Thursday, July 7, 2016

The Revival of Macrame


Macrame.  A lost art?

Think again!  Macrame is back in a big way!  In fact, it's back and hanging in the room I'm staging as an office!  I told you I was changing up the vibe in this house.


I love how this piece adds depth and texture to my office wall.  I also love how you just don't see macrame everywhere.........it's different, maybe unexpected, and definitely one of a kind!  Not to mention, it's the work of a fiber artist, my friend Layne.  She made that beautiful piece.

But let's back up a little bit.

Not too long ago, my friend Layne asked to interview me about my favorite hobby!  She wanted to know a little bit more about my thrifting skills.  Funny thing is, I wanted to know a little bit more about her favorite hobby too.........macrame!  So we traded interviews!  You can check out my interview at her blog The Room Journal.  And you can stay put to hear more about Layne's favorite hobby.......

How did you get into macrame?
My dad got me interested in macrame.  He made a lot of plant hangers, etc, back in the 70's, and he taught me a few knots. But then I became obsessed with it a few years ago when I discovered the work of Sally England.  Seeing her work made me start getting serious about learning more advanced knots.  I am self-taught, using vintage macrame books and YouTube videos.

Tell me about your Etsy shop name Viola Maye....
When I first started my Etsy shop, I called it "Eck Art."  I just couldn't think of a anything pretty, so I went with something silly. But I really wanted to find a name that had a nice sound to it.  Then one day I was digging through a drawer and came across something that had my grandma's first and middle name on it, and realized how much I liked the sound of her name, so I went with that.

What different items can you make? 
I offer pre-made and made-to-order macrame items, including wall hangings and plant hangers.  I also take custom orders.

What materials do you use?
I use cotton rope.  I also use driftwood I find along the coast of Puget Sound.

What gave you the idea of finding driftwood along Puget Sound to use?
I've noticed so many macrame artists using lots of different things to tie knots from ~ dowels, copper rods, lucite, driftwood, etc.  I've always loved the driftwood the best, so I was pretty thrilled when I discovered my new home in the Pacific Northwest had plenty of interesting pieces of driftwood everywhere I look.


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I have driftwood from Puget Sound hanging in my house?!?!?!  That is pretty darn cool!!!  AND YOU COULD TOO!  Layne is offering 20% off orders over $50!  Use the code VINTAGEGROVE20 to receive the discount!  Hop on over to Viola Maye to snag a beautiful piece of your own!  Or you can buy the piece named Evelyn for ME.  I have lots more wall space to fill, and I've had my eye on Evelyn since she added it to her shop!

We can call it an early Christmas present!








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You can find Layne on the internets at.....
*her blog: theroomjournal.com
*on Instagram: @layneeckhardt



Linking up with Two Thirty-Five Designs