How do you make twisted fringe?

1dancing white wolf · 05-02-2002, 09:35 PM

Okay,
My fiance' made me a great flat fan and he wants to twist the fringe on the end of the handle-I have no idea how to do this and make it stay put. Someone want to help us out here and give me the scoop on twisted fringe and how to do it the right way???
Thanks!

powwowbum49 · 05-03-2002, 01:35 AM

Is the fringe already on the fan or not?

CHEROSAGE · 05-03-2002, 03:02 AM

Try some fringes before actual end products.

Cut a very thin strip of leather maybe 1/8-1/4 inch wide. The thinner the better,it needs to be able to cut in half again but not all of the way. leave about 1/2 inch on the end at least at first until you get the hang of it.

I put the nonsplit end in my teeth and twist the two strands in the same direction. Not too tight. Twist all of the way to the end. Allow the nonsplit end to roll out of your mouth. You will need to give the leather a roll. I roll mine on my leg.

Not a real good picture, and maybe even left something out but this may be a start.

Good luck!!!!!!

nativegal · 05-03-2002, 08:34 AM

From what I understand, back in the day they use to do it like Cherosage siad, but I cannot stomach the leather taste or the fact that it leaves the leather debri on you mouth. I wet mine in a bowl of water, one strand at a time, and roll it between my fingers.;)

catsmeow · 05-03-2002, 09:08 AM

My friend makes hers on her mixer. She starts with a thin strip of thin buckskin, splits it in half til about 1" and dampens it. Then I guess holds it by the mixer thingy and and lets the ends catch and twirl around. She then pins the pieces to cardboard to dry.

1dancing white wolf · 05-06-2002, 01:23 PM

The fringe is already on the fan-he finished it before he saw the pictures in the gallery of the twisted fringe, so i think we will practice a little before trying it on the fan itself. Thanks for all the suggestions and if anyone thinks of anything else let us know.

succubus · 06-03-2002, 08:07 PM

I'm not familiar with the traditional techniques, but in weaving we have fringe twisters. (One gets really tired twisting several hundred warp ends by hand. :( ) They're about $12. The concept is similar to those new Twist-a-Braid gadgets you see on tv now (except these are battery operated, the weaving ones are crank operated). If you're wetting the fringes, maybe the manual one would be better?'

This ad from a NYC store has a picture.
http://www.pearlpaint.com/fringetwister.html

Hope this helps.

OLChemist · 06-03-2002, 08:23 PM

Up north some people make twisted fringe by wetting a thin strip of buckskin, twisting it, and clamping the ends until it dries. This works well although it looks different from the other stuff. There are some artists in SD that do it this way and it looks very nice.

I do that on my fans but it doesn't always suit more southern :) tastes and I have had to rip it out more an once. If I can get the old scanner running, I'll upload a pic this evening -- unless this a a breach of forum ediquette.

Sincerely,

OLChemist

OLChemist · 06-03-2002, 11:14 PM

Got the pic. Hope posting this is ok with folks

randyinkc · 07-01-2002, 05:10 PM

This post if very belated, but may still be helpful.

When I twist fringe, I generally try to twist the fringe before its sewn into the finished item.

I do a split twist, as its the only twist I have found that will stay until the leather falls apart.

To start I cut my fringe piece out of scrap and cut each fringe to about 3/16 of an inch. A little smaller for fans a little bigger for legging/cuff/apron trim. I leave a solid strip across the top piece so there is a continuous section for sewing the fringe piece into the finished item. (However for smaller clumps of fringe on fan/dance stick handles, I have at times cut each fringe piece seperately) I usually leave about a 1/2 inch wide strip for sewing

The best tool for cutting fringe in my experience is a rotary razor tool, often called quilt block cutters. With those and a metal straight edge you can cut fringe in no time at all.

Once the fringe is cut I go back and split each fringe piece. I start at the solid section across the top and split each fringe piece to about until there is only about 1/4 inch left at the end of the fringe. This creates a "loop." Once all the fringe pieces are split I soak the leather in water.

Next comes the twisting. To twist the leather I generally use a staple gun to tack the top strip (the one that you will sew through) to a board. I take the first fringe piece and turn the loop into itself until both sides of the split fringe are twisted. once that is done I pull the end of the fringe piece straight and curl the whole piece together. I then staple the end of the fringe to my board to keep it from un-twisting until it dries. Then repeat until your fringe is done or you have too many blisters on your hand to continue. ;)

The look of the fringe is different from what is being shown above. The only way the twist comes out is if the fringe piece get broken.

I'll have to take a picture of my fringe and post it....

Hope that makes sense....

Selina · 07-07-2002, 02:49 PM

Hey OLChemist!

That is wonderful!!
:D

OLChemist · 07-07-2002, 07:42 PM

*Blush*

Thank you very much.

I love working with those 18/o's. You can get such detail.

OLChemist

Ponemahgrl · 07-07-2002, 10:58 PM

holy smokes! what nice work you do! I love the colors and designs. :)

Ponemahgrl · 07-07-2002, 11:01 PM

Do you have any pics of the fans youve made? I'd love to see them. You can PM me and I can send you my email addy and look at them that way. Thanks!

05-02-2002, 09:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
1dancing white wolf Junior Dancer Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Highland Springs, Va, USA Posts: 131	How do you make twisted fringe? Okay, My fiance' made me a great flat fan and he wants to twist the fringe on the end of the handle-I have no idea how to do this and make it stay put. Someone want to help us out here and give me the scoop on twisted fringe and how to do it the right way??? Thanks! __________________ Rie

05-03-2002, 01:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
powwowbum49 Arena Director Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: midwest, USA Posts: 792	Is the fringe already on the fan or not? __________________ PB49 "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Pablo Picasso My comments are based on what I have been taught and my experiences over the years I have been around the circle. They should in no way be taken as gospel truths and are merely my opinions or attempts at passing on what I have learned while still learning more.

05-03-2002, 03:02 AM	#3 (permalink)
CHEROSAGE Pow Wow Committee Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: , mo Posts: 1,329	Try some fringes before actual end products. Cut a very thin strip of leather maybe 1/8-1/4 inch wide. The thinner the better,it needs to be able to cut in half again but not all of the way. leave about 1/2 inch on the end at least at first until you get the hang of it. I put the nonsplit end in my teeth and twist the two strands in the same direction. Not too tight. Twist all of the way to the end. Allow the nonsplit end to roll out of your mouth. You will need to give the leather a roll. I roll mine on my leg. Not a real good picture, and maybe even left something out but this may be a start. Good luck!!!!!! __________________ BOB

05-03-2002, 08:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
nativegal Putin' a lil jingle in it Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Dirty Dirty South Posts: 424 Blog Entries: 1	From what I understand, back in the day they use to do it like Cherosage siad, but I cannot stomach the leather taste or the fact that it leaves the leather debri on you mouth. I wet mine in a bowl of water, one strand at a time, and roll it between my fingers.;) __________________ What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!!!!

05-06-2002, 01:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
1dancing white wolf Junior Dancer Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Highland Springs, Va, USA Posts: 131	The fringe is already on the fan-he finished it before he saw the pictures in the gallery of the twisted fringe, so i think we will practice a little before trying it on the fan itself. Thanks for all the suggestions and if anyone thinks of anything else let us know. __________________ Rie

05-03-2002, 09:08 AM	#5 (permalink)
catsmeow Tiny Tot Dancer Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 50	My friend makes hers on her mixer. She starts with a thin strip of thin buckskin, splits it in half til about 1" and dampens it. Then I guess holds it by the mixer thingy and and lets the ends catch and twirl around. She then pins the pieces to cardboard to dry.

06-03-2002, 08:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
succubus Pow Wow Visitor Join Date: May 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 5	I'm not familiar with the traditional techniques, but in weaving we have fringe twisters. (One gets really tired twisting several hundred warp ends by hand. :( ) They're about $12. The concept is similar to those new Twist-a-Braid gadgets you see on tv now (except these are battery operated, the weaving ones are crank operated). If you're wetting the fringes, maybe the manual one would be better?' This ad from a NYC store has a picture. http://www.pearlpaint.com/fringetwister.html Hope this helps.

06-03-2002, 08:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
OLChemist Pow Wow Committee Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 725	another way Up north some people make twisted fringe by wetting a thin strip of buckskin, twisting it, and clamping the ends until it dries. This works well although it looks different from the other stuff. There are some artists in SD that do it this way and it looks very nice. I do that on my fans but it doesn't always suit more southern :) tastes and I have had to rip it out more an once. If I can get the old scanner running, I'll upload a pic this evening -- unless this a a breach of forum ediquette. Sincerely, OLChemist

07-01-2002, 05:10 PM	#10 (permalink)
randyinkc Junior Dancer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: KC, Missouri Posts: 143	This post if very belated, but may still be helpful. When I twist fringe, I generally try to twist the fringe before its sewn into the finished item. I do a split twist, as its the only twist I have found that will stay until the leather falls apart. To start I cut my fringe piece out of scrap and cut each fringe to about 3/16 of an inch. A little smaller for fans a little bigger for legging/cuff/apron trim. I leave a solid strip across the top piece so there is a continuous section for sewing the fringe piece into the finished item. (However for smaller clumps of fringe on fan/dance stick handles, I have at times cut each fringe piece seperately) I usually leave about a 1/2 inch wide strip for sewing The best tool for cutting fringe in my experience is a rotary razor tool, often called quilt block cutters. With those and a metal straight edge you can cut fringe in no time at all. Once the fringe is cut I go back and split each fringe piece. I start at the solid section across the top and split each fringe piece to about until there is only about 1/4 inch left at the end of the fringe. This creates a "loop." Once all the fringe pieces are split I soak the leather in water. Next comes the twisting. To twist the leather I generally use a staple gun to tack the top strip (the one that you will sew through) to a board. I take the first fringe piece and turn the loop into itself until both sides of the split fringe are twisted. once that is done I pull the end of the fringe piece straight and curl the whole piece together. I then staple the end of the fringe to my board to keep it from un-twisting until it dries. Then repeat until your fringe is done or you have too many blisters on your hand to continue. ;) The look of the fringe is different from what is being shown above. The only way the twist comes out is if the fringe piece get broken. I'll have to take a picture of my fringe and post it.... Hope that makes sense.... __________________ Randy

07-07-2002, 02:49 PM	#11 (permalink)
Selina freak ;-) Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 737	Hey OLChemist! That is wonderful!! :D __________________ Live each and every day of your life as though it would be your last!

07-07-2002, 07:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
OLChemist Pow Wow Committee Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 725	Blush Thank you very much. I love working with those 18/o's. You can get such detail. OLChemist

07-07-2002, 10:58 PM	#13 (permalink)
Ponemahgrl Junior Dancer Join Date: May 2002 Location: close to my mans heart Posts: 146	holy smokes! what nice work you do! I love the colors and designs. :)

07-07-2002, 11:01 PM	#14 (permalink)
Ponemahgrl Junior Dancer Join Date: May 2002 Location: close to my mans heart Posts: 146	Do you have any pics of the fans youve made? I'd love to see them. You can PM me and I can send you my email addy and look at them that way. Thanks!