Tassels

I used machine made cords and wove them together before laying a wine cork in middle and wrapping other cords around to form head.

This was similar though I wound around some card then hand tied across the middle before threading through a dyed silk cap. This was made by winding rayon embroidery thread across a frame and zigzagging the middle .It was then folded to create a loop and three tassels threaded together .

I used a variety of materials from ripstop nylon,torn strips of hand-dyed fabrics,machine made cords and rayon embroidery threads.

Having decided that I have not been engaged with this unit I spent this morning doing tassels.The cat came too and loved the idea as there were lots of ends to chase and pounce on ,as well as trying to share my seat at the table!

Wrapped ,plaited and twisted.

Final photo is of the wrapped cords

This third photo is a closeup of plaited cords.

First photo is all of the cords I made this afternoon.Next is a close up of the knotted ones.

I don't feel that I'm fully engaged with this module,I've done nothing in my sketch book and making cords seems to be time consuming but not much to show for the frustration of trying to twist and wrap while keeping tension.Could really do with more than one pair of hands!The Pussycat is no help at all preferring to try and play with the ends.Anyway the photos are my afternoons work,I suppose I should spend the evening writing up how I've done the cords in my sketchbook.

Knots and twists.

This next photo shows my attempts at Turk's Head using stuffed viscose ribbon and Silk Sari yarn in various twists.The other knot is a Good Luck or Shamrock lanyard.I bought a book on knots years ago intending to get to know some but never did until now.There are a few more that might be useful but lots do not sit flat as they are designed to be wrapped around masts etc.
If I can get my head around the diagrams I'll try a few more.
Progress seems slow as I have been busy with other things.Tomorrow I plan to do my Christmas puddings,I'm a week later than usual.Need to get myself in gear and start motoring!



These are my first attempts at twisted cords.I have used my own dyed threads as well as some cord I knitted on the knitting machine.I mixed some frivolous beaded and sequinned ribbon and some thick shiny braided cord picked up in Scrapstore.

Hand stitched samples.

This one simply has running stitch in variegated cotton perle to emphasise the printed shapes.

This one has had silk sari yarn couched with fine cotton to mimic the spirals of the print,and some embroidery cotton has been used to oversew some of the printed spirals.

I decided to seed stitch this one to accentuate the monoprinted swirls .As I was stitching I thought some trapunto would be good to further enhance and pad out the shapes.

This one was posted yesterday but I have since added hand stitching,think I prefer it as it was

Did some hand stitching last evening in front of TV and some more this morning in between taking up our hall carpet and painting skirtings in readiness for our new carpet on Monday.

More samples.

Cords done on wool,tubular knitted plastic,organza,cotton thread,paper straw,twisted cotton fabric,fine silk fabric,wool tops.

I intend to work into this with hand stitching it is dress net which has been free machined and photographed against a blue cotton.

Some cable stitching from the back then free machining in straight and zigzag.

This was a stuffed cotton ribbon couched with zigzag then further free machining added.I like this one a lot.

I have spent the afternoon in my workroom adding to machined samples and playing with machined cords.I intend to work on some hand embroidered samples and have plans to work some hand stitching into some of the machined ones.

Lots and lots of playing.

This is hand sewm with running stitch in green then stuffed viscose ribbon is couched

. Thicker thread was couched with zig zag from front thicker thread in bobbin ,then free machined in straight and zig zag machine threads ,two variegated colours in needle together.

Just free machined in swirls and spirals with variegated thread.

Dress net printed with string block then laid over plain dyed cotton and free machined with rayon thread.

Next two same as before

This is monoprinted fabric with free machining in rayon from front then with thicker cotton in bobbin ,from back.

I know this has little to do with what I am supposed to be doing now but I siezed the moment after Sian's suggestion because I would probably forget later in the module.

Have finally got around to doing something about corrugated shapes as you will see ,and have included some not very clear photos of my little play with templates.

A la Janet E.

And these are the same shape strung.
You may wonder why?Sian gave some feedback and mentioned the shape and what we did at Summer School so I sat and played last evening.I have also played with 2-dimensional pattern from some abstracted shapes from drawings. This set me thinking about ideas for printed fabrics and possibilities for the final outcome,though I know it is too early to be going there yet.
I should be getting to grips with the corrugated card but this is far more interesting and it is 3-D.

These are some of the shapes cut out and skewered and spiralled.

This the sheet after cutting out several templates .It has a lovely rhythm and would make a great stencil to print on to fabric.

This is a shape from one of my drawings of drill bits cut out to use as a template.