I am always into discovery and am always finding new techniques/ideas when I have the time to surf the web. A few days ago I was checking out many of the fiber blogs that I love to follow. Judy Wedemeyer had a really cheerful post on some flower quilts that she had designed. The day was dreary and the flowers were so cheerful.
Judy wrote a good deal in her post about the techniques she used to create the pieces and mentioned Kumihimo braiding that she used in a border. I was hooked. She referenced a previous blog on the braiding and showed some pieces that she had made.
Of course, I started googling Kumihimo braiding to learn more. I found a great 4 minute video on youtube.
It looks fairly simple, doesn't it?
Next, I found a website that advertised Everything Kuminimo and browsed a bit.
The end result of all this is that I have an order for some basic supplies so I can play with some braiding. I am always searching for things relating to my art that I can do while I am traveling. I am optimistic that this may just turn into one of those crafts that will be very portable and even easily done in a plane. And, the result will be some beautiful braiding for a future project.
Will keep you posted!
Interesting. I have *lots* of cotton embroidery floss and novelty yarns...might just have to try this out!
ReplyDeleteP.S. The postage charges to Canada were more than double the cost of 1 plate and 1 counterweight. Think I'll look for 'em on this side of the border!
ReplyDeleteI have something similar called the Diva Custom Cord Maker that I bought at IQF in Houston two years ago. It also makes braided cord from all sorts of fibers and ribbons. It is very portable. I love the wood tool they use in the video though....its beautiful and I like the sound the wood spools make. :) Did you buy the wood version or the white one that looks like some sort of foam?
ReplyDeleteI think I got the inexpensive version to see how I like it. Will let you know what I think after it arrives. The wooden one does look special.
ReplyDeleteMy comment didn't sound the way I intended it. While the wooden tool looks cool the foam one is way more practical (since you want to travel with it) and even better than the tool I bought. The slots in the foam one would hold the fibers more securely and there are way more slots allowing for more fibers. I know you will have great results with it!
ReplyDeleteI'm just catching up on blog reading... yes, the foam disc is considered the portable version of kumihimo. I traveled with mine so I would have something creative to do for the month I was visiting non-crafters. It's addictive! I used a load of embroidery floss I'd found at Goodwill to make braids. Be sure to experiment with textured fibers and bead strings too. Just keep the width small enough to fit in the disc grooves. Have fun!
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