April’s project is all about combining sequins and fringe. I love adding sequins to a tapestry and have decided to spill all of my secrets about sources and how to add them while you are weaving. My initial inspiration was from Moroccan wedding blankets, but the combination of fringe and sequins has been something I’ve used in my work for years.
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I love creating holiday crafts that still use my style and fit in with my home. That’s why I created my macrame star project class - because I plan on keeping the stars around my home at all times, not just around the holidays!
I’ve gotten many questions about how to turn a knotted or woven project into a functional piece, and the idea for a macrame stocking has been on my mind for a while. Not only is it a fun project, but it looks great for the holidays!
If you want to learn about the specifics of different macrame knots and designs you can use in this project, grab my Macrame Video Class. I only used a very basic design for this tutorial, but my class has lots of different ways you can combine knots and even incorporate weaving!
Gather materials. You will need rope, (I am using 5mm) 4 pieces of fabric, a display board, push pins, glue and sewing machine.
Begin at the top. Place 2 pieces of fabric on a display board. Use push pins or sewing pins to anchor a piece of rope ontop of the fabric, by pushing them down through the rope, fabric and display board. They should be the width of the top of your stocking. Add atleast 8 strands of macrame rope using a larkshead knot.
Knot the stocking. Use whatever knots and design you choose to knot the outline of the stocking. Include pieces of rope that extend 2-3” from the outline of the stocking into your design to help anchor the sewing later on. Use sewing pins to keep the outline of the stocking you continue to knot.
Add fabric and pins. Comb out all extruding pieces of rope past the outline so that it is easier for your sewing machine to move over them, and give it more strands to sew down. Remove any push pins, add two more pieces of fabric on top so that the macrame is sandwiched in the center of four pieces of fabric and pin all layers together with sewing pins along the outline.
Sew and cut. Sew the outline of your stocking, leaving the top unsewn. Then cut excess fabric 1” from the border of the sewn line.
Turn inside out. Reach into the layers of fabric and turn the project inside out so that the right side of the macrame is once again facing the outside.
Fold down top. Fold down the top a few times until it is level with the top of the macrame.
Whip stitch top. Use a needle and yarn to whip stitch the top fold around the two pieces of fabric and the macrame to create a pocket.
for complete macrame video class
We’ve moved quite a few times since we got married. I’ve enjoyed each place we’ve called home: Utah, Washington, Texas, and Arizona. Each place marks a different focus of my creative journey, and our family’s season of life. We recently moved to San Jose, CA four months ago, and this time was a bit different because as we were house searching, finding a place for my studio was actually a priority.
In all the places we lived before I was happy to turn a spare bookshelf, closet or storage room into a makeshift creative place… you don’t need much space to be creative! However, this time it played an important role in our search. My teenage self would think this was a dream come true! We ended up in a sweet mid century home with the perfect amount of space for our family. It is small and old but I am able to have two rooms set apart specifically for Hello Hydrangea. One as my studio and the other as my office.
My studio has a small closet in the corner with mirrored doors, which I love, because they make the room feel a bit bigger and help reflect light around the room.
Surprisingly, the dining room has the BEST light of the entire house, so I do most of my filming there, when I need to! I love having all of my supplies available at hand, so I built some long bookshelves to store yarn, rope, fabric, dowels, metal shapes, books and packaging materials.
I have some glass jars to keep my yarn and rope remnants in for recycling and installed a long bar on one wall to hang my looms off the ground for protection.
I also brought a meaningful antique dresser that was passed down from my grandparents. It’s very old and has a love note on the back from a husband to his wife on her wedding day.
My goal with this room was to make a creative space where I felt organized, peaceful and most of all inspired. My materials are some of the things that inspire me the most, so having them out on display, instead of packed in a closet is one of the best ways to feel motivated and ready to create every time I walk into the room.
It doesn’t matter what type of space you have to create in. You don’t need much room or many supplies - all you need is an idea and an outlet to be creative. I began Hello Hydrangea back in 2011, When my husband and I were first married, and we lived in a one bedroom, 400 sq ft apartment. Find something that inspires you and fuels your desire to create, and you can do it anywhere!
You can see a live studio tour in the highlights reel of my Instagram feed at instagram.com/hellohydrangea
Hi! I'm Lindsey, the artist and weaver behind Hello Hydrangea. I live in beautiful Northern California, USA with my husband, toddler son, and our schnauzer.
