SFSunset asked for a quick tutorial on making tassels in the comments of the last blog entry since she noticed I made two for my just finished cameo ornament.
I found several good tutorials on the Internet but this one seems to be the clearest.
http://sew4home.com/tips-resources/sewing-tips-tricks/386-how-to-make-a-tassel
Wool makes lovely tassels, so pull out some of your Paternayan and practice tassels in various sizes and colors, just for fun. (Cotton floss makes very pretty tassels as well but I think it's a bit harder to handle for a beginner's tassel.) Tassels are quite pretty as package decorations or draped on a handle of a cabinet so it pays to master this skill.
The trickiest part of making a tassel is figuring out how to tie off the top bit for the head of the tassel. My best advice is to follow the instructions here and pull the "wrap strand" tight at the neck of the tassel's head. Then go around the neck 8-10 times. Then plunge the needle into the middle of the tassel and out the bottom. Clip it to length and it becomes part of the fringed bottom.
If you are worried about it coming loose, make sure the wrap strand has two long loose ends, one you wrap about the neck and the other you hold securely until the wrapping is finished. Then plunge both loose ends into the middle of the tassel and tie them into a knot that the fringe end will hide once you clip the ends at the knot. The knot itself will be hidden just under the wrap at the neck of the tassel and in the middle of the fringe.
Hope this helps!
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow
