Working with wire

It has been a while since I had anything to say on this blog considering that I have been glued to the computer working on translations. So, finally, on Saturday I was able to take a wire wrapping class from Charlotte Caughman at Tryon Crafts, a great craft center where I live.

I feel that learning more about working with metals will be very helpful both for my "Offerings" and for the small copper enamel/fabric pieces. It will make it easier to make much better decorative elements to add to them. A surprising fact (to me), is that the more I handle the metal, the more I am enjoying it. It is so very different from the feel of fabrics, yet I think both work so wonderfully together. In my quest for textures, having the skills to add metal elements is such an added bonus! A new addiction????....(that requires new toys!)

Here is what I made in class:

Zardozi embroidery

With quite a bit of difficulty and expense, I finally got a book about zardozi embroidery, the kind of work I saw in Dubai and that blew me away. It is not easy reading but I think it will be very informative. Now, we shall see how that will come out in my own work.... the first problem will be to find where to buy the different gold threads and wires...and the money to buy them! keeps life interesting.