I liked this cute little book necklace at once and bookmarked immediately the tutorial on how to make it .
I haven’t made it yet (I fear that it could be to fiddly for me ;-)), but one day I’ll try it.
Month: April 2008
Freeform Peyote
As I said before I really love freeform work.
Another wonderful freeform technique is Freeform Peyote.
To give you an idea of the variety of pieces of art, see those results of the Google image search ‘Freeform Peyote’.
Stunning, aren’t they?
First I had the problem that I really didn’t know where to begin.
Up until the day I found a tutorial on how to make a freeform peyote bracelet.
After I’ve seen how easy it is, I worked several pieces with this technique. The photo shows close-up of three of them.
If you like to see more of them, take a look at the judaica, many mezuzot are made in freeform peyote technique.
Links:
Tutorial on how to make a freeform peyote bracelet
Results of the Google image search ‘Freeform Peyote’
Peyote stitch:
About.com: Beadwork: A website with lots of tutorials about beadwork
Basic Beading Stitch Tutorials
Perlenhobby.de: A website with lots of (german) tutorials about beadwork: click on
‘Anleitungen’ in the sidebar left and there select one of the Peyote tutorials
Wikipedia: Mezuza (english) – Mesusa (deutsch)
Clothesline Crochet
I mentioned the clothesline crochet before when I described the Simple Cro-Tat.
But because I find clothesline crochet a handy technique when I want to work something stiff (for a little bowl e.g.) I wanted to present the tutorial on how to make clothesline crochet in the round with its own entry (tutorial see links below).
Priscilla Hewitt has also other clothesline crochet tutorials and tipps about what yarns and what clothesline to use (see links below).
On the photo you see my attempt on crocheting such a little bowl.
I used quite a thick string and crocheted with crochet cotton, which is rather thin.
Because I’m always working very loosely, I could never have created a bowl with this yarn.
The clothesline crochet technique made it possible.
Links:
Tutorial on how to make clothesline crochet in the round
Other clothesline crochet tutorials and tipps
Addendum of February 2009: The links above don’t work anymore, you can find the instructions for the clothesline crochet now as PDF (about 540 KB) at Priscilla’s Crochet – Free Pattern Index, check there for ‘Clothesline Crochet’.
Here at unikatissima:
Simple Cro-Tat
Faux Papyrus
As I saw the title ‘Papyrus’ in connection with ‘crafting’ (English for ‘bricolage’) I was instantly interested.
And the technique is easy and convincing.
The tutorial is in French, but there are very good illustrating photos.
And this is, what you have to do:
Materials:
- gauze or cheesecloth
- wallpaper paste
- some coffee for colouring
- a soft brush
- a sheet of plastic foil
- some water
Prepare the wallpaper paste with some cold coffee, not to liquid and not to solid.
Put the gauze on the sheet of plastic foil and coat them with the paste.
Let dry on a flat surface.
Check the photos in the tutorial to better understand what to do.
I used my piece of Faux Papyus on a card with a leaf and some other background papers.
Cardboard Weaving Frame
Once I wanted to create a picture frame with a woven border. I simply made a cardboard loom with an opening where I wanted to put the picture.
It worked out well, but I didn’t really like it when finished ;-)
I wanted to share anyway.
The sketch shows how to wrap the yarn.
If you want to see it better, enlarge the picture by clicking on it.
If you want to know how to weave on a cardboard loom, see the Links below.
Links:
Tutorial on how to weave with a cardboard loom
Tutorial on how to weave with a cardboard loom
Fractal Art
Once I saw some fractals in internet and – as always;-)) – I wanted to create something like this too.
Some researching resulted in finding the Fractal Explorer, a freeware fractal generator.
I created many fractals and everyone was absolutely beautiful.
As I saw them on my screen I was delighted. I then let them be printed as photos in 20 x 30 cm (about 51 x 76 inches) and was thrilled. And in the end, when they were glued to 40 x 60 cm watercolor paper (about 102 x 152 inches) I stood in awe.
Really! :-))
If you like to see my fractals take a look at art (Simply click on the thumbnails to get a (German) description. If you want to enlarge them further, click then on the image.)
Links:
Wikipedia: English entry for ‘fractal’
Fractal Explorer: a freeware fractal generator
Paper Crazy Quilt
I love Crazy Quilts, because it is a kind of Freeform work, but I don’t like sewing. So I began to make my quilts on and with paper.
On the photo you see a card I made with this technique.
I didn’t only embroider the seams but I also used some fancy stitches like French Knots e.g. (the red dots on the photo) onto the surfaces.
To make your own Paper Crazy Quilt, find matching papers and cut them into pieces. On the photo I used rectangles, but the typical Crazy Quilt distribution is also beautiful (here you can find some lovely blocks here you can find some lovely blocks).
Glue the collage on thin paper and then begin embroidering (carefully!) as if it was a real Crazy Quilt (here is an online class for Crazy Quilts).
To finish you glue or embroider your Paper Crazy Quilt on cardboard.
Links:
Crazy Quilt blocks
Tutorial moved to: Crazy Quilt blocks
English Embroidery Stitch Diagrams
Deutsche Stickstichbeschreibungen
French knots (Knötchenstiche) (English)
French knots (Knötchenstiche) (German)
Stitched Flowers
While I was browsing through the projects of STITCH I found Precious Petals. They ‘glue’ the flowers on fabric and then embellish with decorative stitching.
A stunning idea which is still on my to-so list.
Links:
STITCH project: wonderful projects around stitching (how surprising ;-))
Simple Cro-Tat
There is a technique called Cro-Tat, which is a technique between Crochet and Tatting: the item it is crocheted, but looks like tatted. For tutorials look beneath the Links.
I don’t have a straight steel crochet hook and so I figured out how to do this in another way.
It is a kind of clothesline crochet: I am crocheting a simple chain that I ‘decorate’ with single crochets.
I once wrote a (German) tutorial on how to make a Mother’s Day card with a Simple Cro-Tat Ornament. It is heavily illustrated ;-)
Anyhow: ‘Luftmasche’ is chain, ‘feste Masche’ is single crochet and ‘Kettmasche’ is slip stitch, the actual row is red, the previously worked rows are in black.
Links:
Tutorial on how to make a Mother’s Day card with a Simple Cro-Tat Ornament (German)
Tutorial on how to make another Simple Cro-Tat Ornament (German) (‘Zusammen häkeln’ means join)
Cro-Tat
Cro-Tat Instructions (English) The link isn’t available no more. Try instead to find an appropriate tutorial in this list of Cro-Tat Instructions.
Cro-Tat Instructions (German)
Here at unikatissima: Clothesline Crochet
Wire Bracelet
Inspired by the tutorial on how to make wire beads I created a wire bracelet (I couldn’t get enough of all this wrapping of wire ;-)).
I although didn’t use any special tool but a simple steel kebab skewer I found somewhere in my kitchen ;-)
Because my wire seemed quite boring to me, I strung some green seed beads on it but they are barely visible.
Links:
Jewelry Making Techniques by WigJig: a colossal website for Jewelry Making and Wire Design
Tutorial on how to make wire beads