Technique Tuesday- Making Cordage from Silk Saris
Rich stories are contained in those relationships we have with objects through place, time and people. I can't wait to move on to weaving emotionally charged fibers into cordage. Now that muscle memory has developed somewhat I will gather worn hankies and threadbare silk head scarves, that were my paternal grandmother's, to be woven in a length of cord ❤️ How lovely to carry on my person a part of her in some tangible way.
Strips of silk from Saris, embroidery floss ends and water were my essential materials used to create this colorful cording. The twisting of each section and then crossing before twisting the other section is what makes them hold together and make those weaker fibers stronger.
I finally found this box of sari strips in the studio and then bits of floss upstairs in an old cigar box. I originally found the cigar box at an estate sale where it was filled with embroidery floss, thread and buttons, a couple houses up from mine. Juanita and Harold Miller raised 4 or 5 children in this small 3 bedroom house. The embroidery floss must be from decades of cut ends that were a part of sewing pillow cases, aprons, doilies, smocks and dressing gowns. It is a joy to pull threads amidst this mass of color. Surprisingly my mom bought this small house, around 15 years ago, making it into her refuge.
I sprayed water to just dampen the strips and threads to help them relax. Essential oils were dropped in to the bottle just for fun.
My thoughts are to wrap the cording loosely with a gauzy neck scarf, alone or around the wrist wrapping several times.
enjoy, take care-
Stephanie 🌿
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