Portraying the afterlife caused some technical problems. With John de Lancie in a white robe on a white background, the production crew were concerned that Q would appear as a floating head. Both actors were aware of the difficulties in the shot, and even de Lancie felt it made his performance in some scenes more subdued than usual. The staff thought this was perfect for a more serious Q episode.
This episode was originally supposed to be something like Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The production staff changed the idea to focus on one single moment in Picard's life that would have significance - his near-death by stabbing. They wanted to explore the reasons why Picard changed from a "young, womanizing hard-drinker to the man we know today."
Wesley Crusher actor Wil Wheaton (who did not make any appearances in TNG's 6th season) once commented, "My favorite episode of Next Generation is Tapestry (1993) and it's a really great example of how everything that happens in our lives, even the shitty things, help shape us into the people we are." (Other sources quote Wheaton as saying that The Inner Light (1992), which he also didn't appear in, is his favorite episode.)
Producer Ronald D. Moore thought this was one of the best things he'd ever written, and one of the show's finest episodes.
In the original script, Geordi treated the alternate Picard like he did Lieutenant Barclay. But it was never filmed, and Geordi's entire role was reduced to one line over the intercom.