So very teeny tiny macrame purse in the making. Actually it’s just a draft to calculate how large to make the velvet lining.
Macrame ideas and inspiration
I’ve been lovely busy lately, but I carved out some quiet time on Friday to try a couple of macrame techniques that are new for me: 3 microdots of Cavandoli above the beaded loop, and the leaf shapes. Just goofing around and making design changes as I go. There has even been some unknotting. Thank goodness the cord has been more or less forgiving.
At the start of this piece I wanted to convey a sense of denseness. My intention is to follow this with a lighter lacier section. I’m intrigued with the idea of a one contrasting texture growing out from another.
I have an ever so slight addiction to Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine. I just can’t help falling in love with the romantic look of new jewelry made from old jewelry castoffs. Inspired by the Winter 2011 edition, I gathered together some odd bits I’ve collected over the years. I really liked what I have to start with but I wanted to add a certain color and flavor.
So I headed over to a great antique store in my neighborhood called Village Antiques. Even though I usually walk right past the rhinestone counter, they really do offer great gobs of sparkly jewelry delight. I seemed to head straight away to these ever so cool blue aurora borealis crystal clip-on earrings, made by Weiss (right lower).
Other bits and pieces in my tray include vintage Avon, 1 Banana Bob earring that is sadly missing its mate, hollow lampwork beads made by Sylvus Tarn, vintage glass beads, a old strand of faceted garnets, and a few antique keys I’ve been saving for a very long time. So far so good. I like to think I’m formulating something here.
I’m trying two altogether new things at once. I already mention one of them in my last post, the Cloth to Cloth quilt weaving class from Jude Hill. So far I’ve created two small fragments and I’m definitely pleased with the results.
The second, is a section of macrame worked on a little strip of linen woven in cross colors. This has really not turned out as spectacular as I had hoped. I pulled the warp threads out, and it turns out the weft threads are quite fragile for knotting. In any case, I’m hoping these two new things will get along with each other. Perhaps they will morph into one something, then again maybe not.
When I started these micro-macrame pieces I was aiming to create a soft organic shape, though I wasn’t really sure how I was going to go about executing it. After the first one I was so excited that my shape was so close to my idea that I started another one before finishing the first as a necklace. So here we are. Two in progress pieces that have yet to find their mates in pearls and pebbles, and one lady who is less in fear of approaching a new idea. When these are completed, I’ll be anxious to sketch and start anew.
This is a macrame necklace I’ve been working on lately. Honestly my drawing started out very normal looking. A simple outline with place settings for my dangling pearls and pebbles. But there is a 4 year old in the house today and things went pink and purple and goofy stickery from there.
Like my last piece the macrame pattern is random with somewhat undulating curves and I’m liking it very much. I’ll be adding 1 or 2 more cord colors and hopefully some pebbles in darker green shades. I say hopefully because even with a brand new drill bit I’m having a really hard time drilling holes in these little green guys. Wondering what the corundum is this stuff! As for the gorgeous transparent gemstones I bought at a recent GL&W show, I’m ever so anxious to somehow incorporate these into this piece.
Here’s a peek at what I’m working on at the moment. Trying to step out of my usual symmetrical self, I’m knotting somewhat freeform double half-hitch rows. Sort of reminiscing on the little waves I saw lapping along Lake Huron on our recent trip. All the pretty little pebbles were collected in Ontario. The shell bits are from Michigan beaches. I have a vision of where this necklace is headed, but I’m not sure which pebbles are making the trip with me.
The ground was hard for sleeping but the weather was perfect. We tired easily but we ate well. I walked many a beach and collected about a pound of pretty pebbles along the coast of Lake Huron. All very relaxing and inspiring and now I’m beginning to get ideas on some new work. Lovely too that I just received the sandy beach colored cord I ordered a few days ago. We’ll see what transpires…
I know this looks like an odd little assortment of macrame samples. The thing is I need to start somewhere when a new idea pops into my head. So I start small, cut 1 to 2 yards of cord and work a few inches. This might seem like a lot of time to spend on nothing I can actually use, but in the long run I get a better idea of which colors work, how much cord I need and (most useful) how to work out the kinks of a new technique. I even keep the shortie duds so I know what not to repeat. It’s possible that I have more shorties than I have completed projects! I keep telling myself that one of these days I’m going to pin all these little guys up on a pretty fabric board… ah well maybe someday.
