larks

This is so cool, even if I do say so myself.I have had this idea for about 9 months.

I needed a better way to display purses at craft shows and art fairs.
Last year we toted 4’x8’sheets of plastic lattice panels and long pieces of wood to screw them to (see craft show tab). It was great to use hooks on the lattice to hang each purse and be able to move them around as they sold. But I wanted something uniform and befitting the theme of Macrame. I can still use the same hooks, they just sit on top of each square knot for strength.

To this picture, I will be adding one macrame plant hanger, with fake plant, in each corner. This is for a little bit of a joke. Because every craft fair I go to, at least 10 people make fun of them. They will not be for sale, but just as an accent to add to the theme.

There is about 3,700 feet of clothes line for these three panels. You should have seen the man in the check out aisle behind us when we purchased 39-100 foot bundles; we took two back. He had to ask what the heck we were doing. As a matter-of-fact he stopped by the venue to see the finished work as he had promised; he was impressed.

Here is a trick my husband picked up at todays venue for the bottom. He will be bolting the legs to ten foot panels to keep the legs straight and we will loop two tiny bungy straps (one on each side)between the bottom of each wall to the wood frame with eyelet screws (not shown) to keep the panels straight.

I am sending out applications for just two craft fairs this summer and I can not wait to set this up.

Not only does it look nice, but it is very easy to transport. They are held up with a bungy strap on each side at the top and when you are finished with them, just roll them up and put it into the back of the pickup track. The wood boards will be held together with lag bolts and wing nuts; easy to set up and take down. They will fit along side the rolled walls and the pop up tent.

Incidentally, before we took down the walls, I had another idea to use this same pattern for a hammock; just a little shorter width and a little longer length. I’ll get back to you on this; I’m still working out the details. Tell me what you think.

As always, be creative!

Isn’t this different? I really enjoyed making this purse. It has such a classic look. This can be made this way or drop the shoulder straps and start the body right from a wooden grasp handle to have a hand bag.

After constructing the handles, I crossed over one left strand to the right strap and one right over to the left to bridge the two straps. Four cactus green, then eight white and then the last four green are larks head knotted over the bridge. This is repeated on the other side. A square knot on the strap is added to line up with the first green SK on each side. Two black cords, folded in half are added, one row at a time to all four corners. At this point the base is made. Fourteen rows of alternating square knots are made decreasing by one with each row until you are left with one knot to make in the last row, forming a V shape. Once this is completed on both sides of the purse, you lay them side by side with right sides facing up. Pin them to a board with the end knots at the top just touching. The first cord from the right purse side is crossed over the left purse side along the bottom edge of the finished square knots. Double half hitches are made over this cord using all the cords from the left purse side down to the last white to the inside of the black cord. Then the top cord on the left crosses over the right purse side and double half hitches are made over on the right side.

This continues in an alternating pattern to form the side of the purse and attach the left and right sides together. It will be complete after the last black cord is hitched over and moved to the bottom. Now one green SK is placed at the base of the black in the middle using two green cords from the right and two green from the left side. Continue alternating the SK until eight rows are completed down into the white area. It is a little hard to image that it is the side of the purse until you unpin and refold the purse lining up the handles. The other side will need to have this done also. Here you can see with the realignment that only one side is done.

Open up the purse once again and fold it so that the loose cords meet and touch as they did with the first side. The finished side is to the back. You will need to pin through both layers to secure it. Again start with the top cord from one side and cross it over the other side and double half hitch down the eight rows per side until all eight black cords from each side have moved to the bottom of the purse. Finish with the eight alternating SK down through the white cords at the bottom. You will see that there are the black cords left in the front and back. Just like the side bottoms, make alternating SK, but there will be only four rows. This should bring all the cords finished evenly. To bring all sections together, make two final rows of alternating SK all the way around. Turn the purse inside out and tie off to close, cut and melt ends. Turn right side out and line the inside.

The finished size is 12″ x 9.5″ with a strap height of 11″. The colors used are black, cactus green and white. The ribs formed by the half hitches give a round, full look to the entire purse.

Let me know what you think of this design. I think it could go with most outfits.

Until the next project,

Be creative!