Jenn love reading your bolg! had to laugh! of course you know I am telling my age, made a hanging table with a glass table top, also a lampshade, been many moons ago and dont have eather! omg all the work that went into them! dont think I could set for hours tieing knots, glad that most projects I do now days dont take that much time.
Thanks for takeing me back to my younger years!
oddie

I kid you not, my mom still has a pair of those owls hanging over a spare room bed.

I was a teenager in the 70's, I did a little macrame - my older sister did a lot of it and taught me some. I enjoyed it then and still remember some of the basics. Not too long ago I macrame'd a simple dog leash.

Bwahahaaaaa! I remember it, did a lot of it, but never did an owl. I made a hanging table, some free-form wall hangings, but the best thing I ever made was a really nice purple belt, the first thing I ever did, and a lovely white purse. My 9th grade art teacher taught me how to do it after school was out, I just loved her. I macramed that purse during science class in 9th grade, it took me over a week. I had it on a clipboard but I'm sure it wasn't disguised. Why the teacher didn't kill me, I do not know. I even integrated the strap right into the sides, which meant opening up the bundles of string constantly and then rebundling them. It was a pain, but so nice when it was done. It had a flap front and I eventually had to line it because my pen kept poking out and writing all over my thigh with blue ink! lol I wish I still had that thing! It was so pretty. I think I could do it again, if I could find nice string to work with.

Glad you got a laugh or two, and it's wonderful to hear about your own projects! What, do you think, was the deal with the quantity of owls back then? Why was it always owls?

I can see where the purses and belts, like Flamingo was mentioning, would be really nice and functional.

I saw at a junk shop over the weekend a macrame piece from this time period, however, and it was HUGE-- hung from the ceiling and must have been five or six feet in length. It seemed to be part chandelier, and it had to have taken a LONG LONG time to make. Ya kinda have to respect that...

But it was also sort of, well, not aesthetically pleasing. :-) I didn't see what they were charging for it.

-Jenn

Hey, what's knot to love about macrame! I remember it well as I made quite a few hangers for baskets and of course I made one of those hanging tables. Where else was I supposed to display my ex's "pipe" and the teak box that held some "clips" he just had to have. ; ) Now I can't for the life of me remember where all those knotted wonders got to. Probably ended up at the curb right alongside the ex. lol!

Seriously, though, I really did like doing macrame. I think it's a lost art and we should bring it back . . . um, minus the owls, clippies and pipes ; )

Diana

We made the holders to make pots when I was a little kid. We never goy into the owls and other stuff.

I'm probably weird - but I still like some of those things !
( I gotta get out of the 70's )

Jenn, you just make me crack up with laughter! I think even back when we were all determined to learn how to do the latest craze, we all knew it was a bit "strange". LOL

I took a couple of classes--couldn't let my potted plants be the only ones hanging out "naked" now could I? LOL

It was very creative, challenging, and yes, even fun, to learn all the knots and create the different effects. Have no idea where the ones I made went to. Probably the trash since the cords would get yukky after over watering the plants numerous times! (Hey, never said I had a green thumb, did I?) Luvs

Toomuchglass-- yep, I saw a couple of projects in the books that were actually pretty nice, so I could see where a person would get sucked in.

Diana, YOU made me smile with that one. I bet there would be a way of bringing it back-- more tastefully. I think changing the color scheme of it alone would probably go a long way toward that...

And possibly making it less Owl Intensive. :-)

You gals are great; love the stories!
-Jenn

I still have the owl, it is in my kitchy basement. I still use the Santa Face and the Witch face, as well as a plant hanger that has been in all my kitchens since the 70's.

Geez I had an owl, did the plant holders. Didn't like the jute on my wall - oil transferred across. Not to mention dust collectors. It was sooo cool at that time.

Thanks, now I'm feeling my age!

Oh yes, I remember macrame. One year, I got on a kick of making Christmas wreaths using macrame cord. They were simple and turned out absolutely gorgeous but making them was really hard on the fingers. I bought the wire wreath frames at a craft store, then looped all of these short cut pieces of cord onto the frame. Then, I combed each piece out to make it nice and fluffy. They were actually so pretty that people wanted to buy them. We were as poor as church mice that year. I was a stay-at-home mom with three little boys, so the money really came in handy. Thanks for this reminder. I hadn't thought of those wreaths in years. And yes...those were the good days!!!

Ann, the wreath sounds so cute! I haven't seen any fluffy ones, just ones that look somewhat knitted.

Mcpeg, ah, never fear-- it's no age issue-- it really wasn't that long ago, just interesting to get a retrospective on crafts that were wildly popular during a particular decade.

Danaoh, sounds like you were one serious macrame-er... those are intricate projects you describe!

I'm wondering what crafting trend we're doing now will seem nostalgic or humorous in twenty some years.

--Jenn

Owls are really popular for decoration on boutique clothing. The fabric stores can't keep fabric with owls on it.
I did a few plant hangers but that was about the extent of my macrame.
Hey Flamingo, you said, "I think I could do it again, if I could find nice string to work with"
Better watch what you wish for....you know me and 'string' LOL

I think I started a plant hanger, but can't remember if I ever finished it. I know I made a belt, though. I was stylin'!