week 26 - braids

i was sitting on my sofa last night, annoyed that i had nothing hanging on my recently painted living room walls. as i stared at my incomplete living room project, i decided to take matters into my own hands. i have been meaning to make cords to hang our artwork from, as my parents once gave me a few antique molding hooks to utilize for this sole purpose. i love these old brass hooks. they simply hang directly off of my crown molding, to avoid nailing holes into the walls that we just had painted.

i needed material to braid! so i started wandering around my 800 square foot (on a good day) condo. you would think there would not be too many places to hide a collection of textiles, although you would be sorely mistaken. i have project materials in every nook and cranny of this place (amazingly unbeknownst to my minimalist husband). i was able to come across a pile of cotton tank tops of every color that i had been meaning to take to good will. at first this seemed like a bad idea, as there are plenty of people that could utilize barely worn tank tops, although I figured i would still be putting them to good use... so i started to cut them into strips.

soon enough I had three 8'-0" knotted strands of jersey knit material...ready to braid! the braiding itself was slightly easier said then done, due to the length of material... before I knew it i was braiding both ends of the fabric strips simotaniously. i had to take it a bit slower and keep my braid as organized as possible to avoid further knotting.

once i finished the extensive braid, i was ready to hang my first piece of artwork...so rewarding...and also addicting! i started my second braid this monring, and i don't intend to stop. i have decided that this is also a perfect solution for necklace 'clasps'! i will not utilize my tank tops for future mesh wears, although i am so thrilled with the outcome of these braided cords made out of miscillaneous materials...why not secure strands of beads with braids!

on the table | jersey knits ready for a new form and function!

-melissa