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When You Know You Are Close…Keep Going
GREETINGS WEAVING FRIENDS!!!
Magical Mosaic Bracelet by Julia L. Hecht
It has taken me three weeks to go from my last post – the start of this bracelet – to completing the proje
ct. The idea for this bracelet actually began during the summer with my free form experiment. You might remember the picture at right from my August 1st post. You can see how the free form evolved into the more structured Magical Mosaic Bracelet.
Each day for the last 3 weeks I have felt “close” to what I wanted to achieve. I don’t know where the solutions will be found, so I just trust my creative process to guide me. I’d like to share that process with you here.
In the free form experiment I liked certain elements that I wanted to develop: 1. A larger center line, 2. A mix of small and large beads, 3. Visible warp cords that add to the aesthetics and bolster the design, 4. Cuff-like.
Some aspects I found jarring and unpleasing: 1. There was a lack of unified structure, 2. The center which drew the eye was too bland, and 3. The proportions of the small 11/0 delicas and larger 6 mm tiles did not work in the current arrangement, and 4. The piece seemed unwieldy and “out of control” (somewhat related to #1, but not entirely.) And then there was the question of the clasp …which took on a struggle of its own later in the process.
Because of all that I liked, I stayed with the middle line tiles, but added another element – the 6 mm bead stud, for more interest. There is contrast both with shape and with the color / finish. I kept the tiny delica beads, and the tiles and then added other sized beads to bridge the gap between these extremes; there are also 8/0 delicas, more 3 mm fire polish, and bricks (which are “half tiles”). My experiment with Hemp cord (see Oct 16th post), was the perfect solution to the lack of structure. It appears to scaffold the beads visually, and it does so mechanically as well, giving the bracelet a secure feeling of easy we
ar despite the larger heavier beads.
Hemp warp cords (20lb weight), cannot be woven into the beads for finishing. Instead, I used macrame and braiding to work out a clasp. I knotted a beautiful Czech hand painted glass button to the short end (warp bar en
d) using square knots. To the left, in the blue bracelet, you can see my first attempt at a button loop. With 6 warp cords, 2 braids seemed a natural choice. But you can see in the pic at right that it leaves the bracelet asymmetrical. (Contrast the blue bracelet with the brown and teal)
Eventually, after playing around with failures, I decided to give a shot at a square knot button loop. And that allowed the symmetry you see in the the brown and teal bracelet.
Tah Dah! Relief! Joy!
I love the blue bracelet. I will be remaking that with the new and improved clasp. My next task is creating a tutorial, class, and kits for my Magical Mosaic Bracelet. Meanwhile, as you may have noticed, my sweet dog has been waiting for me to re-emerge from behind the loom.
‘Til next time…. Be Well and Weave On!
Julia
Julia L. Hecht
Owner /Designer