Tuesday 17 March 2015

CHAPTER 5 and 6 - CORD MAKING and TASSELS


Cord Making
I have been dipping into Chapters 5 and 6 and have made a variety of cords, braids and tassels, I did not make them in any particular order so some the images are of random groups of cords and tassels.
5a - Twisted cords made from a fancy yarn, torn strips of dyed scrim and knitting yarns


5b - machine stitched cords made from ripped fabric strips that were left over from my dyed fabrics


5c- a selection of twisted, plaited, knotted and machine stitched cords with a tassel


5d- another selection of cords, braids and tassels



5e- four crochet cords, from the left - a space dyed fringed yarn, then three yarns that I threaded with either sequins, purple beads or small lilac beads before crocheting the cord  


5f- two plaited cords




5f - knotted and plaited cords



5g- 'french knitting' cords made on a wooden reel with pins


5h- a Japanese kumihimo disk and a braid made with this disk


5h- more  Japanese braids made on my Kumihimo braiding disc














5i-  rayon tube yarns that I random dyed and 'stuffed' with knitting wool





Chapter 6 - Tassels

6a  - traditional tassels made from knitting yarns. 




6b - a crochet cotton tassel with beads added to the skirt and neck


6c - a cotton yarn tassel, the head and neck are embellished with mica sequins and beads


6d - a selection of my tassels




6e - a knotted tassel


6f - an 'experimental' tassel made on an old belt buckle


6g - a kumihimo braid with a tassel



6h - a tassel made with scraps of yarn and a ring with a charm
















6i -  a sisal string tassel




Making the samples for these two chapters has taken me in an unexpected direction. I often look on 'Pinterest' for inspiration and I saw some unusual but simple woven wall hangings. This inspired me to use my cords, braids and tassels to make my own woven hangings. (Please see images below). My woven samples have a beautiful textural feel and now I have ideas about weaving some backgrounds for my own work/embroidery. 

6f - a mat woven from dyed 'j-cloths' that were cut into strips/braids. This was made on a square cardboard loom. (some up cycling ??)


 6g - a round cardboard loom used to make woven spirals. I used strips of fabric, lace and dyed 'j-cloths' .
















6h - another weaving this time using my machine made cords and braids. The weaving is secured on a cotton dishcloth.





6i - I purchased an inexpensive peg loom and made more woven hangings from my cords and braids



6j and 6k - two woven hangings with drift wood bars





6k



I enjoyed making these hangings and I have several lovely textural samples instead of a box/bag of cords braids and tassels!!  I think that I may have digressed from the core skills taught in these Chapters but whenever I have explored a new technique my next thoughts are always, 'how can I use this?'.   This section has given me a host of new ideas and skills to use in my future work.