Macramé is an ancient technique of Arabic origin, used to make tapestries, clothing and ornaments. A technique that’s characterised by knots and weaves. Over the past few years Macramé has made a massive come back, with more and more people taking an interest in it, both by those who want to try their hand at a new technique and those who want to buy the finished product.
All this came about from the collaboration with Studio Folklore, the name of a cute Slow Textiles Studio in Madrid. Natural dyes, sustainability, re-fashion, textile jewellery, macramé and much more are the fruits of this independent studio. In her own small way Paola McKenna has managed to even create a little community, thanks to organising workshops and creating tutorials.
It was her macramé necklaces that caught our eye and made us fall in love with Studio Folklore. So much so it inspired a small, gorgeous and purely inspirational collection.
Let’s hear what Paola McKenna has to say about how her life has changed over the years and how her artistic side gained the upper hand.
"While working as a Visual Merchandiser for a department store, I realised I needed to take my creativity into something more personal that reflected my own convictions and helped me to create something beautiful. With that in mind, I started experimenting with organic fibres and teaching myself macramè and natural dyeing. Nowadays I love combining the two techniques, experimenting and creating with them as I did with these necklaces."
Our pure cotton Stromboli tapes and wool felt ribbons were chosen to create these gorgeous necklaces.
For this first necklace we’re going to show you, the Stromboli tape has been dyed with Indigo and then worked using the macramé technique. Take a look at the outcome for yourselves.
Instead, the stars of the show here are thermoformable wool felt ribbons. A weave that gives a quirky three-dimensional effect for a stylish accessory that will certainly make a lasting impression.
"My inspiration comes from nature, its natural colours and organic shapes, for me it is very important to keep things simple and I think that reflects in my style, which keeps changing as I keep carrying on my practice and growing old.
I really enjoy creating my own pieces but I think it is amazing when you share what you know with others and help them to create something on their own, so my next project is focusing on teaching. Natural dyeing can be a bit overwhelming at the beginning so my plan is to simplify things as much as I can to encourage others to re-imagine their second-hand and vintage garments by dyeing them with food waste and natural extracts.
Love collaborating for this project and thanks to DHG for giving me the opportunity to create with these beautiful natural ribbons and yarns."
If you liked this article you might like folk and totemic textile jewellery by Combed Thunder too.
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