smitten by a knot

hello again

April 1, 2013 in designer | 2 comments

This is the work of the very talented Denisse Marianela Vera. Gorgeous and drapey sublimation printed fabrics paired up with ancient macramé at Unidentified Lines for Spring/Summer 2013.

One more thing (she said sheepishly)… about 6 months ago I started creating a new page and really it should not have taken this long but TADA!, finally a new menu item above “Knot Basics” is ready for prime time. I really needed to get that part done first so I could finish a particular tutorial I promised a couple of readers about a hundred years ago. Without it I’m afraid the tutorial would be dramatically long. Keep a look out as this tab will be a continuous work-in-progress while I add new (or update previous) pages. I really hope you find them helpful!

etsy’s christijay

October 26, 2012 in etsy, tote purse bag | No comments

If you’re like me you get way too many advertising emails in your inbox every day. But if you want a quick alternative fashion fix, I would recommend signing up for etsy’s fashion newsletter. Yesterday’s “Pioneer Woman” featured the above handmade leather macrame purses by christijay in Echo Park, California. I’ll bet they’re buttery soft and I wish, oh I just wish I could touch each one of them.

cass and andy

September 27, 2012 in collar, vintage | No comments

I couldn’t help reminiscing about Andy Williams death today. He was one of my mother’s favorite singers while I was growing up, along with Johnny Mathis, Perry Como and a few others crooners. My mother worked full time in a book bindery. On the weekends she loved to play all her favorite LP’s on a portable suitcase record player while attending to the house, the kids and my dad.

Reading through one of his tribute articles I happened upon a YouTube video of Andy, Cass Elliot, Elton John (in his early 20′s), and Ray Charles. Don’t you dig Cass Elliot’s elaborate macrame collar that sways so gracefully as she walks!

jungjung

August 23, 2012 in designer, knitting, lace | No comments

For the love of chocolate pinwheels, it’s been so long since I posted here that I just about forgot my password this morning. Excuses, excuses… my day job has been in high gear for months and I recently lost my pc to an untimely capacitor cancer. Well, wonderfully it looks like my work life is slowing down and I can devote some time to work on something new.

Trolling for inspiration, I happened upon these impossibly beautiful knitted lace pieces that I just had to share. Simple but stirring is jungjung.jp. Enjoy.

and so it goes

May 27, 2012 in completed work, wedding | No comments

Time, that aged nurse,
Rocked me to patience.

- John Keats

Since about December, I’ve been totally engrossed in the task of creating fabric flowers for Ashley’s wedding bouquet. I only wish I had been able to devote more time to posting each flower along the way. In any case, it’s been lovely delicate work and I have enjoyed every minute. And now it’s done. I finally delivered her bouquet and Eric’s boutonniere yesterday afternoon, in the pouring rain. Would you believe today is the wedding? Yes I agree I may have cut this one a little close. Well here we are, yesterday’s rain is a distant memory. Today the sky is blue and the sunshine is dazzling. I wish Ashley and Eric many love-filled years ahead.

As for me. I’m feeling pleased and at peace with the finished pieces, and oh so eager to return to my regularly scheduled programming.

slant-o-matic

March 9, 2012 in recycle-reuse-reduce, scavenging | No comments

Oh my! I scored big time on this little beauty. My latest scavenging acquisition is a 1951 Singer 403 Slant-O-Matic. Would you believe only 25 bucks from the Period Costume department sale at Greenfield Village? I did have to spend a tiny bit more in parts, but now she’s purring like a kitten. I’d love to keep her but she’s a gift for my mother. Mom may have a few memory issues but she still loves to sew and this machine will be sweet and simple for her.

I also have to give a shout out to The Sewing Machine Man in Wyandotte who helped me put the new parts in. The very best garage shop I’ve ever seen!

sage green flowers

March 1, 2012 in completed work, wedding | No comments

I will be the gladdest thing under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.

- Edna St. Vincent Millay

These sage green fabric flowers for Ashley’s bouquet started out as something like this tutorial from the Weddingbee. I digressed by adding a few sparkly sheer ribbon petals. OK moving along, 5 flowers done, 30 or so more to go!

jimmy choo

February 24, 2012 in designer, shoes | No comments

Oh so beautiful macrame shoes. Incredibly high heels. Finally, a model who demonstrates exactly how to maneuver a stairway in these gorgeous stilettos. Scootching down delicately, yep that’s how I would do it.

Images from elle magazine

ashley’s flowers

January 26, 2012 in completed work, wedding | No comments

Upon the mound where my pearl fell,
Tall, shadowing herbs grew bright and sheen,
Gilliflower, ginger and gromwell,
With peonies powdered all between.

- translated by Sophie Jewett

The last couple days I’ve been immersed in stitching up ribbon flowers for my friend Ashley’s wedding bouquet. Enamored by Mrs. Locket’s fabric-floral bouquet, Ashley requested something with a vintage vibe. I’ve been collecting just the right colors, and now I’m whipping them up. Well whipping isn’t exactly the right word, it’s more like sculpting. This is something I’ve never tried before but I’m already foreseeing how easy it is to go bonkers with all the possibilities.

I fell in love with this soft sheer ribbon in gorgeous shades of purple and green. Not at all difficult to do, thanks to a very easy to follow Ribbon Flower Pin Tutorial I found at Make It Do. So far my strategy is to make a flower, then make it again a little bit better.

looking closely

January 6, 2012 in designer, furnishings | 4 comments

At first glance this was a shot of a simple but modern room highlighting the Serge Mouille lamps. But if you look really really closely, there in the far right corner, yes there it is, a vintage macrame hanging shelf unit come back to life!

There’s something lovely and comforting in this contrast of vintage and new furnishings that have been combined to create something so cool. I even love the fringe balls dangling from the bedspread. Mostly I appreciate that someone found something old, something made by hand, and found it still of value today.

Images from oliveryaphe.com

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