creative Beading 49Feature
them plenty of time to invent products using
their knotting skills. they made macramé
fishing nets, strong matting to put over
the ships’ slippery decks, coverings for
slippery railings so the sailors could grip
them safely, and covers for glass bottles
to stop them smashing in rough weather.
other items made from macramé included
rope ladders, lanyards, belts, hats and
rudimentary footwear. when they docked
at various locations around the world they
used their handicrafts to barter for goods
such as food and clothing, and the locals
often copied the work of the sailors, thus
spreading their skills around the globe.
missionaries have also been attributed with
the spread of macramé across the world.
often their altar cloths and church vestments
were adorned with knots made by nuns,
and these items were admired, copied and
developed by both the missionaries and the
local inhabitants of these villages.
macramé was used by the French as a
form of lace-work during the 15th to 17th
centuries, and also extensively used by the
celts as heraldic knots. it had also spread
to italy and spain during this period, and by
the late 1600s had made its way to england.
macramé was very popular in the Victorian
period in england, where the ladies of the era
created intricate fringes and knots to decorate
their handiwork, particularly during the mid to
late 1800s, when furnishings and accessories
were enjoying a heyday of rather excessive
ornamentation.
macramé did not reach another period
of success until the late 1960s and early
’70s, with artists and craftspeople making
everything from belts, bags, pot plant holders,
clothing (including vests with long fringes for
men and women) and wall hangings. designs
tended to be large and loud, with vivid
colours and chunky knots.
the new macramé of the 21st century is
quite different to that period, with a far more
artistic and elegant finish. the fibres are often
more delicate, the colours tend to be softer
and the designs more subtle.
at a basic level, macramé is a very simple
craft. it is based on four simple knots, and
can be made without expensive equipment