Quilling Combs
Finally, our quilling comb has been added to our shop! Not sure what to do with it besides pin your hair up? Here is a little how to with some examples to get you experimenting...
The next thing you need to decide is whether you need a half cascade or a whole one. A whole cascade is done just like a husking, in a side to side looping motion and is good for leaves, angel gowns, quilt block patterns, etc. Half cascades are good for angel and butterfly wings, baskets, and you guessed it...is made the same way as you would if you were doing only one side of a husking.
Some examples:
First off, cascades. It's a little different than traditional quilling in the the strips are folded over one another instead of being coiled... kind of like a flat husking. The plus point is that it adds interest to your quillwork when used in designs. For example, a quilled angel decoration is so much more visually interesting when cascades are used for the wings; they become a wonderful contrast to the rounded shapes in the quilled dress.
So, how do we go about making cascades? It's easy...
Start at the bottom tooth of your comb. The simplest way to start off is to finger quill a very small loop, the same way you would start a coil, and glue it shut. Now, holding the comb sideways, hook this loop onto the bottom tooth and draw your strip up. Which tooth you loop your strip over depends on how tall you need your cascade. Bring it back down and loop under your starting point.
Some examples:
Now, what else are quilling combs good for? If you're making a project that requires impeccable symmetry, they're fantastic for creating matching wheatears. To do this, make a finger roll a little loop, the same way you did to start off a cascade and hook this onto the first tooth again.
Holding the comb with the points facing you, loop your paper over every second or third tooth and bring it back down to loop under. Space your loops closer for a short wheatear, and wider (for example, every sixth tooth) for longer ones. Long wheatears are good for sprays and stems in floral patterns, while short ones make a beautiful contrasting leaf.
Now that you have the knack of how a quilling comb can be a great addition to your tools, don't be afraid to experiment! If you have a very busy schedule, cascades and wheatears can really give your projects a sense of complicity, even if you spent less time than usual creating them; and the contrast of the shapes make your patterns even more aesthetically pleasing to look at.
Labels: cascades, quilling comb, techniques
posted by Niki at
2:22 PM
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