Braids 2025 Techniques – Others

Description: Day 1: Basic bobbin lace techniques as used in the 16^th century; simple 16^th and 17^th century patterns using cotton/linen and metallic threads.

Day 2 . Further bobbin lace and/or working with bobbins to experiment with other braids.

Experience:

Bobbin Made Braid Shoe rose

Materials: Students will need a ‘pillow’ of some sort either a lace pillow or a firm polystyrene block at least 12inches square with 12 pairs of bobbins. Students can rent a pillow and bobbins if required. Also pins, scissors, threads

Description: This class will introduce structures and techniques for weaving passementerie, decorative bands used as trimmings for a number of purposes, including upholstered furniture and curtains. Passementerie may be elegant and opulent and appear very complicated, but upon closer examination it can be seen that many of the basic techniques are surprisingly simple. There are endless possible combinations with just a few structural elements, which are magnified by choices of color, material, and scale. For inspiration, we will look at images of both historic and contemporary passementerie, and then weave samples to experiment with various elements to gain an understanding of how they interact to achieve different effects.

Experience:

Passamentarie 1                                                         Passamentarie 2

Passamentarie 3

Materials:   Students should bring at least one prepared warp and the equipment to weave it (depending on travel circumstances, this may mean inkle or band loom, frame loom, or a backstrap weaving setup with a rigid heddle or string heddles). Warp-faced plain weave is the usual method of weaving passementerie; for sampling purposes, weft-faced is fine – use whatever works best on the setup you bring. Each student brings: small scissors, weaving beater/comb/fork appropriate to your choice of warp

Setup Option 1: warp-faced band
*Warp – smooth, strong warp such as mercerized cotton is suggested, approximately 1.5 cm wide and 1 M long.
*Weft – one base weft (can match warp; will only show at edges); minimum 2 decorative wefts.
Setup Option 2: weft-faced band
*Warp–8 warps at 2.5 cm wide works well; approximately 1.5 M long (this version uses thicker threads). If you use a frame loom, I recommend preparing several narrow warps with spaces in between, and bringing extra warp in case you need to set up your loom again.
*Weft: you will need one base weft – double what you used as warp, or some other yarn large enough to cover the warp; minimum 2 decorative wefts.

Decorative wefts: These should be larger and stiffer than the warp threads; I suggest bringing a number of different yarns to experiment with. Wool yarn (firmly plied), satin cord, twine, linen, ribbon, bundles of thinner yarns, or anything else you’d like to try. (I’ve even used string from the hardware store.) 1 M each minimum.
Optional: shuttles, or bobbins for base weft, large blunt needle for weaving in weft ends, note taking materials. C-clamps (G-clamps) for backstrap setup

Instructor will supply:   Handouts

Materials fee: $10 additional decorative wefts

Description: As a weaver, knitter and clothing designer, what first attracted me to Kumihimo, was that the braids were obliquely interlaced. That meant that they could conform to the contours of a neckline, form button loops, and allow me to choose if the braid was the star of the show, or a supporting member of my cast! I will share the many ways that I have experimented with using Japanese and Andean braids in my work. This class has been designed as a project-based class that will give you a chance to get help and inspiration for your own work.

Bring sample braids that are be obliquely interlaced on the marudai, takadai, core frame, braiding disk/plate, or by finger manipulation so that we can exploit the special characteristics of these braids. Bring your ideas, and the bits and pieces that you have collected: swatches of handwoven, knitted, or commercial cloth; braid samples; buttons; threads and yarns; dog lead clasps, pattern books, etc.  I will cover important designing skills, like managing color interaction between the braid and other elements, choosing threads/yarns, fibers, and choosing braid designs to do particular jobs like making button loops or bag handles. Other essential skills we will cover include handling long warps, controlling the firmness or flexibility of the braid, and hand vs. machine sewing techniques. You will leave the class more confident about your design plans and ready to start.

If you have them: for marudai braiders you will want to bring Sling Braiding Traditions and Techniques, From Peru, Bolivia, and Around the World, by Rodrick Owen and Terry Flynn. Our book has an entire chapter devoted to beginnings, endings, and finishes, details to help to incorporate braids into your designs. Takadai braiders will want to bring Making Kumihimo, Japanese Interlaced Braids by Rodrick Owen for the finishing details.

Experience:  All skill levels

Kumihimo Silk Collar Finish           Sling Bag

Diamond Trim Sweater

Materials:  Yarn: pearl cotton, bamboo, Tencel, or silk. Braid samples and items you would like advice on incorporating into your work.

Instructor will supply:   To be confirmed

Materials fee: $15

Description:  The days teaching will be based on the leaflet ‘Lucet, Beginners Workshop’ which comes with every Lucet kit and will be provided to the class. As a supplement part of the instruction is available on YouTube: Ziggy Lucet 1, 2, and 3.

‘Fundamental Stitch’ looks at how the stitch works on the modified Lucet and 1 to 1 tuition aims to get the class conversant with the technique.

‘Fast Grab’ aims to build on the fundamental stitch and ease students into a natural technique for which the Lucet  was designed  and incidentally increasing speed, with practice, eight fold.

‘Overhand’ develops the technique still further and provides an opportunity to put the techniques into practice by producing 17th C frogging.

Along with other hints and tips this will take us to the afternoon. I shall reserve enough time to demonstrate to the class the techniques in action producing advanced braids using two or three threads at once.

Experience:. All levels of experience from beginners to experienced

Lucet 1                                                                         Lucet 2

Materials: Notebook, scissors, lucet if you have one and yarn.

Instructor will supply:  Kits available for purchase to pursue lucetting.

Materials fee: $10

Sami are the indigenous people of the Northern Nordic countries
known for Reindeer herding.  They have used tin thread, a fine wire wrapped
around a fiber core (4% silver) for hundreds of years to decorate their
costumes and belongings. Tin thread is ideal for all kinds of braiding.
Students will learn to make a four strand braid and add beads to make an
elegant necklace and bracelet with silver plated clasps.

Experience:. All levels welcome

Tin Thread Bracelets with Beads

Materials:  Scissors, notebook

Instructor will supply:  Instructions and complete kit to make one necklace and bracelet there will be multiple bead choices.

Materials fee: $40

Description: A handmade Temari is a cherished gift in Japan, symbolizing deep friendship and loyalty. In this workshop we will learn how to prepare a base for Temari embroidery, then learn how to divide and mark the ball. The student will work on two traditional motifs, the rose and the chrysanthemum. The ball may not be complete by the end of the class.

.Experience: No experience needed.

Temari 1                                                                                         Temari 2

Materials:  cotton perle #8 (DMC or Ispe) in 5 colors ranging from light to dark, embroidery scissors, thimble (optional). Pen, a ball of cheap or leftover yarn, any color, short pins in at least 5 colors are available at Amazon: click HERE

Instructor will supply:   2 balls for practice during class + one wrapped to embroider and bring home, needles, foundation thread. Paper rulers

Materials fee: $10

Description:  Many of you have been making narrow bands using all sorts of techniques for quite some time. Do you sometimes want to go beyond the patterns you have learned and use them to express something you are feeling or experienced? Do you want to make braids that you design yourself that ‘says’ something about you?

Lots of us have the urge but don’t know where to start or how to deal with some of the challenges along the way. This workshop explores the creative process. I will share with you, through videos I have made, some of the creative challenges I faced in my own work and how I met them. We will then do some interactive exercises, using your braids and bands, that will give you a personal ‘art’ vocabulary and suggest ways you might continue after the workshop on your own path of innovation.

Experience:.   Participants should be comfortable with their chosen braiding technique(s). Enough experience to start trying to design their own braids rather than just copying from the books and have a selection of braids and bands.  All types of braids and narrow bands not just Kumihimo can be used.

Braid                                                           Chaos Fuller              Earth Eruption

Materials:  Notebook, pen, selection of braids and/or bands that you have made to use in creative exercises

Instructor will supply:  None

Materials fee: Up to $25

Description:  Tassels are fun. People (and cats) love to play with them. We all have finished our braids with them. Probably most of us have made simple tassels wrapped around two upright pegs, bound at one end, and trimmed at the other. But what if we tried something different, more decorative, special in its own right?

There’s a long history of very complex tassel-making in traditional passementerie from France and Italy. This workshop will introduce you to two of those techniques as we make some fun tassels which you can use as tie-backs or to wear.

Experience:

Tassel Necklaces          Tassels

Materials:  You bring one of your braids to use as a cord. You can bring a warp or use one I will have available for the skirt.

Instructor will supply:  the tassel form, skirt-making board, and bourdon cord for wrapping.

Materials fee: Up to $25

Description:  Sami are the indigenous people of the Northern Nordic countries
known for Reindeer herding.  They have used tin thread, a fine wire wrapped
around a fiber core (4% silver) for hundreds of years to decorate their
costumes and belongings. Tin thread is ideal for all kinds of braiding.
Using the tin thread and leather students will learn to make a 4 strand
round braid to make a necklace and bracelet with a silver plated clasp.

Experience:  All levels welcome

Materials:  Scissors, notebook

Instructor will supply:  Instructions and a complete kit to make one
necklace and bracelet. Several color choices of leather will be available.

Materials fee: $40