fig. 180, so the two show the commencement and completion of the same
piece. It will be noticed upon studying tapestry that usually all the
light parts of a work are hatched with the same colour, often a buff
shade, those of rich tapestries with gold thread. This sameness of
colour throughout gives unity to the work.

[Illustration: Fig. 185.]

Sometimes after the weaving is completed a few finishing touches can be
satisfactorily put in by means of single stitches taken through the
fabric with a sharp-pointed embroidery needle. The dots representing the
seeds upon a strawberry could be stitched in afterwards in this way, for
to insert them while the work is going on would be very tedious. This
kind of thing must not be overdone, however, for the stitches are apt,
unless very deftly treated, to have a laid-on look, and