Wednesday, December 16, 2009

leather, mesh, knots and chains

so, I saw this necklace in this post on Unruly Things, and I really fell in love. But I don't exactly have $250 for a necklace. I didn't even buy wire. Instead, I made this out of some of that copper mesh ribbon - you know this stuff? it's actually woven in a tube - that I pulled over an equal length of braided leather cord. Well, to be honest, I outsourced that labour - it was time-consuming and frustrating and I had lots of homework. So my darling boyfriend did that part for me. Then I used a big clamp/crimp clasp to secure the mesh around the cord at the ends. It was easy to make the knot just following the Samma picture, and the leather cord is stiff enough that it firmly holds its shape.

I added the bronzy chains at the back because it wasn't nearly long enough for a necklace after I'd done the weaving (note: I began with 36 inches of mesh-covered cord - I needed to start with at least 54 if I wanted the necklace to be all one piece), and crimped a few bronzy jump rings around the mesh/cord part for texture. If I could do it over, I'd put a darker leather under the copper so you could appreciate the texture and contrast better, but oh well. I think it might be a nice piece for summer - especially if I ever make that olive green silk into a pretty dress!

Whaddya think? For about $20 or $30 of materials, it's not a bad option, I think.

3 comments:

Mary-Laure said...

Crafty you, what a great way to recreate a design you liked... It IS a beautiful necklace indeed.

chelsea said...

beautiful!!

Heather said...

Hi Sarah-

Am impressed with your resourcefulness, dear girl. This piece looks kind of Celtic or tribal. Hey, I didn't realize you'd been blogging so much lately (even though I definitely have you on my favorite blogs list). The past couple of weeks, I've been delinquent. I wasn't reading my beloved blogs as much as I should. I'm catching up on all of yours now.

It's really great to see your taste. Makes me want to create something for you! Your blog is tranquil and inspiring to look at. It also helps me to figure out which of my lovely possessions (things I don't have room for right now) would be right to give to you. I don't want to clutter up your life though. Yet, I do want to give you a gift or two eventually. Because you've been a darling person to me thus far.

The more I get to see your creative process, things you make that turn out beautifully (whether they are things to wear or things to eat), and the more I hear your voice through your writing, and the more you share about your family, it makes me feel very happy to have Pacific Rain in my life :)

I hope you don't mind this comment has turned into a little letter.

Happy New Year!