3 Years In The Closet Unworn…

Oh, my poor business suits. Neglected. Just hanging on hangers. In a dark closet. It’s been almost three years (in November) since I freed myself of the 9 to 5 world. 

Some of the jackets, I had planned on removing the shoulder pads. Only to see news of shoulder pads coming back.  Sigh… 😦

The other day I needed a prop to show off my new macrame belts which double as a necklace.

So… this brown suit should be happy to finally get some attention.

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Worn as a Belt.

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Worn as a Necklace.

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This was one of my favorite suits. It has a straight skirt plus tailored pants with cuffs. I wore the heck out of it. I probably wore it at least 2 or 3 times a month. Always with different shells, blouses, sweaters, shoes and scarves. It has shiny spots from frequent cleaning but the fabric is still holding up. Many years of wearing left.

But for now… it is back to hanging in the dark closet. 🙂

Tuesday’s Tutorial: “Cross-Over” Macrame Belt

Today’s tutorial teaches you a technique for closing the open holes along the outer edges. This one is EASY!! You will be able to take this design and create your own belts.

AND you aren’t limited to just belts. The crossover can be worked into any macrame project for a different look. I am using this method for some of my headbands.

I also used it when creating the black belt I made. It is just wider. I used more cords.

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Supplies/Tools Needed

• 28 yards of 3 1/2mm braided macrame cord
• 1″ – 1 1/4″ round button
• 8 small beads for tail cords (optional)
• macrame board or covered ceiling tile
• T-Pins
• tape measure/ruler/yardstick
• scissors
• needle/thread to sew on button

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Directions to Make Cross-Over Macrame Belt

Step 1.

Cut 2 cords 6 1/2 yards long.
Cut 2 cords 7 1/2 yards long.

Step 2.

Find the centers of the two 6 1/2 yard cords and pin side by side to macrame board.

Tie one Square Knot (SK). Push knot up close to the top. Pull down on the filler (center) cords to eliminate any loops formed at the top.

Step 3.

Find the centers of the 7 1/2 yard cords and pin one cord to the left side of SK created in Step 2 and one cord to the right side.

Tie a SK with the 4 left cords and one SK with the 4 right cords. Number cords 1-8.

Step 4. Tie SK with cords 3-6.

Step 5. The Cross-Over Step.

Take Cord 1 and CROSSOVER cord 2. Using Cords 2, 1, 3 & 4–tie a SK.

Take Cord 8 and CROSSOVER cord 7. Using Cords 5,6, 8 and 7–tie a SK.

Step 6.

Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until you reach the desired waist length. The last row, before starting the buttonhole, should have ONE square knot.

Step 7. Buttonhole.

Divide cords into two groups of four. Tie 5 SK sennet (tie one SK right after the other in a vertical row) with Cords 1-4. Repeat for Cords 5-8. Tie one SK with Cords 3-6.

Step 8. Tie one large SK using Cords 1-2 as left tying cords, Cords 3-6 as filler (the middle) and Cords 7-8 as right tying cords.

Step 9. Tails.

Decide the length desired for the tail cords. Cut cords, string a small bead to each cord or every other cord. Tie an overhand knot in the tail ends. Trim cord close to the tip. Melt cord to keep from fraying with matches or lighter. Hold fire to tip a nanosecond so you don’t burn or scorch the cord.

Step 10.

Line up buttonhole to the front end of belt. Determine placement of button. Sew on button.

All done. Finished!! Ready to wear your belt. You could also wear this around your neck as a necklace. Two for one. Pretty neat, huh!!

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Note: Cord length used for this belt yielded 34″ BEFORE the buttonhole. Total belt length with tails is 45″. Cut cord shorter or longer to obtain the desired waist length.

(Sorry pictures are a bit fuzzy.)

Tuesday’s Tutorial: Hootie Macrame Belt

Today’s tutorial is another macrame belt.  I named this belt Hootie.  It reminds me of an owl’s face.  I have been making lots of belts lately and really like this design. Even though it features the dreaded DDHH.

DDHH=Diagonal Double Half Hitch.

I don’t know why I am not fond of this knot. It is easy to make. It is not hard on my hands. I think it could be because I like to go for perfection. And with this knot, I don’t always get it right the first time. I stare at each one for a few seconds.  And then redo about every fifth one.  So… that could be why I don’t work with them much.

But, that said, I am going to show you how to make them anyway. Maybe you will like them. If you plan to go into micro-macrame jewelry you will need to know DHH. A lot of the patterns use them.

Let’s get started.

You will need.

• 32 yards of 3 1/2mm braided macrame cord
• 5-8 beads (depending on # of DDHH sections)  measuring 3/8″ up to 1/2″
• 8 additional small beads for the tail cords (optional)
• macrame board or covered ceiling tile
• T-pins
• scissors
• yard stick, tape measure or ruler

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Directions to make Hootie Macrame Belt.

Step 1. Cut eight 4 yard cords.

Step 2.
Find the center of each cord and pin the centers side by side vertically on the macrame board. You will work bottom half of the belt first. Number cords 1-8.

Step 3.

• Row 1:  Tie one Square Knot with cords 3-6.
• Row 2:  Tie 2 Square Knots (SK) with cords 1-4 and 5-8.
• Rows 3-10:  Repeat Rows 1 & 2 four times.
• Row 11:  Tie one SK with cords 3-6.

Step 4.
You will tie Diagonal Double Half Hitch knots (DDHH) in this step. Using a T-pin, pin Cord 1 diagonally to board.

Cord 1 will be the right diagonal anchor cord and you will double half hitch cords 2 through 4 onto it. Begin with Cord 2. Refer to photo for assistance, as needed.

Now, do the same on the right side, using Cord 8 as the left diagonal anchor cord. Double half hitch cords 5 through 7 onto it. Begin with Cord 7 and work down.

Step 5.
Next, you will shape the “face” of the owl. With Cords 1-3 (only one filler cord), tie a sennet of 4 SK’s. One after the other in a vertical row. Repeat for Cords 6-8.

Add one bead (no larger than 1/2″) to Cords 4-5. See photo. (Renumber cords in your head. No need to remark them.)

Step 6.
In this step, you will tie more DDHH’s but using different anchor holding cords. Pin Cord 4 diagonally left to board. Double half hitch cords 1-3 onto it. Begin with Cord 3.

Now, do the same on the right side, using Cord 5 as the right diagonal anchor cord. Pin Cord 5 diagonally right to board. Double half hitch Cords 6-8 onto it. Begin with Cord 6 and work down.

Step 7.
Repeat Steps 3 through 6 until you reach the length desired OR until you are about 14″ from the shortest cord. Last row should have only ONE SQUARE KNOT.

Step 8.
Tie one large SK using Cords 1-2 on the left as tying cords, 3 through 6 as fillers, and 7-8 as right tying cords. Repeat twice more for a total of 3 large SK’s.

Step 9.
The Tail. Determine how long you wish the tail to be. You should have about 12″ to work with. Cut the ends even or stagger.

Add one small bead to every other cord. Tie an overhand knot at the tip of each 8 cords. Trim close to the knot. Melt cords to keep from fraying. Touch cord lightly with match or lighter. Do not burn or scorch.

Step 10.
You are finished with the bottom half of the belt and now ready to work the top half. Unpin belt from board. Reverse directions.

When you first started this belt, you tied one SK with Cords 3-6. Locate this knot and BEGIN WITH STEP 4.

Next work Step 5 and Step 6.
Now go to Step 7.

Make the same number of sections to match the upper half OR until you are about 14″ from the shortest cord. Last row should have only ONE SQUARE KNOT.

Repeat Steps 8 and 9.

Done!!  Congrats. You can now wear your belt.

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Notes: Variations of this belt are endless. You can tie fewer SK rows in between the Hootie faces.

You can add as many Hootie faces as you wish.

You can add a belt buckle instead of tying in the front.

Add more beads, less beads. Or you can go completely without beads. Be creative and make this pattern your own.

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Measurements and Cord Length:

• Lavender belt measures 30″ from Large SK to Large SK. Total length (including tail) end-to-end is 60″.

• Burgundy belt measures 36″ from Large SK to Large SK. Total length end-to-end is 62″.

• Turquoise belt measures 40″.

Cutting 4 yard cords works for all of these. Or you can experiment with shorter cord lengths, as desired.

Tuesday’s Tutorial: Bronze Macrame Belt

Today’s tutorial will be a macrame belt. Bronze Ringer.

Supplies/Tools Needed:

• 3 1/2 mm braided macrame cord (51-61 yards*)
• one 2 1/4″ welded ring (treated not raw metal)
• macrame board or covered ceiling tile
• T-pins
• tape measure, ruler or yardstick
• scissors

Directions to make belt.

Step 1.  Cut twelve 5 yard cords and one 1 yard cord.

Step 2.  Using the one yard cord, cover 2 1/4″ ring with continuous half hitches. Trim the excess cord when finished.

Step 3.  Find the centers of six 5 yard cords and mount to one side of the covered ring using Reverse Lark’s Head knots.  (Set the other six 5 yards cords aside for later.)

Step 4.  Number cords 1-12.

Row 1. Tie Square Knots (SK) with cords 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12.  (Unless noted otherwise, you will always tie a square knot with 2 filler cords. )  Tie the knots close to the ring.

Row 2. Tie SK’s with cords 3-6 and 7-10.

Row 3. Tie a SK Sinnet of 3 SK’s with cords 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12. A sinnet is a vertical row of knots, one tied right under the next.

Row 4. Tie SK’s with cords 3-6 and 7-10.
Row 5. Tie SK’s with cords 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12.
Row 6. Tie SK’s with cords 3-6 and 7-10.

Repeat Rows 3 through 6 seven times.

Step 5. To finish off this side of the belt…

Tie a SK Sinnet of 3 SK’s with cords 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12.
Tie 3 large square knots using the two outer end cords on both sides as tying cords and the 8 cords in the middle as filler cords.

Step 6. The Tail. Determine how long you wish the tail to be and trim cords to that length. Tie an overhand knot at the end of each cord. Cut cord close to the overhand knot. Using a match or lighter, melt cord lightly to keep from fraying. Don’t hold fire too long to the cord. You don’t want to burn it.

Step 7. Repeat Steps 3 through 6 for the opposite side of the belt.

Congratulations!! You are done and ready to wear your belt. You can insert whatever you wish inside the ring opening, such as the wooden flower, as I did. Or leave the opening plain. This belt is pretty tied to the side or tied with the ring in the front.

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* Note: Length of cord to use depends on your waist size and how long you want belt to be. This belt in the tutorial measures 41″ at the point it ties around the waist. The tails measures 17″. So cut shorter cords if you want a smaller belt and eliminate a few of the “repeat” sections in Step 4.

Photos As Promised: Macrame Stuff Made

Monday, August 24

Latest bracelet made with crown knots. Wanted to used copper findings to go with the bronze cord. Couldn’t find copper cone bead caps, so used gold plated. Looks OK to me. I like how this came out. Plan to make a black one with gold.

New belt. In turquoise with silver beads. I am calling this one Hootie. Since the design resembles an owl’s face. Of course, I had to make matching earrings.

How do you like my wood display? Got them today at Michaels. 80% off. Was 79 cents each. What a deal!!

This necklace goes well with the turquoise belt and earrings. Made it yesterday. Tiny colorful wood rondelles.

And more macrame jewelry using ribbon crimps. My latest discovery. I found some today on sale at Michaels. Now I have bunches more to make up stuff.

Macrame Belt with Square Buckle: Autumn Tweed

OK, a few of you asked how to macrame a “regular” belt with a square buckle. A belt that can go through belt loops.

Well, here it is.

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Supplies/Tools Needed:

• 30 yards of 3 1/2mm braided macrame cord *
• one square belt buckle with 1″ bar for mounting cords
• craft glue
• macrame board or covered ceiling tile
• T-pins
• scissors
• yardstick, ruler, tape measure

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Instructions to make Autumn Tweed Macrame Belt

Step 1.  Cut two cords 7 yards long and two cords 8 yards long. Cords will be mounted onto the 1″ bar end of the belt buckle in this order.

• 7 yd cord (4 1/2 yds of it on the left and 2 1/2 yds of it on the right)

• 8 yd cord (3 1/2 yds of it on the left and 4 1/2 yds of it on the right)

• 8 yd cord (4 1/2 yds of it on the left and 3 1/2 yds of it on the right)

• 7 yd cord (2 1/2 yds of it on the left and 4 1/2 yds of it on the left)

Step 2. Number cords 1-8.

Row 1. Tie Square Knots (SK) with cords 1-4 and 5-8.
Row 2. Tie one SK with cords 3-6.
Row 3. Tie SK’s with cords 1-4 and 5-8.

Repeat. Row 2. Row 3. Row 2. Row 3. Row 2. Row 3. Row 2. Last row should have ONE Square Knot. This is how your belt should look at this point.

Step 3.
Tie 2 SK’s with cords 1-4. One right under the other. Tie 2 SK’s with cords 5-8. One right under the other. Tie one SK with cords 3-6. See photo for help if needed. This step is creating “holes” along the belt’s length.

Step 4. Keep repeating Step 3 until you reach the desired waist length or until you reach 10″ from the SHORTEST cords.

Your last row before beginning the next step should have ONE SK.

Step 5. This step finishes off the end of the belt. You will be tying Diagonal Double Half Hitch knots (DDHH) onto a diagonal anchor cord.

Cord 1 is the right diagonal anchor cord for this step. Pin cord 1 to the board diagonally using a T-pin. Double Half Hitch cords 2-4 onto it. Start with cord 2. See photos for help. 1st photo is showing one half hitch. 2nd photo is showing a double half hitch.

This is how cords 2-4 now look.

Step 6. Now you are going to repeat this on the right side using Cord 8 as the left diagonal anchor cord. Pin cord 8 to the board diagonally using a T-pin. Double Half Hitch cords 7-5 onto it. Start with cord 7 and work down to cord 5.

This is how belt looks after completing one row of diagonal double half hitches on both left and right.

Step 7. Ready for DDHH Row 2? OK, repeat Step 6. Do exactly what you did. Everything. You can renumber the cords or just visually number them in your head. 4 cords on the right and 4 cords on the left. 1-4 and 5-8.

2 Diagonal Double Half Hitched rows.

Step 8. Now you are ready for the 3rd row of DDHH’s. The last one. Yay!! Again, repeat Step 6.

3 Diagonal Double Half Hitched rows completed.

Step 9. One last thing to do. Make sure the last knots are tight. Cut the ends close but not too close. Save enough on the tip to melt and press down. Using matches, touch the cord for a nanosecond taking care not to burn or scorch the cord. Press down for a smooth edge.

I reinforced this area with sewing thread to make sure the knots on the tip will not work themselves undone when wearing. Make tiny stitches so they are not visible.

Add a bit of craft glue to the last row of knots on the tip, on the back side of the belt. Allow to dry.

All done!! Congratulations!! You are ready to wear your belt. Put it on. Use one of the “holes” created in Step 3 to strap it on. You can move it to any hole. Wear it tight, loose or however you wish. Enjoy!!

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* Note: Yardage to use depends on what size you want. Adjust belt size by adding or subtracting yardage. Experiment.

It is always best to cut longer cords and not run short and have to start over. You can always use leftover cord for other projects.

This belt in the tutorial measures 37″ at the point where belt prong thingy inserts into the hole.

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Need some HELP with tying knots?

In case you have forgotten how to tie a Square Knot (SK) or are new to macrame, here’s a picture of me beginning to tie one.

Also you can go here for help. Don’t be afraid. Try it. It’s easy!!

https://thisyearsdozen.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/how-to-tie-a-macrame-square-knot/

http://macrame_1.tripod.com/knots/ddhh.html

How to Macrame a Belt

Want to learn how to macrame? Then you came to the right place!!

I will show you how to macrame a belt in just a few hours using the following basic macrame knots.

Square Knot (SK)
Alternating Square Knot (ASK)
Reverse Lark’s Head (RLH)
Half Hitch (HH)
Double Half Hitch (DHH)

OK… now go and gather up the supplies and tools you will need to make your macrame belt. I have mine ready.

Supplies & Tools needed to make Macrame Belt

• 50 yards 3 1/2mm BRAIDED Macrame cord
• One belt buckle, 2 1/4″ minimum opening to insert cords
• Knotting board or ceiling tile
• T-Pins
• Tape measure, ruler or yardstick
• Scissors
• Craft glue

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Macrame Cord: I am using 3 1/2mm BRAIDED macrame cord since that is what I prefer when making belts. You can use any cord millimeter you wish allowing for cord  “doubled” to fit on both buckle ends.

Belt Buckle: Buckle doesn’t have to be exactly like mine but the opening for the cord should be at least 2 1/4″ length if using 3 1/2mm cord. That is the size opening needed to double half hitch all cords to the buckle when finished knotting.

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STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1:

Cut six 7 yard cords (Yardage depends on how long you want belt to be. I used 7 yard cords since I wanted belt to be long. I’m a big girl. 😀 )

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Step 2:

Find the center of one of the 7 yard cords and Reverse Lark’s Head (RLH) it onto one side of the belt buckle. Follow the illustration in the picture.

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Pull Reverse Lark’s Head (RLH) tight against belt buckle.

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Step 3:

Number the cords 1-12 left to right. (Up to this point, I know you only have one cord mounted. That one cord will now be Cord #’s 1 & 2. Label the rest once they are mounted to the belt buckle.)

Step 4:

Tie a Half Hitch (HH) knot with Cord #2. Bring this cord up, over and through the buckle opening.

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Bring cord down and pull tight against the Reverse Lark’s Head.

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Tie a Half Hitch (HH) with Cord #1. Bring up, over and through the buckle opening. Pull down and tighten.

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Congratulations!!

You have now completed your first Reverse Lark’s Head and Half Hitched both sides of it.

Push knot to the left side of your belt buckle. Continue mounting all cords the same as you did this one.

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This is how your belt should look after all cords have been added to one end of your belt buckle using Reverse Lark’s Head knots combined with Half Hitch knots.

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And this is how the backside should look. The “bumps” were created by the half hitches. Make sure to turn belt over to the smooth side before continuing.

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Step 5/Row 1:

Now you are ready to begin tying a row of Square Knots (SK) using all 12 cords.

Left Side Row 1: Tie one Square Knot with cords 1- 4. Push knot up close to the top and tighten. Look at the illustrations for help.

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Center Row 1: Tie one Square Knot in the center with cords 5 through 8. Push knot up close to the top and tighten. Make sure knot is lined up with the knot on the left.

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Right Side Row 1: Tie one Square Knot on the right side with cords 9-12. Push knot up close to the top and tighten. Make sure knot is lined up with the other knots in this row.

This completes Row 1.  Pat yourself on the back. You have just mastered the Square Knot. The Square Knot is THE main knot for most macrame projects.

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Step 6/Row 2:

You will now tie a row of Alternating Square Knots (ASK) with cords 3-10.  This row consists of just two square knots. One SK tied with cords 3 through 6 and one SK tied with cords 7 through 10. (This row is called an Alternating Square Knot row because you are tying knots with different cords than the previous row.)

Push knots up close to the first row of knots. Tighten and make sure these two knots are aligned next to each other straight. Look at illustrations in the pictures for help.

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Step 7/Row 3:

Tie a row of Square Knots using all 12 cords. You will tie these knots the same as you did in Row 1 but with one exception. Don’t push up too close to the knot above. You will drop down slightly (about 1/4″) when tying the knots on the left and right so a little peephole is formed along the edges. This creates an open airy design along the belt edges. Use a ruler until you can judge by sight how much to drop down. Look at the pictures to gauge the distance I used.

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Step 8:

Continue tying rows of Alternating Square Knots (ASK) and Square Knots (SK) in the following order until you either reach your desired belt length or you run out of cord. 😀

• Row 4. Row of ASK’s
• Row 5. Row of SK’s
• Row 6. Row of ASK’s
• Row 7. Row of SK’s
• And so forth….
• Last row should be a row of three SK’s.

Leave at least 8-10 inches of cord after tying your last row of knots. You will need about this much cord to “comfortably” double half hitch cords onto the other side of your belt buckle.

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Step 9:

Once you are finished tying knots, you are ready to Double Half Hitch (DHH) all 12 cords to the other end of your belt buckle. I apologize but my photo for this step turned out fuzzy and I was way past this step to retake it. So I double half hitched a few cords onto a metal ring so you would have a picture illustration.

This may be a struggle to get all cords on the buckle end but slide the cords down as far left as you can to free up some space along the buckle opening. After double half hitching all cords to the buckle end, pull each cord as tight as you can to create a smooth appearance. (See why I told you what type opening to use.)

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Step 10:

Yippee!! You are almost finished. The end is in sight and a new belt will soon be hanging around your waist!! How does your belt look? This is how mine looks after double half hitching the 12 cords to the other side of the belt buckle.

This is the backside showing where the cords will need to be trimmed.

Make sure you are satisfied with the belt length and are indeed finished knotting. Once cords are trimmed there is no turning back. BEFORE TRIMMING CORDS….. Lightly apply craft glue to the underside of the knots on the backside of the knotting. Straighten cords. Press flat with your hands. Set aside and allow to dry.

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Step 11:

Ready to trim cords. Leaving about 1/2″ from the top, cut all 12 cords. Look at picture illustration. Melt the CUT cord edges with a cigarette lighter or match to keep cords from fraying. Don’t hold fire very long to the cord, just a split second. Don’t want to ruin or burn your beautiful creation.

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Here are pictures of my finished belt. Including the belt buckle, my belt measures 40″ and has 119 rows. It took me 3 hours to complete.

Hope you are happy with your new belt. Feel free to send me photos of your finished belt. Send to don_mae2@yahoo.com. Enjoy!!

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Here is your Certificate of Completion. 😀

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My related articles:

https://thisyearsdozen.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/how-to-tie-a-macrame-square-knot/

https://thisyearsdozen.wordpress.com/2008/05/18/how-to-macrame-a-purse/

https://thisyearsdozen.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/how-to-macrame-a-basket/

https://thisyearsdozen.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/macrame-sewing-baskets/

https://thisyearsdozen.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/may-is-macrame-month/

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Macrame Cord Suppliers

http://www.kingskountry.com

http://www.macramecords.com

http://www.munrocrafts.com/

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Need more help tying knots? Go here. Click to enlarge the chart.

http://thingsyourgrandmotherknew.blogspot.com/2009/01/basic-macrame-knots.html