Friday, July 31
How about these Marbella D rings for handles? They can be arranged up.
Down.
Or straight out.
I have sad news to report. I am now out of burnt orange fabric. 
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/33825/how-to-sew-a-fabric-bowl
Just a few pictures to show you for this post.
Unfortunately I only remembered to take pictures when I was about 1/2 way done making this macrame candle.
Here’s a close up of the square knot buttons. There are 4 rows of them.
And the finished candle… Great for any fall table. The perfect centerpiece!!
Enjoy!!
Tuesday, July 28
Today was all about organizing fabric and putting them in piles. Prints and patterns I wouldn’t normally mix. Thinking outside the box here. Getting my creative juices flowing.
I cut some strips. Used scissors. So glad these don’t have to be perfect.
These are waiting to be cut.
I am so excited. I love making these fabric bowls. I am trying to make them different. Changing up how I end the coil. What I do for the handle or IF basket will have a handle.
I wish my sewing machine was loving me sewing on it. It’s only a couple years old. I bet I haven’t used it more than 100 times and the bobbin winder called in sick. I can’t get it to move. I guess it is stuck on “leave me be”. I cleaned the bobbin case. Now, how could the two be related? One is inside the machine and the other is up on top of the machine. When one is moving, the other is not. But HEY!! What do I know!! I cleaned it anyway.
Still didn’t work. I don’t know what else to do. I went through my manual. They is nothing on bobbin winder won’t move. Will be calling the repair shop tomorrow. I hope they can fix it on the spot. Don’t want to leave it. Just when the urge to sew is so strong.
Oh well… I have plenty of fabric to cut up.
Psst.. You are probably wondering why those yellow and red rings are sitting on top of the fabric. You will have to wait for my post on Fabric Bowl #4.
Monday, July 27
I really LOVE the fabric in the middle. I hope I can find more.
It has a wine background with tan, cream and reddish orange leaves. I want to make a flat mat and some coasters with this same pattern as the bowl but I am all out of it.
This is my 3rd fabric bowl and they are getting easier to make. I shaved off an hour making this one. I tried to follow the same design as the 2nd one.
But I did make this one a bit taller AND notice the handles. Completely different from the others. I made the handle from four rounds of coils and then I hand sewed them to the sides. The buttons cover the beginning and ending of the coil.
I REALLY like how this came out. It has a cleaner look. I cut the strips on the bias for this one and #2. I am still using macrame cord instead of clothes line. 8mm cord. I have enough left of this roll for 2 more baskets.
It takes LOTS of thread. I start off with two full bobbins wound from one spool and a 2nd spool in the machine. I end up running out of bobbin thread right about near the end. If you make one of these bowls, make sure you have plenty of thread.
It is sooooo much prettier than these pictures show.
Measures 11 1/2″ diameter and 5″ height.
Go here for instructions to make your own fabric bowl.
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/33825/how-to-sew-a-fabric-bowl
Sunday, July 26
Just remembered I never did show you all those purses I made last month. Shortly after I sold out of my Lil Miss little girl purses at the craft show/flea market sale, I immediately got busy making more. I even made some big girl purses.
I used 6mm braided cord. The design I use is simple and quick to make. Just basic knots. The rings are plastic Marbella. Mostly round, some D shaped and a couple square shaped. A few purses have beads. Not sure why I don’t add beads to more purses. Since I have TONS of them.
And a few purses have a striped design. Vertical and horizontal. When creating stripes, you have to remember to reverse the “head” of the knot on the right side of the purse to match up with the knots on the left side. Check out how I did the red and turquoise purse to see what I am referring to. The red knobs.
I plan to line a few of the larger ones. Surprisingly, with all the fabric I have stashed, none go perfectly with either the large brown one or large green one. I just got the latest flyer (with coupons) from JoAnn’s so I will check out the sales.
All of these took me about 2 weeks to make… on and off.
18 purses.
Here are lots of pictures.
And groupings.
Saturday, July 25
Macrame is heating up. And that is great. I am glad to see it return. Maybe it won’t ever be as popular as it was back in the 70′s or 80′s when everyone and their daddy tied knots. But it’s all good.
I have received requests for more detailed instructions on how to tie up the bottom of a purse. Also several belt requests. One for more involved, complicated knots. And one request for a belt to be worn like a regular leather belt with a buckle.
My plan is to do tutorials for all of these sometime soon. I will blend them with my monthly Craft Calendar projects. The purse one is easy. Just need to make another purse. The belts… I have to go through all of my macrame books to see what I can find. No sense reinventing the wheel if I don’t have to.
Want to see other macrame projects? Please post a comment or send me an e-mail. Thanks!!
How To Macrame a Candle
Supplies Needed to Make One Candle:
Tools Needed:
Cut 6 red cords 3 1/2 yards long.
Cut 6 red cords 42″ long.
Cut 12 green cords 42″ long.
DIRECTIONS
Step 1. Find centers of 6 red 3 1/2 yard cords. Pin to macrame board. Lay 8″ yellow cord piece under red cords and tie a knot around them. This is the flame and will be worked in the final step. (1st picture showing 2 yellow cords. You only need one.)
Step 2. Divide cords into 4 groups of 3 red cords and tie 7″ of crown knots (some people call this a lanyard knot).
Step 3. Double half hitch all 12 cords onto a 2″ ring spacing the 4 groups of 3 cords evenly apart. (1st photo showing a single half hitch. 2nd photo showing a double half hitch.)
Step 4. Fold 6 green cords in half and mount 2 cords between mounted group of 4 red cords with a reverse lark’s head knot.
Step 5. Tie one Square Knot Button (SKB) with each group of 4 red cords only. A square knot button is created by tying 6 square knots (SK) in a sennet. One after the other. Go here if you need help.
http://thisyearsdozen.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/how-to-tie-a-macrame-square-knot-button/
Tie one square knot under the button to secure it.
Here’s how the 3 red square knot buttons look after tied.
Step 6. Double half hitch all red and green cords onto a 4″ ring.
Step 7. Working with each group of 4 red cords attached onto the 4″ ring, fold 2 green cords in half and mount between red cords 2 and 3 with a larks head knot. Repeat this with the remaining groups of red cord.
Step 8. Fold 2 red 42″ cords in half and mount one to each side of a red cord group with a reverse larks head knot.
Tie 1 square knot button (making 6 square knots) with each red group and each green group.
Step 9. When finished tying all square knot buttons, turn candle bottom up. Tie a row of Alternating Square Knots on the underside to secure the knots. (See photo for help, if needed)
Apply glue to bottom row of knots, allow to dry. Trim off excess cord.
Melt cord ends with matches or cigarette lighter to keep from fraying. Touch cord lightly. Don’t burn or scorch.
Step 10. Brush out yellow cord at the top to form a flame. Trim.
You are done. Enjoy!!
Candle measures 6 1/2″ diameter and 10 1/2″ height.
Wednesday, July 22
If someone had told me I would be glued to a sewing machine for four hours and enjoying it, I would have told them “no way, not gonna happen”.
BUT… WAY, it did happen!! Well, off and on, between cutting fabric strips, wrapping the cord, sewing, stopping, wrapping, sewing, stopping…
This fabric bowl took me about 5 hours to make. The bowl posted on Craft Stylish took 4 hours. So I guess that makes me a slow sewer. I am OK with that. Especially when they come out LIKE THIS!!
I selected the fabric to make my 2nd bowl sometime last week.
I added some fat quarters, ended up using just one. Thread I already had. And I used 8mm macrame cord instead of clothes line. It is working out really well.
Here’s my sewing machine in action. I have a Janome Memory Craft 10001. I am actually loving it!! It does all sorts of neat tricks at the touch of a finger. I kept altering the width and length of the zig zag stitch. Cool!!
And I put all those years in the corporate world to good use. 40 years of organizational skills learned. I created a “strip organizer”.
These are pictures taken as I was almost finished.
The STUMPER in making this bowl is what to do with the cord end when finished. ???
I think I solved it. By twirling it around and adding a crochet flower and a button to somewhat cover it. Looks good to me.
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/33825/how-to-sew-a-fabric-bowl
Monday, July 20
Almost the end of July!! This month is FLYING!!
Can you believe the kids go back to school next month. Which means new school clothes. New shoes. School supplies. Trips to the mall.
Well, don’t forget about those little ones who just “play” school at home.
This open macrame box is perfect for learning ABC’s and pretending to be in school. It is decorated with colorful plastic buttons sewn on with embroidery thread.
Top and bottom has 5″ clear plastic containers with lids for storing the little ones’ valuables and collectibles. And the macrame box has a matching lid to keep everything neat and tidy.
Is this cute or what!!
Check these sites out for help with tying Macrame Knots.
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwZXv_9uS6E&feature=related
Illustrations, How-To, Tutorials
http://thingsyourgrandmotherknew.blogspot.com/2009/01/basic-macrame-knots.html
http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/sierratses/knots.html
http://www.elainecraft.com/instructions/instruc.sq.html
http://www.knotgypsydesigns.com/2008/04/macrame-instructions-patterns-and.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Macrame
http://www.ehow.com/how_8925_begin-macrame.html
Animated
