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A person who sews is called a seamstress (not sure what the male or un-gendered version of that is), a person who makes embroideries is called an embroiderer, a person who does calligraphy is called a calligrapher, ... what is a person who weaves tapestries called? The obvious answer is a weaver, but that is someone who works at a loom and tapestry makers do not work that way.

"Weaver" implies someone who weaves, and to weave is to "form (fabric or a fabric item) by interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them." That is not what a person making a tapestry does.

If the single word differs between hobbyists and professionals I would be interested in either.

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    I suggest you look up the Wikipedia entry for tapestry. You will find it is woven on a loom by workers known as tapestry weavers. So your question is invalid.
    – David
    Oct 2, 2019 at 7:31
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    There are such things as tapestry looms.
    – KillingTime
    Oct 2, 2019 at 7:31
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    The Wikipedia article starts "Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike cloth weaving where both the warp and the weft threads may be visible." Are you saying this is wrong?
    – Henry
    Oct 2, 2019 at 8:10
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    Google is giving me tapestry weaver and textile artist. But dumbledad, could you clarify, are you talking about a professional, a serious hobbyist, someone who dabbles, etc.? I suspect dabbles, because you mentioned a kit. All are fine, but the answer could depend on what you have in mind.
    – aparente001
    Oct 2, 2019 at 8:21
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    It doesn't matter if it is a tapestry kit, the process is still called weaving. (As an aside, where are you getting your statistics about how the majority of tapestry work is done now?)
    – nnnnnn
    Oct 2, 2019 at 11:37

2 Answers 2

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The "tapestry kits" are actually needlepoint and not tapestry. From Wikipedia:

Needlepoint is often referred to as "tapestry" in the United Kingdom and sometimes as "canvas work".

One stitches needlepoint.

What would you call somebody who does needlepoint? You call them a needlepointer. (Variously spelled as one word, two words, or hyphenated.)

But suppose you are mistakenly calling needlepoint tapestry? You probably don't want to use the word needlepointer. The word needlework covers a number of textile arts, so you can call somebody who makes needlepoint "tapestries" a needleworker.

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A tapissier. From the French. It's probably pretty rare and most wouldn't know what you were talking about, but I wouldn't let that stop me from using a word especially if it's the only option.

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