Macrame Fever – Bygone Art of Knot Tying Is Back With A High Fashion Twist
Macrame is the ancient art of tying knots. Dating back to the thirteenth century, this is a craft for the ages. Arab weavers are thought to have created this art form. Macrame spread to Spain and Europe via trade routes. Spending long months at sea, Sailors used this craft as a way to pass time. Bartering their finished crafts allowed the sailors to obtain essential supplies in port. And so the spread of macrame continued, and the art flourished.
During Victorian times, macrame’s popularity peaked. During this time Macrame lace became very popular, being used to embellish all manner of items such as curtains, dress hems, pillowcases and women’s blouse sleeves.
Macrame slowly died down in popularity, and fell out of favor as all fads eventually do. Unfortunately this causes some crafts to become extinct. However the art of knot tying keeps coming back.
In the seventies, the craze hit again. Macrame plant hangers and owl’s were easy to find in homes during that time. During this revival the craft focused more on textiles and furnishings. Macrame hammocks, chairs and decorative accessories were everywhere.
Macrame had fallen out of fashion by the eighties. But not for long. With the nineties came the grunge scene. Once again the craft made a comeback, this time in the form of hemp jewelry. Necklaces and macrame bracelets were seen at craft fairs. The natural earthy look of hemp was the perfect complement to the knotted art form.
Once again, we are seeing a revival in the ancient art form. Recently we have seen the world of high fashion embracing the craft. Last year it was subtly added to fashion lines, but this year we have seen macrame pieces in Spring and Summer 2010 collections. Who would have guessed that you’d find several gorgeous macrame dresses in Dianne Von Furstenberg’s Spring 2010 collection, a well known fashion designer.
The world of high fashion often leads the charge in reviving crafts and techniques of yesteryear. Get out your macrame cord and start knotting!
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