Since the kumihimo workshop in November, I have become obsessed with braid and braiding. Using the kumiloom disk I started and braided several key chains. Then my good friend Barbara loaned me her Marudai and I began my first project on in. She also gave me enough silk to complete a flat braid obijime and I finished it.
Santa Claus was good to me and brought me my own marudai and accessories and I began my second obijime project that I finished yesterday.
It is fun and repetitive, but not mindless, as I still have a couple of mistakes in each of the projects from not paying attention, gettting lost or getting the order wrong (sound familiar to doing temae?).
Anyway, for my next project I am going to make cords for a chabako shifuku set. I already know how to make shifuku, but cannot get the cords for them.
They are very beautiful! You could think of the flaws like those in an Amish quilt - they remind us we're all humanly imperfect.
ReplyDeleteStephanie,
DeleteThank you for your comment. You caught me at the computer. As my mother said, "Perfection is not for this world. If it was perfect, it would instantly vanish and go to heaven. Since it is not perfect you get to keep it and enjoy it." Happy new year to you.
Margie
This has given me an interest in trying out kumihimo for myself. I am curious as to which projects require a proper marudai to complete and which can be done using the smaller disc instead. Most of my arts studies have focused on functional items, so if I got a disc loom and could only complete small cords for jewelry, I'd probably not stick with it.
ReplyDeleteRhett,
DeleteThank you for your comment. I started on the disc loom and you can do quite a lot of projects on it, bracelets, necklaces and jewelry if you are interested in that. Pearl cotton threads work very nicely on the disc. There are several books of braids and projects that you can look for ideas. These are traditional obijime and have several strands (up to 84 threads) per bobbin that would be difficult use in the slots and keep everything straight. It is also faster to braid on a marudai vs. a disc loom. However, a disc loom is more portable and you can take your project anywhere to work on it.
Margie