Cone #011

Anna has designed this upside down Gingerbread pattern for a cone. Actually the cone Anna made is much more complicated than this one. But it is prudent to start out with a simplified version. Weaving requires some skills to obtain a pretty result.

Print/cut the four parts of the cone in the colours of your choice. Part 1+2 together form the first piece and Part 3+4 form the second.

These are two important tricks for weaving:

TRICK #1: It is all important that you start weaving in the right way. The two pieces must be lined up perfectly. Any inaccuracy will grow as you weave and the result will not be pretty. A good way to start is to place part 1 and 2 flat on the table, line up, and glue together – the pointed part facing the table. Now take part 3 and weave into the first two. Still flat on the table. Take care that the pattern is lined up perfectly. The base fits the base of part 2. Fix with glue. Now take part 4 and do the same. Form the cone and use the flap on the pointed piece to keep everything together. Before you use glue to fix it, make sure that the cone does not crease and that the other colours do not show. If they do, you may cut away a little of the base of part 2, 3 and 4. Line up carefully there must be no open space between arms where they meet. After gluing you may start to weave, see Cone #001.

TRICK #2: To guide you into forming the perfect cone cut out, form and fix the cone of Part 5. Insert the guide cone into the cone you are weaving and tighten by pulling the arms gently. When you have done all weaving use the paper clips to  fix the cone to the guide. Line up your cone by removing one paper clip at a time. Work your way around the cone a couple of times until you are happy with the result. Take another turn and fix the four parts of the cone together with glue. Remove the guide cone.

And files for cutting: cone 011 cut 1 ; cone 011 cut 2 ; cone 011 cut 3 ; cone 011 cut 4 ; cone 011 cut 5

Hans H Koch

In 1916 the Danish architect Hans H. Koch (1873–1922) published patterns and instructions for seven complex woven Christmas baskets and later in 1922 another four. These are among the oldest surviving printed instructions for woven paper baskets of a playful design taken beyond the straight slips. Koch was the godson of H. C. Andersen and gifted with unusual geometrical and stereometric talents. It is fun to note that these eleven baskets display the majority of the principles which later woven basket builders vary ad infinitum. Note he includes the Gingerbread heart with beautiful detailing on the blades. Today Koch is best known for his printed animal baskets for the Christmas tree which you may purchase from the Danish National Museum.

I include a pattern for one of my favorites among his woven basket patterns. Starting to weave is a little tricky. You must insert the larger piece in the smaller and draw out the short first slip and weave that. Don’t hesitate to crease the wider part of a strip if it will not show.

And the cut files: koch cut 2012 1 ; koch cut 2012 2

Balloon #002

If you liked Anna’s balloon mobile #001, you may also like this. Anna has designed a somewhat larger and more detailed Balloon #002.

For each balloon cut four sheets in the colours you like.  Because of the size of the balloon you have to glue stick each arm individually to the small disk as explained for Sphere #001. When doing so you have the chance of planning the pattern. If you want the colours to swivel use two alternating colours on the same disk. If you want a chequered pattern use only one colour but different on each disk. Weave as explained for Sphere #001. Finishing is much easier. Fix each arm with a little glue at the lower edge and the balloon is ready.

Select a ‘hanger’ piece in the colour you like best. Smear glue on one side of the top and wrap it around the lower edge of the balloon. The hangers must come down.

Choose two of the ‘basket’ pieces, fold back each arm, put one piece above the other and weave. The basket is rather small and you may like to fix the weaving with a little glue as you go along. Also fix the basket with glue at the top edge.

Take the balloon and fix the five hangers on the outer side of the basket using the rectangles. Try to make them equally long and as straight as possible. Then smear glue on one side of one of the strips in the colour of your choice and wrap it around the basked covering the base of the hangers.   

Finally make a small hole in the centre disk at the top of the balloon and fix a piece of string using a small pearl or like inside the balloon.

And a file for cutting: ballon 002 cutn

Joined Basket #023

This basket is made from two individual joined baskets. Each made from four pieces. One basket is dumped into the other. And then there is a small heart dumped into the inner basket to form the point. The baskets are probably a bit over the top if you do not have a cutting machine and even then you have to be vary patient.

And the files for cutting: joined 23 cut 1 ; joined 23 cut 2 ; joined 23 cut 3 ; joined 23 cut 4 ; joined 23 cut 5 ; joined 23 cut 6 ; joined 23 cut 7 ; joined 23 cut 8

Mobile #001 Balloon

Anna has designed and made the pattern for these cute small hot air balloons. Make a mobile and watch them fly and turn perpetually.

For each balloon cut two sheets in the colours you prefer. All strips are joined already and you only need to weave as described for Sphere #001. Use the glue stick to fix the strips at the edge when finished. Choose the basket pieces from the same colour as the top centre of the balloon. Make the small circular basket by gluing together bottom and sides. Form a circle from the wheel like shape and fix to the small basket as shown on the pictures. Now smear glue on both inner side of ‘wheel’ and outer side of lower edge of the balloon. Press gently together. Any inaccuracy will be dimmed. To hang the balloon make a small hole in the centre of the top and fix a piece of string tying a pearl or like to the end inside the balloon.

For the mobile on the pictures we used five balloons and 4 slim wooden sticks (12, 12, 16 and 24 cm).

This is a file for cutting: balloon mobile

Heart #041

Heart #041 is a combination of two hearts, one woven basket with a handle and one joined basket without. Make each separately and dump the flower heart loosely into the small woven basket.

And files for cutting: 041 cut 1 ; 041 cut 2 ; 041 cut 3

The heart is much like a lovely heart made by Margit Ammentorp , however, I have added much of what I have learnt developing both the weaving and joining techniques.

Teddy in Rome

This week Teddy and I visited Rome to see old friends. Teddy insisted wearing his best Egyptian outfit to please the frail old Cordonata Lions near Capitol and their cousins at Piazza del Popolo and at Fontana del Mosé. The Elephant at Piazza di Minerva was undergoing the spring cleaning of the century. The crocodile in the fountain of the Four Rivers at Piazza Navona looked kissable as always and the turtles in the Fontana delle Tartarughe were still striving to reach the basin. The fish at the Fontana della Rotunda were as fierce as ever and my favourite the Mascherone in via Giulia still looked surprised. We pushed our interests forward in time from classic and baroque to contemporary and visited both MAXXI and MACRO. The meals were preferably taken at Felice a Testaccio. Roman food is gorgeous – however fat – and we made amends at the vegetarian Il Margutta.