Tied up in knots by giselle laming s3190652 Macramé is a form of textile-making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting. Its primary knots are the square knot and forms of “hitching”: full hitch and double half hitches. It hails from a time where It was long crafted by sailors, especially in elaborate or ornamental knotting forms, to decorate anything from knife handles to bottles to parts of ships. Macramé is thought to have originated with 13th-century Arab weavers. These artisans used the excess thread and yarn along the edges of hand-loomed fabrics into knotted decorative fringes on bath towels, shawls, and veils. The Spanish word macramé is derived from the Arabic migramah, which means “striped towel”, “ornamental fringe” or “embroidered veil.” This handcraft was taken to Spain, and then spread through Europe. It was introduced into England during the late 1700’s. Whilst at sea, the sailors crafted, more practical projects consisting of durable netting and strong shields or screens. These helped with myriad tasks at see such as catching fish and securing items during storms. Bored Sailors macramé
objects in down time, and sold or bartered them when they were on dry ground, thus spreading the art to places like China and the New World - this was the first space where Macramé truly began to spread like a disease. Macramé really took its first lunge at popularity in the Victorian era. Sylvia’s Book of Macramé Lace (1882), a favorite amongst stylish fashionistas of the time, showed readers how “to work rich trimmings for black and colored costumes, both for home wear, garden parties, seaside ramblings, and balls—fairylike adornments for household and underlinens ...” Most Victorian homes also began to be also adorned by this craft. As time passed the skill fell to neglect. It was revived in the 1960s and ‘70s, which made way for more delicate and intricate knitting with a multitude of materials. Along with peace, love, and tie die, though, the sixties brought macramé back into the crafting world. Whether it was because hemp (a natural fiber made from the cannabis plant) is an ideal material to macramé with or because the entire style of macramé knotting is an earthier trend, the hippies loved their macramé. Through range of outlets such as wall hangings, articles of clothing, bedspreads, small jean shorts, tablecloths, draperies, plant hangers and other furnishings. Macramé jewelry became popular amongst the American neo-hippie and grunge crowd, starting in the early 1970s. Using mainly square knots and granny knots, this jewelry often features handmade glass beads and natural elements such bone and shell. Necklaces, anklets and bracelets have become popular forms of macramé jewellery. This then spread across the different generations in American culture, as it was an easily accessible craft. This revitalization to the ancient skill waned in popularity during the ‘80s and ‘90s, but the beginning of the 21st century has seen the return of its popularity. The trend was popularized through the youth originally, and then took a main stage within the older generations in the time as the craft was accessible for self-homemaking parents and grandparents. The subcultures within the macramé trend unfolded depending on the use of material and knot, the square knots popularized
in the 70’s has now taken a backseat to the more popular granny knot. The Necklaces, anklets and bracelets also are less common to the uses of macramé within the interior environment. Five years ago, handcraft within Melbourne began to be re-awakened through the help of craft Victoria and the economic recession. Macramé has always been and economically attainable craft to acquire, and this has definitely aided in it popularity across the decades. But the one defining carrier for the trend which has seen the trend be strengthened would be the rise of the Internet. Within the north of Melbourne, Across Fitzroy, Collingwood and Brunswick, The lost love of Macramé has been re- awakened through an on going trend of people being in love with nostalgia. The theme that you can make something rather than buy it has been growing through the support of creative craft hubs such as the thread den, the harvest workroom and the Stampel studios. The customer who would shop at the expensive boutiques on Gertrude st finding niche items from overseas, wearing Yoji Yamamoto and Comme De Garcon Is Likely to get their hair Cut at Fur Hairdressing where all of the wealthy design conscious get their hair styled. The person that I am Telling you about is interested in only people who are equally as “in the know” as them recognizing who they are wearing and what they are using, The Fitzroy design conscious want to almost look like they are wearing or using an item that could be from Kmart and it is only if you are able to recognize the details that you might know where it is really from. Sarah Parks of Smalltown craft is based in Brunswick Melbourne. Her handcraft has pioneered her to be the heralded queen of knots in Australia. Through her larger than life work that is a statement point within itself, she has managed to make the craft a high end, expensive statement piece that only the wealthy can afford at that scale.
The young, hip design conscious will trawl through a blog from New York like The Selby, or freunden von freunden from Berlin, See that the use of a clean basic white with a hand crafted statement piece which warms up the interior bringing a sense of familiarity with a new medium for fresh change. The design conscious with a large expendable income will see glimpses of fluorescent rope or lightly tie-dyed and then search for a bespoke piece to be made by Sarah. Generally these consumers on the top level of the hierarchy are not creative’s in their field, They would rather just Buy the item and have the Attention that comes with it rather than say that there made it themselves. Sarah has produced infamous works that have been seen In the window of Fur Hairdressing Fitzroy, The Claude Maus Store, The Australian Open, Bloom Cosmetics stores and various Cafes in the area. These commissioned pieces are the Australian interior answer to haute couture, The Hours and cost that are required to produce these one of a kind items would be the same as designer Haute Couture. The later sites which she is held in are the more commonly known destinations for the wider public to frequent, meaning that the trend now seeps wider and to a less design conscious customer, This person is far more likely to want to make their own macramé Just to have a taste of the trend in a far more affordable less bespoke manner. The trend of macramé has finally spread thinly into other outlets of the style, into bags, using the side trend of fluorescent; Fashion blogs will use these and spread the word. Within a the next several months the accessible version of macramé through wearable pieces with be at its most diluted, in chain stores References Macrame Trends By Judy Palmer http://thedesignfiles.net/2012/01/interviewsarah-parkes-of-smalltown/ http://www.harvestworkroom.com.au http://stampelstudio.bigcartel.com/ http://www.jessietucker.net/jumble/macrame. html