Judy Mulford is head of the Los Angeles Basketry Guild, teaches around the country, and exhibits her work internationally. She is perhaps best known and recognized for her love of working with natural fibers and materials.
Here, Mulford provides the step-by-step for turning special travel trinkets into wearable works of art. For this simple necklace and pouch, Mulford introduces a looping technique that molds cording around an object of your choice (small stones, shells, foreign coins, buttons, etc.). The technique can also be used to make small baskets.
Memory pouch loop necklace
Materials:
favorite stone, shells, wood, ceramic pieces or other memento
string
yarn
waxed linen thread
small beads, buttons and charms
#18 tapestry needle
small piece of cording or silver strip
Steps:
Pouch
- Wrap the leather, cording, or silver around the top of the stone or memento, leaving its top exposed. Overlap the ends of the cord on the back.
- For the first row, use the thread to tie a knot over the overlapped ends of the cord.
- Begin to "loop" (also called "knot-less netting" or "buttonhole stitch") by making a loop of thread below the cord, and placing the threaded sewing needle from the top down behind the cord (figure A). Bring the needle up through the loop of the thread. Repeat. Keep the loops about 1/2 inch apart.
- For the second row, create two loops in each loop of row one.
- For the third row, create one loop in each loop of row two. If you need to enlarge the piece, add two loops into the top loop. If you need to decrease the size, skip one loop (figure B).
- To finish the bottom of the stone, decrease the wrapping on the sides, whipstitch the bottom, and hide the end.
- Add any embellishments by tying beads, buttons, charms, etc., onto the pouch (figure C).
Beads can also be added as you loop by taking the sewing needle off, stringing the bead, and re-threading the needle.
Necklace
- Tie one end of the cording to the top of one side of the stone pouch.
- Measure around your neck to determine the proper length and tie the other end of the cording onto the other side of the pouch.
- String beads on the cording and tie overhand knots in between the beads to keep them from slipping.
Telephone Wire Baskets
Judy Mulford's telephone wire baskets are constructed with the same looping technique used in the necklace. To achieve the ideal result, use 24-guage, #4 or #8 conductor telephone wire. For a smaller basket, 10 feet of #8 conductor wire is sufficient. The wire comes in assorted colors and is available at most hardware and electrical stores.
The basket may be started at the top or from the bottom. From the top, make several circles of wire and loop over them; from the bottom, create a small circle and increase its size with every loop until the base is large and flat. Bring the sides up with the same diameter as the base. To narrow the opening, skip a loop every five loops or so.
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