Creative Kumihimo Expanded – The Grid System by Jacqui Carey
Friday, August 25, 9:30 – 5:00
Class Description:
If you have taken Jacqui’s Creative Kumihimo virtual class in 2022, you should be excited to know that Jacqui will explore her grid system even further. Using grid 8H as the starting point, students will work through a series of exercises demonstrating how the principles illustrated in 8H can be applied to any grid. Students will learn what her grid system is, and why Jacqui developed it before examining how to actually use it to design different patterns. By following Jacqui’s approach, students will develop the skill to predict results from how they arrange color threads in a variety of braid structures represented in each grid. Students will have an opportunity to test their understanding by braiding a few samples.
Jacqui will also explain how the grids can be used “in reverse” when examining a finished braid enabling its secrets to revealed and its pattern recreated.
Kits: None
Instructor Provides: Handout sheets
Experience Level: Intermediate
Prerequisites: Students need to have some experience in working with 8 bobbins.
Jacqui is a maker, teacher, author and researcher of braids, having specialized in the subject since graduating from a BA (Hons) degree in woven textiles in 1985. Her work as a practicing craftsperson is known worldwide, and her knowledge shared through teaching and numerous publications.
While studying for her degree in textiles, Jacqui discovered that weaving and other related subjects — such as braiding — combined her love of mathematics and art. Through the study of complex weaving structures she was able to unravel the mysteries of kumihimo. While her work in this area stems from the traditional, it is the creative possibilities that inspire most of her braids. The joy of making braids is enhanced by exploring a wide range of materials and playing with structure, color and patterns.
Jacqui has written many important books in the field of kumihimo as well as other textile areas — from “Creative Kumihimo” where she introduced the grid system to help analyze braid structures, to “Beads and Braids” — the first and perhaps most comprehensive book on incorporating beads in braiding — to “The Book of Braids” where she introduced a new approach to creating kumihimo braids based on her analysis of the basic movements on the Marudai, to “Chinese Braid Embroidery” which documents this unique Chinese Miao textile tradition of using braids to create incredibly intricate designs used to embellish a variety of garments.
Visit Jacqui’s store at: https://www.careycompany.com/
Design Your Own Sami Inspired Cuff by Katherine Buenger
Friday, August 25, 9:30 – 5:00
Creating the cuff does not require a marudai or disc.
Using tin thread (fine pewter 4% silver wire wrapped around a fiber core) and leather, students will learn several braiding styles and design their own unique cuff.
Class Description: Create a cuff bracelet inspired by the indigenous Sami people of Northern Europe. Use several sizes of tin thread and leather strips in a variety of colors to design and create your own unique cuff. Learn different braiding techniques to add dimension and visual interest. You will be able to apply what you learned to future jewelry projects!
Class Materials: $50. All materials will be provided by the instructor and purchased at the In Person Gathering. Students do not need to supply anything.. The instructor will bring several choices of leather strips and cord in a variety of colors along with several sizes of tin thread to work to make the bracelet.
Experience Level: Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced.
Note: This class involves substantial hand sewing.
Katherine has a degree in studio art from Macalester College. She enjoys many fiber-related arts, including weaving, spinning, ply-split braiding, and braiding with Sami tin thread. Whether it is spinning the yellow pages, computer tape, or adding telephone wire to weavings and braids, she likes finding something different and fun to do with her art. She is not afraid to break the rules and try something new and encourages others to do the same. Katherine has taught Sami-inspired bracelets at The Weavers Guild of Minnesota, Midwest Weavers Conference, Minnesota Federation of Weavers and Spinners, and other venues in the Midwest. After teaching hundreds of students, she is still having fun sharing this Sami-inspired craft with others.
Leather Feather Bracelets by Yin Guang
Friday, August 25, 9:30 – 5:00
Disc or square plate
Using a foam disc or plate you will learn how to make a flat braid using leather as your fiber. These lovely bracelets will be adorned with a metal feather. After taking the class you’ll have one bracelet for you and one for a friend.
Class Description: These single and double wrap leather feather bracelets are a simple flat Anda Gumi braid from a round or square foam disc.
The key technique to this seemingly simple project is to braid a metal feather into the leather cords.
Using leather in Kumihimo project is a great way to extend your skills and to make some really unique piece. Working with leather is totally different than working with soft fabric on the disc or plate although the braiding technique used are same. In this class, you will experiment leather cord braiding as well as braid the metal feather into this bracelet.
Kits: Kit cost $48. Kits will be purchased directly from the instructor at the In Person Gathering. Kits will materials for two bracelets: 2mm leather cords, two feathers, two set of glue-on end-cap clasp and instructions.
Student Equipment: A round foam disc or a square plate, ruler, and sharp scissors. Bobbins and weights are optional.
Experience Level: Beginner
Prerequisite: Must be comfortable working on the disk or the square plate
Yin Guang is a creative designer. She has been teaching Kumihimo in national shows for more than 7 years. Her passion in teaching and her positive attitude is very appreciated by her students. She is always very encouraging and takes time to help her students.
Yin has an MD in Education which helps her pay attention to the details of design. She tries to use her knowledge of science to enhance the understanding of the pattern behind the beauty of Kumihimo. She loves to play with beads and colors. She has taught at Bead and Button, BeadFest and Tucson Bead Show as well as Arlington and Newton Community Schools for several years. Her classes in Bead & Button were big hits and sold out quickly. Her passion for beads and her positive attitude of teaching has won her many compliments.
Yin was the owner of the Ancient Moon Beads Shop at Watertown MA since 1994 until November 2019. Now, she designs and sells her creative Kumihimo kits at shows as well as Etsy. (etsy.com/shop/ancientmoondesigns). Her Etsy store has very high ratings in both customer satisfaction and shipping speed!
Uneri by Yuko Yoshida
Friday, August 25, 9:30 – 5:00
Marudai
Uneri is a Japanese word meaning winding. This necklace is made by applying the technique of curled braid with different curling directions.
Class Description:
Uneri is a Japanese word meaning winding. This braid is made by applying the technique of curled braid. It consists of braids with different curling directions. In the class, students will learn the basic technique for creating the curled braid, and how to create the winding braid.
Kits: Kit cost $30. Kits will be purchased directly from the instructor at the In Person Gathering and MUST BE PAID IN CASH. Kits will contain two colors of Japanese precut silk threads and magnetic clasps. Students can choose their own colors.
Student Equipment: Marudai, 16 tama with cotton leader threads, counter weight (about 40% counter weight of total tama weight), and a chopstick.
Experience Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Prerequisites: Students should be experienced and comfortable braiding 16 tama Marugenji-gumi on the marudai and working with Japanese precut fibers. Students will be sent the directions for Marugenji-gumi in order to practice it before the class.
Yuko Yoshida is a kumihimo artist and teacher. Kumihimo attracted her at first encounter in 2009. Since 2012, she studied with Makiko Tada. While mainly making Obijime for Kimono with traditional patterns, she also focuses on creative works. She favors Maru-dai, Taka-dai, and creating original braids by adding small changes to traditional techniques.
When asked about Yuko, Makiko responded “Yuko is a smart, creative braider who is very talented as is reflected in her beautiful work. She has developed incredible skills over many years of studying and practice. For that she has received the title of Takumi (master craft person) from Tokusaburo Hirosawa — who was in charge of kumihimo in Iga last year. Yuko also received her PhD from Kyoto Institute of Technology.”
Filling the Hollow: Edo Yatsu & Friends by Carolyn Oliver Haushalter
Friday, August 25, 9:30 – 5:00
Marudai
Experience the pleasure of endless variations and expansions of the basic moves of Edo yatsu with 8 or more elements. Even more interest is added with color swapping and beads.
Class Description:
Edo yatsu is often the second Japanese braid people learn after Kongo gumi, often called the round braid. It makes a braid that is highly supple due to the open center which inspired the English name hollow braid. There are endless variations and expansions of the basic moves of Edo yatsu that will be explored in this class.
This class is for beginning braiders who are interested in how braid structures are related to each other. You will learn Edo yatsu with two variations and beads, along with two 16 element variations (naiki gumi and keiruko no himo), how to add beads to Edo yatsu, and how to do color swaps using core fibers. If you are new to using a marudai this is a great class to begin learning how to use it.
Kits: None
Student Equipment: Marudai, 24 tama with attached leaders, 40-60% counterweight, scissors, chopstick.
Student Supplies: 3 packs of Imposter or Silk thread with 4 sections, 1 pack of each color. One spool of C-Lon or S-Lon beading cord, size Tex 210/0.5mm/#18/regular; 5 grams of O beads, wheel beads, 1 hole lentil beads, or other similar flat, disk-shaped beads.
Experience Level: Beginner.
Carolyn Oliver Haushalter has been making jewelry for two decades. In 2006 she discovered kumihimo and it became her favorite technique and obsession. Her favorite braids combine traditional techniques with modern materials. Three years later she began teaching, working with students from all over the world to share her love of the art. Her classes for improving your marudai skills and taking a new approach to classic kumihimo books are available through The American Kumihimo Society, www.amksoc.org. She has taught classes for the 2018 and 2020 American Kumihimo Society Gatherings and the 2021 and 2022 Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival, as well as bead stores and societies. She is the event coordinator and former co-chair of Pittsburgh’s Premier Bead Society: OCBPA.
Metamorphosis by Design by Adrienne Gaskell
Friday, August 25, 9:30 – 5:00
Marudai
Using Adrienne’s special techniques for braiding with seamless transitions, you will not only create a lovely piece of jewelry but will develop skills to apply to future projects.
Class Description:
In this class students will create a multi-braid, textural necklace that integrates multiple structures within the same braid. Students will learn the rules along with techniques on how to flow from one design to another using related and disparate braid structures. You will also learn how to alternate a braid color layout while braiding. With these skills will give you new insights into creative braiding and make a braid that can be turned into a lovely piece of jewelry.
Kit: Cost: $40. Kits will be purchased directly from the instructor at the In Person Gathering. Kit contains: Japanese precut silk, available in several colors, and glue-in magnetic clasp.
Student Equipment: Marudai, 16 weighted tama with leaders, 40% counter weight and two chopsticks or double pointed knitting needles, short ruler (6 to 8 in.) and measuring tape.
Adrienne Gaskell’s innovations explore the ancient Japanese art of kumihimo. Her jewelry incorporates gemstones, pearls, and beads and has been featured in “Showcase 500 Art Necklaces” by Lark Books, Bead&Button’s Bead Dreams competition, and the Toho Design Challenge. She exhibits at juried art shows and galleries across the county. Her teaching resume includes Braids 2012 in Manchester England, Braids 2016 in Tacoma, WA, Bead & Button show since 2006, Japanese Kumihimo Society and Toho Bead Company in Kyoto, Tokyo, and Hiroshima Japan. Adrienne’s popular DVDs, Beaded Kumihimo on the Marudai, and More Beaded Kumihimo on the Marudai were the first instructional videos for braiding with beads on the marudai.
Bella Necklace by Aasia Hamid
Friday, August 25, 9:30 – 5:00
Marudai or Double Density Disc
Create a stunning statement necklace by combining a beautiful, beaded rope with several round beaded beads and special details to join them all together.
Class Description: Students will complete the KonGoh Gumi beaded braid at home before class. The graduated sizes of beads results in a spiral braid. The remainder of the necklace, the beaded beads and finishing techniques will be shown in class. The bead weaving portion of the necklace includes using Peyote stitch with increases and decreases that will cover wooden beads used as a base. Various sizes of seed beads, tiny crystals and pearls are used to create these statement beaded beads. Last, a stunning beaded endcap will join to create the fastening loop.
Kits: Kits cost $125 which includes shipping. Kits will be purchased directly from the instructor BEFORE the In Person Gathering as this class has homework. Kits will contain all of the beads, wooden bead, etc to make the necklace. There will be a total of three color ways and they will be shared in mid to late April, along with a bead list. After the three color ways are made available, email Aasia at [email protected] to purchase your kit. Kits must be ordered by June 24th and will be shipped by July 8th.
Student Equipment and Supplies: Marudai or Kumihimo double density disk , 8 tama or 8 weighted bobbins, 25% counterweight or heavy gator weight, Big Eye Needle, beading surface, measuring tape, scissors, cutting pliers or inexpensive scissors, 8 lb Fireline, beading needles # 11 & # 12, Loctite Super Glue Ultra-liquid Control and portable Ott Light.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Prerequisites: Experience with Peyote Stitch will be helpful. Willing to learn how to bead over large beads. Kumihimo braiding with beads either on Marudai or disc.
Homework: Students will complete the braid portion at home prior to the In Person Gathering. Beaded bead and finishing techniques will be shown in class.
Aasia has always been interested in art from fused glass wall art pieces to stained glass, from pottery to painting murals on the walls. She has been drawn to color and texture since she added beads to her needle 15 years ago. Mastering the art of bead weaving has been achieved by many hours of practice and experimentation. She hand fabricates each of her pieces with great attention to detail. Every detail must be beautiful, unusual and of excellent quality. Aasia likes to incorporate many mediums into her pieces like Kumihimo, bead weaving, polymer and epoxy clay. She has presented many of her masterpieces at juried art festivals.
Class Description:
Although this is a simple zig zag braid, it can be difficult to create certain shapes in the braid. I’m looking forward to showing you some secrets and then seeing what each of you can do. Although the zig zag braid is usually made on a square plate, students will also learn how to make this braid using a marudai.
Kits: Kit cost is $36. Kits will be purchased directly from the instructor at the In Person Gathering and MUST BE PAID IN CASH. Kit contains one package of Japanese precut metallic threads. Students can choose their own colors.
Student Equipment: Marudai, 12 tama with leader threads, 50 grams of counterweight and a chopstick.
Student Supplies: Painter’s tape and two wide, non-slip headbands (or 2 in. wide vet wrap tape).
Experience level: Intermediate.
Prerequisites: Students should be experienced braiding and setting up a marudai and comfortable braiding 12 tama braids
Japan’s Makiko Tada is largely responsible for the growing international interest in the art of Kumihimo braiding. She creates designs from both traditional patterns and from her own original designs and is an expert on the long history of kumihimo. After restoring ancient national treasure braids from the Kyoto National Museum, she dedicated them to Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Hayatama Shrine.
Makiko Tada conducts research and lectures in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Australia and authored the seven-volume “Comprehensive Treatise of Braids”. While completing her Doctorate of Engineering at Kyoto Institute of Technology she received funding from the Japanese government to invent a new braiding machine for composite materials. This machine will be vital for making components for the construction and aerospace industries.
Dr. Makiko Tada’s 40 years of research, artistry, authorship, and invention assure the art of Kumihimo braiding will touch and enrich many lives across the world.