necklace

Handmade macrame necklace

a real beachcomber

November 18, 2011 in designer, necklace, pebbles | No comments

Kay Sekimachi necklaces

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to devote any time to this blog. My part time job has been more full time of late, but I’m hoping it’s only temporary and things will go back to normal soon. I hope!

Anyhoo, here is something lovely I first spotted at one of my very favorite sites my love for you. It is the work of Kay Sekimachi. A consummate beachcomber along Hawaii’s Kohala Coast, over the decades she has amassed quite the collection of shells, coral, fossils and other bits of fauna. Combining her weaving skills with her penchant for collecting eventually led to this new body of work. I love the natural essence of each piece. Nothing commercial, just nature and talent. Oh and if ever I think of myself as an avid pebble collector, turns out I’m just an amateur.

There’s much more at American Craft Magazine.

personal collection

May 12, 2011 in designer, necklace | No comments

Isha Elafi Necklace

I’ve been much too absent of late. I’ll spare you the lame excuses but one of them involved an accidental electrical incident that put my pc in a tizzy. Anyway, I hope to make it up with this really special piece from Isha Elafi. Harkening back to a Tuscon gem show I attended some years ago, I happened upon a booth that blew my macrame mind to pieces. One of two necklaces I bought that day, this one is my favorite. I love the combination of peridot green and purple and turquoise. It seems the colors of an early Spring garden.

april 1st scavanging

April 1, 2011 in dollhouse+miniature, Irish waxed linen, necklace, scavenging | No comments

Antique Miniature Rocking Chair

I must confess I’m in the middle of a sewing binge right now. I’m currently consuming twice the recommended amount of fabric and defiantly defensive about changing my behavior or my perceived need to increase my wardrobe.

Until I get back to knotting here’s a peek at what my scavenging netted me from Town & Country Antiques in Livonia: another piece of furniture for the dollhouse I don’t own yet – a wee bit crooked yellow rocking chair, a rather elaborate pair of safety scissors, and a photo that reminds me of my sister and I (because we don’t look very much alike either). Draped on the chair is a macrame choker worked in Irish waxed linen that I once used as a class sample.

I hope you noticed the textured doily. My dear grandmother must have spent weeks crocheting all those yellow popcorns. The sturdiest of women, I will always be in awe of her innate talent.

trying something new

March 14, 2011 in idea board, necklace | 1 comment

Unakite Donut with Macrame Leaves

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.

little pod

February 25, 2011 in completed work, gemstone, necklace | No comments

Macrame with Pearl Nuggets

& it’s you & me in the summertime
we’ll be hand and hand down in the park
with a squeeze & a sigh & that twinkle in your eye
& all the sunshine banishes the dark
& it’s you I need in the summertime
as I turn my white skin red
two peas from the same pod yes we are
or have I read too much fiction?

- The Sundays

     

I’m oh so missing summer, and being able to listen to songs I long ago purchased but the digital rights have expired. Double Ugh! So this morning I repurchased The Sundays, Summertime with it’s reference to a pod which becomes…

…a vague segue to one of two podlike shapes I created last year. They have become my favorite micro-macrame pieces of late. Even in their unfinished state I have enjoyed staring at them. Over time I have introduced them to various elements, and now I’m finally happy with all my arrangements. I wish I could tell you what the iridescent stones are, but I plum forgot to ask when I bought them. Hanging and dangling are tiny pearl nuggets and Amazonite. The macrame was worked in Conso and C-Lon cord. The sterling silver chain and twist wire jump rings have long been in my stash.

vintage poppy jasper

January 8, 2011 in completed work, necklace, vintage | 2 comments

Macrame Necklace with Vintage Poppy Jasper Donut

All the things we hide in water
hoping we won’t see them go—
(forests growing under water
press against the ones we know)—

and they might have gone on growing
and they might now breathe above
everything I speak of sowing
(everything I try to love).

- Annie Finch

     

Is there a bit of mystery to what seems a floating donut? No, not really, there’s a hole drilled through the back side. I bought it about 20 years ago and wore it hanging from a simple macrame cord fashioned out of a medly of rayon embroidery thread, à la friendship bracelet style.

I love bringing vintage beads back to life with a brand new design. Or in this case a new take on the v-neck design I finished with a chain last week. This one has been completed for some time, so I thought I’d better hurry up and post before I gift it. The donut and little bead near the clasp are both Poppy Jasper, the zig-zag of cords are all Conso, the beads are size 11 seed beads and 4mm fire polish in garnet, and the gold filled chain was made from my own cut links.

eleanor amoroso

December 27, 2010 in designer, necklace | 3 comments

Eleanor Amoroso Macrame Necklaces

I’m loving these super rad macrame necklaces by Eleanor Amoroso at NOT JUST A LABEL. I don’t know why, but I’m strangely intrigued by the color gradations that for all the world lend these pieces the quality of human hair.

DESCRIPTION: Intricately knotted macrame cording necklace, on hand-wrapped cord, with metal clasps. On the left, brown, with subtle black tint. On the right mid-length fringing hangs down and fades black-brown-white. 100% handmade.

DESIGNER SAYS: Inspired by ancient Macrame techniques and my graduate collection. Knots form delicately into a V shape with criss-cross detail in the middle and mid-length fringing hanging down. The dip-dye effect on the fringing makes these pieces truely unique. Looks beautiful worn over a plain white tee.

Images from notjustalabel.com

fickleness I guess

December 23, 2010 in completed work, necklace | No comments

Micro-Macrame with Small Blue Donut

And if I loved you Wednesday,
    Well, what is that to you?
I do not love you Thursday–
    So much is true.

And why you come complaining
    Is more than I can see.
I loved you Wednesday,–yes–but what
    Is that to me?

- Edna St. Vincent Millay

           

Out of nowhere I decided to finish this micro-macrame necklace I started a little too long ago. At the time I was in love with the idea of shaping a necklace to fit a v-neckline. So very symmetrically worked in Conso cord with a simple pale blue donut. It’s somewhat adjustable now that I have added a section of gold-filled chain at each end. Sweet and simple and finished. Finally.

in progress pieces

November 21, 2010 in idea board, necklace | No comments

2 Macrame Pieces in Progress

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.

a little goofy

November 11, 2010 in gemstone, idea board, necklace, pebbles | No comments

A goofy macrame start to bracelet

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.

« Older entries