The theme of the show was “Art that Suits You” (art related to clothing and textiles). It made me want to sew. After all, I do have a degree in that subject. Instead I decided to weave random scraps of wire and metal to make little “fabric” swatches, which ultimately became necklaces and earrings. The first pieces were made from short lengths of wire leftover from other projects. That included round wire, twisted wire, and square wire of different lengths.

• Each wire end is finished, either with balls using a torch or rolled into spirals.

• Fine wire is used to weave the larger wires together. I use 24 gauge round wire.

• The wire weaving pattern that I prefer is called flame stitch because it makes a zigzag pattern. In weaving terms it looks like twill weave.

• The ends of the fine wire are wrapped or they become part of the design.

Many variations can include using a different pattern weave; using different metals and color combinations; using metal strips with copper or silver texture; inserting beads or other objects into the weave; making it three dimensional. The possibilities are limitless!

Items from the Loose Ends Collection are available from www.stpeteartworks-onlinestore.com

Related Blog Posts:

Wire Wrapping 101 2018/8/23/wire-wrapping-101

Spiral Jewelry 2017/10/3/spiral-jewelry