Micro-Macramé

The Beading Yogini

2011-12-14T16:23:00.000-05:00

First of all, I love the title of her blog, the Beading Yogini. Second, isn't this beaded micro-macrame totem owl piece simply marvelous???

Click on the link to her blog to see more pix of this beautiful, beautiful piece!

Etsy Swag

2011-12-14T16:15:00.001-05:00

A few weeks back the local branch of Etsy aficionados (etsyRAIN) decided to hold a sale. I couldn't be part of the sale because I was moving house and all my stuff was between hither and thither, but I wanted to contribute in some way so I made 50 micro-macrame owls for their swag bags. Swag bags are usually given out to the first 50 or so customers at an event and I am hoping my owlies went to good homes.

My Micro-Macrame Video Ad - First Try

2011-10-30T15:29:00.001-04:00

This is a video for my book Micro-Macrame Video Ad
What do you think?
Anyway, Animoto is a cool free video slide creator - check it out for your own videos!
I am thinking of upgrading to a paid account so I can vary the amount of time each image plays instead of relying on their pre-formatted template.

Feeeeeedback, please!

Ed Bing Lee Video - Cavandoli Knotting

2011-10-07T12:31:00.000-04:00

Take a looksie at this cool video about Ed Bing Lee, fiber artist extraordinaire... In the video he is working double half hitch knots in ribbon.

I cannot express how much I love his exquisite work...

Spiral Bound Macrame Bracelet Tutorial

2011-09-11T11:44:00.000-04:00

Found this lovely tutorial on Beadshop.com on how to create a spiral knotted necklace with lots of pretty baubles knotted in:

Spiral Bound Macrame Bracelet

Here's a video on how to create a spiral knot:

Maxi-Macrame!

2011-08-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

Andy Harman's 35 foot long macrame owl!

Monte Video Macrame Tutorials! Si! Si! Si!

2011-08-07T14:52:00.000-04:00

Two wonderful video tutorials from montevideomacrame that show step-by-step progress of two lovely techniques!

Tejido Artesenal. This is a portion of a larger macrame piece.

A New Mariposa

A delightful butterfly design!

Another Macrame Bracelet Tutorial

2011-08-05T11:07:00.000-04:00

I love this design.

Who is this mystery macrame maker??? Her name is Anne Cecilie and she has a website called Jewelry and Polymerclay Tutorial Heaven and a blog here.

Macrame Bracelet – Do Magic With Double Half Hitches And Beads - Part One

Macrame Bracelet – Do Magic With Double Half Hitches And Beads - Part Two

Lacy Macrame Bracelet tutorial

2011-08-05T10:55:00.003-04:00

I found another lovely tutorial by Anne Cecilie of a lovely lacy micro-macrame bracelet - enjoy:

Lacy Macrame Bracelet

Ornamentea's Macrame Meanings Bracelet Tutorial

2011-06-15T22:01:00.001-04:00

This is such a great tutorial for making a simple macrame or micro-macrame bracelet that encloses a few largish central beads.

Check out the entire Ornamentea website.

Owl Friendship Bracelet

2010-07-11T13:54:00.000-04:00

Here's a cute pattern for an Owl Friendship Bracelet from the Friendship Bracelets website - I would, of course, change the colors so I could create a row of Harry Potter's Hedwigs, but that's just me.

Macrame + Rhinestones = Sweeeet!

2010-07-08T09:05:00.000-04:00

Here's a link to a cool video on Youtube on how to make a macrame bracelet using a strand of linked rhinestones...sweeeeet!

Off to Grad School...

2010-07-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

Okay, you say to yourself, what is with this woman? How come she is so lazy and never posts anything new anymore? Well, I do admit, I am lax with blogging upkeep these days, but I do have a good excuse: I am moving from the Seattle area to New York in a few weeks and have been busy packing, throwing things away, and generally sorting out my life as I get ready to go to graduate school.
Yup. I have decided to return to college to get an MFA in Dramaturgy. Cough! Drama - what??? Let's just say it involved theatre arts; I began working in the theatre when I was a teeny bopper and it has always been a part of my life. I am just taking a couple of years off from the corporate world to have a go at studying theatre. The older I get the shorter life gets, and life is simply too short not to have fun!
I have also begun working on jewelry pieces for a new micro-macrame book and posting some of them on my Facebook page now and then.
What would you like to see in a new book of micro-macrame projects? More earrings or necklaces? Collars for pet tigers? Let me know.

Chinese Button Animation

2010-05-07T10:42:00.000-04:00

Here's an animation on how to create a Chinese button a.k.a. A Turk's Head knot
While they are sometimes available at places like Michael's or Shipwreck Beads, I've often resorted to making them myself by intertwining DMC embroidery floss around two strands of C Lon cording like these:

The "Rooster of Love" sits on a handmade Chinese knot made of DMC floss, the Dreamy Mermaid's resting place is a store bought knot found at a Michael's, and the Mouse is perched on a handmade Chinese knot.

Pretty Macrame Earrings Tutorial from Brazil

2010-05-04T09:30:00.000-04:00

Hello! I'm back after a long unexpected hiatus. As some of you may know I also work in IT for a rather large software company and have recently completed two contracts at said rather large software company. Unfortunately, working in IT takes all my creative energy these days so I have had no time to pursue my artistic side. Didja miss me? Prolly not.

Anyhoo, here's a lovely 6 minute tutorial on making macrame earrings from Elfaria Arts in Brazil.

Getting Your Knickers in a Twist

2010-03-17T09:50:00.000-04:00

A while back Chain Creative blog featured a photo of some paper samurai underwear knotted with Solomon knots. She had visited the Antwerp Museum of Fashion which had an exhibition on paper clothing last year.
The Solomon knot is used in both macrame and crochet; we macramers usually refer to it as a square knot or flat knot.

Galit Mastai has Aritzia All Tied Up!

2010-03-17T09:44:00.000-04:00

Galit Mastai was busy last year creating macrame installations for Aritzia stores across Canada and the US

From Making Macramé with Aritzia by Galit Mastai:

Here's a bit about one of the projects that kept me busy in 2009.... I was enlisted by the Store Design team at Artizia, to make 70 huge, 1970's-inspired Macramé wall hangings for 6 new Aritzia stores that opened across Canada and the USA, namely Victoria, Edmonton, London and Toronto in Canada and Portland, Oregon and Short Hills, New Jersey.

Macrame in Dressage

2010-02-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

Fresh from the Dressage Pony blog comes an equine contribution to the wacky world of macrame.
It reminds me that I keep wanting to macrame one of those Tribal Belly Dance long fringe belts...gotta find the time to do that...

The Delectable Ed Bing Lee

2010-02-15T09:47:00.000-05:00

Ed Bing Lee's Delectables are just that! Can I have seconds, please?

How to Make a Macrame Petal

2010-02-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

Here's a nifty video on how to make a macrame flower petal. Check out all the other videos on macrame on youtube.

Silberknoten Site

2010-02-10T23:14:00.000-05:00

Oh hey, take a look at this: Silberknoten a German site devoted to Viking posaments. Posaments, you say? Hmmm, sounds a bit like passementerie...In this case it's medieval knotwork appliqued onto textiles. Sweet!

Speaking of sweet, Karin sent me a Sami bracelet kit all the way from Sweden! Whoo Hoo! Thankfully, she translated the instructions from Swedish for me. Yes, I know, I have a Swedish name. People think I am Swedish, ergo they think I speak Swedish. I do not. (I wish I did.) I'm not Swedish. My ancestors were Danish. And Dutch. My parents thought Anneke would be easier for Americans to pronounce if it was spelled Annika. (It isn't.)

JewelryLessons.com

2010-02-10T23:07:00.000-05:00

I've just posted my first tutorial to Jewelry Lessons.com...it's the Baroque Bracelet I've been teaching around town. I plan to add a few more tutes over the next week or so.

The Evil Side of Macrame...

2010-01-15T11:15:00.001-05:00

Saw this on the Knit Kicks website and came to the realization that Macrame is Being Used for Nefarious Purposes! It's obvious - that woman wants to rule the world! And she will tie you up in knots just to have her way! Here is a shot of her Evil Minion off to do dirty work for his Evil Mistress!

Oh, the horror!

Answering a Question on Facebook

2010-01-14T12:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday on Facebook Elisabetta posted a picture of a pair of earrings and was wondering how they were finished.
Since the design for the earrings is not mine, and I do not want to step on someone's toes by using their beautiful design without their permission I feel awkward duplicating how to create them. But creating a diamond with 2 rows of diagonal double half hitches is a common enough part of the design and where you would need to cut the cords can be accomplished in the following pictures.

1. If you have 12 cords, start a row of diagonal double half hitches from the 7th cord in the center; you will tie 6 double half hitch knots that together slant down towards the left.

2. Then create a row of diagonal double half hitch knots that slant down to the right starting with that 7th cord as the cord that is wrapped with the other cords. This will keep the left hand side and the right hand side from separating.

3. Now tie a row of diagonal double half hitches beneath the row on the left.

4. Tie a row of diagonal double half hitches below the row on the right side.

5. This next part is a little tricky and there may be a vastly superior way to accomplish this step, but this is how I would do it. Take cord 1 and use it as the cord to be wrapped and start a row of diagonal double half hitch knots slanting down towards the center. Then take cord 12 on the right hand side and start a row of diagonal double half hitches that slant towards the center.

This is what it will look like when you have finished both the left side and the right side.

6. Now tie a row of diagonal double half hitch knots beneath the left hand side row, then tie a row of diagonal double half hitches beneath the right had row.

7. Turn the knotted piece over to its back. Dab clear fingernail polish on the outer rows of diagonal double half hitch knots, only on the back side. I do this twice to ensure that the knots are saturated with fingernail polish, which acts like a glue to cement the knots in place. Be sure to let the fingernail polish dry - this is important!

8. Cut the cord as close as you can to the knotted diamond; do not cut into the knots. At this point you can singe the edges of the cords so that they are cropped close to the knotted diamond. Here I have used a stick of incense (a joss stick) but you can use a singeing tool instead. I do not recommend using a cigarette lighter because the flame will be too big and you can damage your knotwork too easily.

Here is what the edge of the diamond will look like if you singe the edges. Usually I do not bother to singe the edges on light colored cords because the edges will be black. Also the singed edges are stiffer and can be uncomfortable and hard to wear.

Here is an example of a knotted necklace that was made of a cotton cording (perhaps embroidery floss) that can be cut close then folded to the back side of the piece. You are seeing the back side of the necklace with the lower edges folded up under the green beads.

And the Winner is...

2010-01-01T12:42:00.001-05:00

Meh-crame! Thanks to everyone who participated in this contest. I hope to be holding more contests in the near future.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Happy Anniversary to Me Book Giveaway!

2009-12-28T11:46:00.000-05:00

Well, Happy Anniversary to this blog, at least. In celebration of one year's worth of blathering on about knotty things, I am giving away one free copy of my book Micro-Macrame: 30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords to the lucky person who can best tell me what it is they like most about micro-macrame as an art form. Please leave your answer in the comments field below...Perhaps you were inspired by acrylic plant hangers in your Grandmama's back garden, or liken micro-macrame to those Victorian mourning brooches made from the hair of the dearly departed...give it a shot! Tell me what makes micro-macrame so grand to you!
The drawing for the book will held be on January 1, 2010, so you have 4 days to come up with your answer! What a great way to start the new year!

Tracking Down C- Lon in the UK

2009-12-27T11:36:00.000-05:00

Search Press has picked up the UK rights to my book on micro-macrame and will set it out on British bookshelves in February of 2010. One of the big "you-ought-to-know-this-since-you're-such-an-expert" questions the publishers asked me was "Do you know of any UK jewelry suppliers or stores that carry micro-macrame cords?" Well, uh, no, I don't. Not really. I began my research by scanning advertisements in beading magazines from the UK, scrounging around on the 'Net, and indulging in obscure divination techniques, but didn't come up with all that many suppliers. Slim pickins'...?
Lo and behold, this morning I happened upon one shop in Lichfield that carries C-Lon cord: The Spellbound Bead Company.
If any readers of this humble blog come across any other British bead suppliers that carry micro-macrame supplies, give me a shout.

A Few Encouraging Words from Domicile Interior Design

2009-12-23T11:37:00.001-05:00

Get your macrame on! According to Domicile, it will make you feel better!

Minikinpo's Macrame

2009-12-23T11:27:00.000-05:00

I came across a reference to a macrame artist who lives in the Yunnan district in China named Minikinpo.
Love the color combos in these freeform bracelets:

She's great at enclosing cabochons as you can see.

This 'n That

2009-12-11T09:25:00.000-05:00

Check out Coco's Jewelry on Etsy for this lovely macrame bracelet and other goodies.

I've become intrigued by an artist who tats with micro-macrame cording (instead of tatting thread) on this website - TATBiT TaTs

Like Selfridges, the Australian company Bloom Cosmetics has installed some large-scale macrame pieces in their flagship store's windows.

What Ever Happened to...?

2009-12-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

That macrame surf-wear outfit created by the Project Runway team of Irina and Johnny in Episode 3 that aired last summer?
It was won in an online auction by a gal who promptly took it over to some other enthusiastic Runway fans who had to try it on and snark their two cents worth. Poor darlings. Read Real People in "Project Runway" Clothes (AKA: How to Lose Your Self-Worth in One Easy Outfit) for a giggle!

Meh-crame

2009-11-30T11:14:00.000-05:00

I've recently been following Tatyana Fedorikhina who calls her blog "meh-crame" and I adore her micro-macrame work!

Look how vibrant and lacy this sunflower is:
She has such a flair for combining what looks like bobbin lacework with double half hatch sequences to create a wonderful interplay of delicate and sturdy sections.

I love how she intersperces seed beads within the rows of double half hitches. This adds a pleasing (well, at least to my eyes) texture that adds dainty points of sparkle.

Here's another great combination of knots; in the petals of the central flower she combines vertical double half hitches with horizontal ones. It looks as if the vertical ones are folded over to frame the horizontals, and set against a background of basketweave:

Check out her store on Etsy.

Sturdy but Lightweight - What's Not to Love?

2009-11-21T11:37:00.000-05:00

I saw a miniature version of this chair in a museum in Paris last week. If you just happen to have an extra $3890 lying around (perhaps newly discovered from under those sofa pillows), pick up Dutch artist Wanders' Knotted Chair which is macramé knotted carbon and aramide fiber cord, and is sturdy but light enough to lift with one hand. Available at Minima, 118 N. Third St in the fair city of Philadelphia.

City of Craft: Installation Artist Lizz Aston

2009-11-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

Oh hey, sorry about the long absence. I've been gallivanting around Europe for the past few weeks visiting friends in Oslo, Paris and Kiel.

Lizz Aston, Artist-in-Residence in the Craft Department at Harbourfront in Toronto has created some macrame works for their annual City of Craft Show.

Those Nutty Nuts at Selfridges

2009-10-21T09:58:00.000-04:00

I meant to post these pix a few days ago when I found them online. Selfridges is a grand old department store on the Oxford Road in London where you can buy just about anything your little heart desires (definitely hit the food halls, they're wonderful). When I lived in London as a student I would often gaze into their storefront windows marveling at and wishing for all the pretties displayed therein. Apparently in the recent past they have caught the macrame bug that is going around fashion circles. I don't know when this display was up or if it is still - I imagine not since Christmas is looming and Selfridges always goes all out with their holiday window displays.

Teresa is ready for Christmas!

2009-10-21T09:50:00.000-04:00

Teresa from Brazil, a fellow macramer, has been busy knotting a lovely green towel for the upcoming holidays. I so envy her ability to work at this level of detail. She has graciously shared a how-to here where she describes the history of macrame (being passed from Arab sources, to the Spaniards of the 14th century, to sailors and consequently to the ports visited by those sailors).

Macrame Scarf

2009-10-20T13:34:00.001-04:00

Here's a nifty idea Christine at the JaneAvion blog has been making for a while - something she gleaned from Martha Stewart's "no knit scarves." I am diggin' it! Nice for Christmas prezzies, don't ya think?

On a sad note, my apologies to the members of the cancelled class that was to have taken place last Sunday at Beads and Beyond...I was laid low with the Swine Flu but am recovering nicely. I really really did not want anyone else to get what I had. The sustained high fever and aches were just horrible. Hopefully we can all get together in November for another class.

Anneta Valious's Soutache Jewelry

2009-10-20T01:16:00.001-04:00

Check out Anneta's album on Facebook for more of her beautiful soutache jewelry. While it has little to do with macrame, it is inspiring to see what she has done with soutache braid.

Jeanne Wertman is still at it!

2009-10-18T13:06:00.001-04:00

From the Canton Rep comes an article featuring several bead artists, among them is Jeanne Wertman, one of my favorite macrame artists. I love her ebullient combination of bead embroidery and macrame. Ain't she something else?

The Glass Bead Game

2009-09-28T10:36:00.001-04:00

Last Friday at Beads and Beyond in Bellevue, my students outdid themselves with their bead selections and color combinations as they learned how to knot the Glass Bead bracelet from my book.

I'll be doing a demonstration of the micro-macrame Baroque Bracelet at Red Garnet Beads in Montlake Terrace on October 4th and then teaching two classes on same bracelet on October 10th and 11th. And possibly October 25th...I have to check with Jenene at Red Garnet about that schedule as my mind is still befuddled and wonky due to the flurry of events and things I've been up to these past few weeks.

In mid-September I demo'd micro-macrame knotting at the Northwest Bead Society's Annual Bead Bazaar and sold lots and lots of owl kits and books.

En Vogue...? Yes! Yes! Yes!

2009-09-14T13:03:00.000-04:00

It seems like everybody has hopped onto the macrame band wagon this season; last week's Project Runway featured a macrame frock and now Diane von Furstenberg has a gorgeous green macrame dress in her Spring 2010 collection.
Okay, okay, I get it; you're starting to wonder about this blog - what is my fascination with haute couture and macrame?
Honestly, am I so traumatized by the stigma macrame has developed over the past 30 years as a cliche, old fashioned (and not in the good way) hippy hempy craft that I feel compelled to validate it as an art form that's come back into vogue? I dunno.
I just think it's cool that top fashion houses are on the same page as us mortal macramers.
Now back to the regular programming...maybe.

NPR - These Vintage Threads Are 30,000 Years Old

2009-09-11T10:31:00.000-04:00

I found an article this morning from NPR about a recent archeological find in the Eurasian country of Georgia about textiles that are 30,000 years old...flax fibers twisted into string and knotted or braided together something akin to macrame...
I'm still trying to track down some pictures of these ancient textiles. If anybody has better search engine mojo than I have and finds good pix, let me know!

Salvatore Ferragamo's Macrame Sweater

2009-09-05T11:52:00.001-04:00

Just a little macrame eye candy:
Salvatore Ferragamo's Spring 2009 fashion line featured a men's macrame sweater.
Yum.

Sami Jewelry

2009-08-30T11:05:00.001-04:00

In July, my Swedish friend Karin blogged about a Sami bracelet she had made from reindeer skin and wired pewter thread. Here it is. I was smitten by the old, old Nordic look of the piece. It reminded me that many of the old designs we consider Celtic are actually from Scandinavia.

Here is a tutorial on creating the macrame braid for a different Sami bracelet from the Sami Jewellery blog by Maria.
This is just one of the many beautiful pieces Maria has posted to her blog:

I am jazzed by this website! I'm gonna make some Sami jewelry of my own!

KnotGypsy - Cool Earrings, Free Lessons

2009-08-25T09:56:00.000-04:00

I realized it was about time to check in with one of my favorite fellow micro-macrame artists to see what's new. KnotGypsy has been a busy soul updating her designs and creating sparkly and splendid fan earrings.

Hie thee hither to her website and then to her Etsy store to have a looksie.

Also, also, also: she is offering a couple of great patterns for free:

Spirals Key Chain

Spirals Anklet or Bracelet

Urban Owls

2009-08-21T18:11:00.000-04:00

The owls are back! You can now purchase a macrame owl wall hanging from Urban Outfitters!
Seriously folks, just make your own...

Marion's Jewels in Fibers

2009-08-16T13:36:00.000-04:00

It wasn’t until the other day that I realized the name of my book “Micro-Macramé: 30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords” was probably derivative of the Jewels in Fiber website and blog created by Marion Hunziker-Larsen. Subconsciously I must have translated Jewels in Fiber into Crystals and Cords, and it’s no wonder I did so; if you have never perused her website, blog and store, you’ve missed out on a real treat. I have long been a fan of her exquisite artwork and love that she has put together a storefront on the internet specializing in all of those hard-to-find items for creating micro-macramé and kumihimo.

She has the most comprehensive selection of cording used for knotting on a miniature scale; no more hunting the web and having to order from a myriad of places. She features Nylon #18 C- Lon, D&E Nylon (Mastex), Conso and my favorite Tuff Cord, all in several choices of colors. Additionally, you can find 12 colors of rattail – also known as satin cord - for doing Chinese knotting or larger scale macramé jewelry and belts. She’s got findings for kumihimo, and hard to find tools like reamers, awls, macramé boards and Beadsmart’s Thread Burner as well as adhesives like G-S hypo cement. Take a look at the jewelry kits she offers, too. And for artists outside North America – Marion regularly ships overseas.
But Marion’s store is only one aspect of this very talented lady’s online contribution. Her website’s gallery displays delicate examples of her own jewels in fiber, from the intricacies of multi-colored Japanese kumihimo cording she has created to suspend pendants to neckpieces where stone cabochons sit framed by rows and rows of tiny macramé knots.

Marion also offers several of her pieces for sale, from rings to earrings to bracelets. A word of advice to jewelry lovers – snap up at least a couple of pieces of Marion’s artwork; they’re beautifully wrought collectors’ items.

Mary McFadden: Goddesses

2009-08-11T10:50:00.000-04:00

On the Threads Magazine web site there's an article by Susan Khalje about the Mary McFadden Exhibit in Washington D.C. at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

One of Mary's gowns with a macrame shawl.

If you are unfamiliar with Mary McFadden's work, may I just say...um...where have you been hiding for the past 40 years or so?
One of Mary's quotes: "My goal has been to give an art form to dressing by virtue of creating some of the most beautiful hand-painted fabrics and developing new areas in pleating and quilting that have not been done before on Seventh Avenue."

In additional to her use of pleats and quilted apparel, she also dabbled in macrame and adding knotted accoutrements to her elegant dresses.

A macramed bodice

This embroidery inspires me to create micro-macramed sections for an evening dress.

Mary Walker Phillips

2009-08-10T10:04:00.000-04:00

Mary Walker Phillips, the author of Step-by-Step Macrame was an amazing textile artist who is better-known for her knitting books. I came across my copy of her book this morning and was struck by how informative the introduction was on the history of macrame as well as the following quote in the first paragraph, attributed to an 1880's book Sylvia's Book of Macrame Lace:

Goethe, somewhere or other, in exalting music above every other art, does so on the ground that it produces its marvelous effects with so little display of means and tools; and if this test be applied to our present work, it will rank very high...not even a thimble and needle are wanted to produce the charming effects of our Macrame work.

Everyone today seems to think that micro-macrame is a brand new concept. Heavens, no. It was an old old lace form before the late Victorians got their hot little hands on it. Here is another quote from Sylvia's 1880 book that Ms. Phillips used in her introduction:

This kind of fancy-work is not exactly a novelty; except in the sense that when anything becomes so old as to be forgotten, its revival has all the effects of a first appearance.

Macrame Bracelet, Peruvian Style

2009-08-06T11:40:00.000-04:00

Here's a link to a tutorial from the Wonder How To site for creating a Peruvian macrame bracelet. What this guy covers is how to do diagonal double half hitch knots. At the end of this video this brave soul uses a cigarette lighter to singe the ends of the cords - me, I'd use either a Perfect End thread burner singeing tool available here

or a lit stick of incense (not a cone of incense) to finish off the edges of nylon cords. Don't try this with silk cords or cotton DMC floss because those cords won't melt like the nylon ones do.

A Treasury of Macrame Owls

2009-07-27T09:06:00.000-04:00

Every so often I go back to this site, A Treasury of Macrame Owls to have a good chuckle at Bill's vast collection. He features a veritable cornucopia of those winged darlings that flocked to our back porches, hallways and powder rooms in the 1970's and took roost to watch over us with their wonky googly eyes.
Which one is your favorite?

Over the weekend I taught a workshop on creating micro-macrame owl earrings. Here are some of my students' first endeavors:

Aspen Choker Tutorial

2009-07-22T12:35:00.001-04:00

The tutorial for the Aspen Choker featured on the cover of Micro-Macramé: 30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords is now available online. It features a supply list, step-by-step instructions and lots and lots of color photographs to help you learn how to create this sparkly, stained glass-like modular choker. Enjoy!

Joan Babcock has eProjects!!!

2009-07-19T23:45:00.000-04:00

Ohhh, take a look at Joan Babcock's new web site and her eProjects page! I am glad to see she is offering nylon cords as well as her wonderful kits and DVD.

Lorenzo Riva

2009-07-17T12:46:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note to show you just how very fashionable macramé truly is:
On the Fashion and Runway site, a collection by Lorenzo Riva features a lacy dress which they're calling macrame. - see for yourself.

The article reads "Macramé is the choice for the cocktail party where elegantly rounded shapes are emphasized"... Hmm. What do you think? Is it macramé or some other laceform?

On another note an update on my tutorial: I am busy at work peyote-stitching a cabochon for another Aspen choker. I should have it finished by the weekend.

Focus for this Week

2009-07-13T12:06:00.001-04:00

This week I am going to focus on shooting a video or two describing how to do a diagonal double half hitch knot for micro-macrame projects. I am also going to put together a free lesson on this project: The "Aspen Choker" lesson will be in pdf format and will have lots of color photos and step-by-step instructions. It will be downloadable from my web site, but I'll put a link to that page on this blog. While it is featured on the cover of the Micro-macramé book, it is a combination of techniques found within the book that perhaps aren't that easily intuited. In the end, I don't want anyone who buys my book to feel like they're missing any of the good stuff! So give me a couple of days and I'll get it posted.

Wire Macrame

2009-07-12T08:45:00.001-04:00

There's a talented artist named Melanie Miljan on Etsy who works with semi-precious stones and silver wire and to create wire macrame jewelry. Check out her iolite and sterling silver bracelet - nice design, yes?

The Work of Jeanne Wertman

2009-07-11T20:16:00.000-04:00

Jeanne Wertman lives in Ohio and is a multi-talented textile artist. Take a look at her beautiful designs on this web site. You can also see more of her work here.

Macrame Towels in Brazil

2009-07-04T11:57:00.001-04:00

On Teresa's blog Cantinho da Teresa she shows terry cloth towels macramed to the hilt! Here are all of her magnificent macrame towel blog entries.

Macrame Headboards

2009-07-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

Those Fiber Form & Fantasy folks reign supreme! When I saw this Bali Hi headboard I sooo wanted it! It has even got that undulating leaf pattern arching around the center! And the matching swag lamp! Baby, for 1977, that's swinging!

And they truly outdid themselves in their sequel to Opus 1 with this ever so charming guest bedroomy Tailored to Taste headboard.

But the pièce de résistance is their Sundowner Headboard within the pages of the second booklet:

Oh la la la la. I think these headboards are perhaps the inspiration for the preponderance of Dreamcatchers in the 80's...

More of the Good Stuff

2009-06-30T10:13:00.001-04:00

The Vogue Guide to Macrame, published in 1972, was produced in the hippy hempy macrame heyday.

Its one outstanding feature is an up and coming star in the textile industry: Kaffe Fassett, better known for his knitting and quilt colorways.

Another resource, if you can find a reprint of it, is the Priscilla Macrame Book. The reprint I found from Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions was a copy from the 1923 revised edition. It purports to be a "Collection of Handsome Designs" and indeed, it truly is. Most of the pieces look Victorian with lots of frittering and tassels.
It's one of those book where the instructions ain't so hot and you'll have to figure out the knotting sequences from looking at the old-timey photos. I did find one pattern that was a calling card case in this book, it became the inspiration for my Reynard necklace.

Where to Find Macrame Books

2009-06-29T11:25:00.000-04:00

I don't know how other micro-macramers learned the craft, but I studied old macrame books and pamphlets; in fact, I scoured yard sales, second-hand bookstores and eBay for manuals, pamphlets, one-sheets, books, anything with macrame lessons with pictures. Here's what looks like a great source for more instructional books on macrame: KINGSKOUNTY.
I love that they have a section called "Best Sellers". Who knew?

This week let's focus on some favs from my massive collection of macrame instruction books. Mad About Macrame, No. 2, published in 1975, started the revolution, my friends.

Take a look at the cascading leaf pattern on this curtain/garden divider/alternate doorway to Narnia.
This was the pattern I had to reverse engineer for my leaf necklace. Completely smitten by the waviness of the design, I had an epiphany about stringing seed beads inside the leaf structures so that color would peep through each little opening, creating a minor stained glass effect.

And seriously, who can resist the delicacy of the macrame inset at the top of this window? Another excellent place to splash a little color ala seed beads.

I haven't gotten around to bringing this one to fruition, but if I ever do, it will be in micro-macrame.

Whoo Ya Gonna Call?

2009-06-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

Two sisters in Buenos Aires make macrame owls like there's no tomorrow!
There are so many things to love about their darling owlies: how they've shaped the eyes, the gradation of colors in some of the knottings, and the stout twigs the owls are "standing on" are just a few. So if you have a hankering to amass your very own parliament of owls, but don't have the wherewithal to create them yourself, you now know where to find them, don't you?

Ply Split Braiding

2009-06-24T10:54:00.000-04:00

Julie Hedges is a British artist who works in ply-split braiding, which is sort of like micro-macrame, but not quite. Take a look at her incredible work.

Who Can Resist a Giveaway?

2009-06-24T09:28:00.000-04:00

The thoroughly crafts-knowledgeable and mind-blowingly cool blog site Craftypod is conducting a giveaway of my book Micro-Macrame: 30 Beaded Designs for Jewelry Using Crystals and Cords. Hie thee hither and leave an entry as to why you should be the lucky recipient! The contest ends tomorrow.

How to Tie a Macrame Square Knot Button

2009-06-23T11:19:00.000-04:00

From the blog of This Year's Dozen: another nice basic tutorial on making a square knot button. I tend not to make macrame buttons in my work, only because I have such a magpie mentality that I go for the glitzy-glam sparkly button closure every time. I swear the sparklies hypnotize me in some psychotronic way...sigh...Still this is a useful technique, even in teeny tiny Micro-Macrame, for adding dimensional texture to a piece.

Imagine a Byzantine Midsummer's Dress

2009-06-21T09:31:00.000-04:00

Macrame comes in and out of fashion these days; it's usually used in clothing as a visual comment on funkiness - a throwback to the kitschy fun of the flower child era.
This cute tie dye dress is from Swank Boutique in Columbia, MO.

But take it a step towards the divine: imagine creating a sumptuous Byzantine collar for a flowing Fortuny-pleated silk gown by knotting the yoke and upper back with strands of Gudebrod silk cording (size FF or FFF) smattered with a cascade of sparkly Swarovskis...

How to Make Hemp Jewelry Tutorial

2009-06-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

I am not an aficionado of using hemp twine for jewelry because it's too coarse-looking and feel too rough on my skin, but I recently found a simple macramé tutorial which uses hemp to create flat knots and half knots. So instead of using hemp and clunky beads, I would substitute Gudebrod silk cording (size FF or FFF) and sparkly 6mm or 8mm crystal beads for the simple techniques shown in this lovely tutorial.
To learn micro-macramé, I scrounged second-hand shops for old macramé pamphlets and found reprints of Victorian macramé books and magazine articles on eBay. One time I found a 70's pamphlet with a back cover photo of a gorgeous (to me, at least) curtain panel featuring knotted leaves cascading down in rows. When I got the pamphlet home I couldn't find that particular project in its pages, so I had to reverse engineer the design; here's what I came up with.

A Sleight of Hand With a Bit of String

2009-06-16T10:43:00.000-04:00

Check out this June 10, 2009 New York Times article on macramé!

Love this quote from Alexa Adams:

"Moving it away from what people expect, and making it look more futuristic. Most people don’t even realize it’s macramé."

Macraméd Hand Towel

2009-05-30T22:17:00.001-04:00

I found a terrycloth hand towel with a macramé edging at a second-hand store the other day. This is the original purpose for macramé - to edge linens, but I'd never seen a modern terrycloth one. Perhaps they were all the rage in the 70's and I missed the trend. Oh, I must be so provincial...

Cavandoli Knotting

2009-05-23T13:00:00.000-04:00

Well, it's about time I learned to do more advanced Cavandoli Knotting (she says, hanging her head in abject shame) so I bought Joan Babcock's DVD. I'll report back on my findings there.

In the meantime, check out this darling little owlie on Craftzine.com's blog.

Threads Back Cover: Macrame Dress

2009-05-21T20:23:00.000-04:00

Threads magazine, IMO the absolute best magazine devoted to sewing, is the only publication I have subscribed to for over 20 years. If anything is responsible for teaching me to sew better and actually pay attention to what I am creating in cloth, it is Threads.

On the back cover of the July 2009 edition there are photos of a macrame dress.

Possibly it was a 1930's wedding gift from South America. A knotted dress. What an undertaking!

Detachable Micro-Macrame for a Blouse

2009-05-20T21:10:00.000-04:00

My brilliant and most artistic friend Karin has come up with a delicious idea: create a detachable micro-macrame frontispiece for a handsewn blouse. Here is an in-progress shot of a modified kitschy baroque bracelet being used to frame a neckline:

Macrame: Ancient Art Made New

2009-05-19T19:42:00.000-04:00

Check out this new article by Karen Schmidt over on Handmade News

What is this all about?

2008-12-28T13:31:00.000-05:00

Micro-macramé is simply macramé done on a very small scale. You might say that it looks a bit like lace; in fact in Victorian times it was sometimes called just that: macramé lace. So, why the fascination with macramé? I haven't the foggiest. That's not exactly true. Many years ago I spied a sparkly, bobbly-beaded, knotted bracelet in one of those high-end trendy New Age shops. The price tag on the bracelet was a mere $125.00. Whoa! A bit spendy for me. I kept going back to steal glimpses of that exquisite piece and figure out what technique it representesd. After all, I'm pretty darn crafty. I could figure it out, right?

A few months later while cruising around the Internet I found a web site that offered online lessons in micro-macramé...micro-macramé, so that's what that bracelet was. Plunking down a credit card number I was able to download a couple of lessons and begin my twisted, knotty journey.