It has been a long time since I've had a sale, so for the next few days, all micro macrame tutorials in my shop are 30% off! Yep - every one of them. Learn how to make a braided macrame bracelet like this:
Or a beaded macrame bracelet like these"
Or a macrame owl pendant or earrings! They're all on sale at 30% off through January 1, 2017. (No code needed.) You'll find them all right here in my Etsy shop. Have fun!
Ever had one of those days when you feel like you're just wondering aimlessly? When you just can't seem to make yourself focus? I've been having one of those days after another after another - since I got back from vacation, in fact! I'm lost in thought, dreaming of ancient civilizations (okay, and a margarita or two).
The macrame pieces I've made lately seem to reflect that same meandering mindset. There are no set patterns, no straight lines, no specific anything. Just knots that drift here and there like lines in the sand.
I should point out, however, that this style isn't as effortless as it looks. In fact, careless abandon is pretty difficult for me. And just to make it a bit more of a challenge, I was trying to make a free form piece for a customer who wanted it to have a straight (or fairly straight) upper edge. Turns out, I can't be methodically random. Go figure. I did, however, end up with a couple of cool necklaces.
The customer who started this whole thing bought one of them, but the other one (the one in the photo above) is available here in my Etsy shop if you're interested. And if you're looking for me, I'll be over here staring into space, daydreaming of sun and sand.
In case you haven't heard, I'm hosting the world's first KnotAlong starting this Friday, August 21, 2015. I'm going to be demonstrating how to make several macrame knots that I use in my jewelry pieces, including Larks Head, Double Half Hitch and Square Knots. In the process of learning those knots, I'm going to teach you how to make this micro macrame pendant:
Sounds like fun, right?! And the best part? It's free! That's right - I'm not charging a thing for the class. Okay, there might be a cost if you need to buy some of the materials involved, but there aren't too many. If you haven't gathered them up yet, you can find the list here, along with a little video showing all of them and some sources. You might have most of the thing you need laying around if you dabble in DIY. Or maybe you can borrow them from Great Aunt Martha if she belongs to the sewing club down at the Senior Center (what? could happen!).
I'll be putting the video up on Friday morning. It's finished and ready to go and I'm telling you, it's really detailed! I will show you every single step from cutting the cord to adding a dab of glue at the very end. I demonstrate every knot - more than once! You'll be able to pause it and go back if you need to see something again. You'll even be able to refer back to it later if you get stuck on your next project.
I've created a Facebook event page where we can interact, too. You can post photos if you really muck something up and need help. Or you can ask questions if you're too embarrassed to post a picture. Either way, I'll be there to help out.
Note: I'm really excited about this project and I want to get the word out to as many people as possible. This post is running at Love My Art Jewelry as well, so if you follow both blogs, I apologize for the duplication.
Do you ever see a beautiful piece of handmade jewelry and get
depressed? Not because there's anything depressing about the piece, but
because you think you'll never be "good" enough to make something that
lovely? Well, stop that! This is a no-whining zone and self pity is counterproductive.
Don't get me wrong, I've been there. It's an easy trap to fall into,
but basically you have two choices: you can either admire the piece for
its artistry and purchase it from the person who has probably spent
countless hours creating it (and possibly several years learning before
that) or you can take a stab at it yourself.
I'm curious and I'm from a background where I want to try doing
everything. I wallpapered most every room in my house back in the 80s,
learned how to give home permanents, make candles and can tomatoes just
"because". As you can probably guess, not all were wise decisions.
(She's still mad at me about that one, by the way.) Luckily, I'm now at
an age where I know my limitations and instead of taking that as a
personal failing, I'm getting better at appreciating the talent of
others. Even if I could make a polymer clay lotus pendant like the one from Staci Louise that I used in this necklace, I would probably never get the feeling she has in her piece. And that's okay - it means Staci is doing something right!
If you decide you do want to try
something for yourself, find a good tutorial or class and then go into
it with the right mindset. Learn for the joy of learning and you will
leave with a greater appreciation of the artist's process, even if you
never use the technique again. And if you do discover something new
that you love, that's even better!
So, for those of you who've made it this far in the post (and hopefully the others are over shopping in my Etsy store),
I'm going to give you a micro macrame primer. I'm going to cover the
tools and materials you will need to get started with micro macrame,
then I'm going to give you a couple weeks to round up your "stuff".
While you're doing that, I'll be busy writing up/recording a special
beginner project for us: the world's very first KnotAlong! I'm going
to meet you back here in two weeks (on August 21st) for your first
"class".
Are you ready, kids? I can't hear you! :)
If you want to play along with my KnotAlong (and why wouldn't you?), you have two weeks to gather up these things. I've added some suggestions for sources* to get you started.
Pinning surface: You can use cork or anything that will hold a
pin. If you want to purchase a foam board, here are some sources: Amazon, Art Beads, Etsy, Walmart, Fusion Beads
Fray Check: Fire Mountain, Amazon, Walmart, my local Walmart carries this in the sewing aisle as do most fabric stores.
Tex 400 nylon bead cord (I recommend C-lon or Superlon brand): Bello Modo, South Pass Beads (they have Hypo Cement, too), Shipwreck Beads, Jewels in Fiber.
You will only need about 6 yards for our project, so you will have lots
left on your spool for your next project. Don't get hung up on the
cord, either. If you have some 1mm hemp on hand, it will work. I don't
recommend Rattail or other "slippery" cord.
Pins - straight sewing pins and/or T-pins: can be found in fabric stores, the sewing aisle at Walmart, Michaels, Hobby Lobby
