3D Outcomes Development: Weaving Wire

 To achieve the desired outcomes for my project, I used a variety of wire weaving techniques. In this post I will be explaining how I created the final outcomes.

 

The technique that I found most helpful was the twisting wire technique, which means twisting multiple wires together. Twisting multiple wires added strength to the base of my outcomes and helped with keeping the shape intact while wearing it. I used this technique to create the brooch, using two pieces of copper wire and splitting them down the middle before using the split as a base to start twisting from. Once I joined the two ends of the circle together by weaving the ends through the hoop that I created by splitting the wire through the middle and flattening the hoop with pliers. I then used a smaller sized wire to create the hemlock leaves by weaving the wire around the base, creating a loop and twisting to seal the loop.  I repeated this process for every hemlock leaf

For the branch brooch I used a thicker copper wire for the base, however, I used the same twisting method as the round brooch. For every branch that separates, I made another loop at the end and twisted it until it reunited with the main branch. I twisted extra, thinner wire around the branches to create different levels of thickness across the whole branch to make it look more natural. I used the same technique for the hemlock leaves that I used for the round brooch. 

I measured a comfortable distance between the round brooch and the branch and then measured equal distances between the rings. I then cut off the correct amounts of chain and applied jump rings to the chains so I could attach them to every part of the brooch. I deliberately created equal distances between all the parts so the brooch can be worn in a variety of ways.

For the anklet I measured the circumference of my upper arm before cutting off two pieces of copper wire with extra space to create the coneflower leaves with. I used one end of a wire to create a leaf and then I used the end of the other wire to create the midrib of that same leaf. This way, I did not have to sacrifice the design with unnecessary twists. 

I used the lashing weave technique to join the two base wires together. Since the piece should be worn quite tightly against the skin, the twisting technique would be too uncomfortable. The lashing weave involves weaving a thin wire around both base wires for six weaves and then weaving the wire around one base wire for six weaves. 

For the necklace I decided to use a braiding method to add strength and elegance to the base of the piece. I cut off three equal lengths of copper wire and clamped the ends together using a separate piece of wire. I then put the clamped part in a vice and started braiding the three wires, holding all three wires tightly throughout the process. I had to restart this process three times before I acquired the correctly sized necklace that fit well on me. I did not figure out how to measure this correctly. I tried to time the length of the wire by three, four and five, but it depends on how tight the braid is.

 

 

I weaved a thinner wire through the braid, using the tension method that I tried out for my prototypes. The tension that I created by bending the wire kept the wire in place in the middle. I used the end of the wire to create another spiral at the end. I bent all the spiral slightly inward so the necklace stays on better.

 

 

For the bracelet, I revisited the twisting method. Since the wire was quite thin, I attached the little branches separately. This way, it was easier to measure where the branches should go as well.

To finish the earring as much as I could at this point, I cut out two separate pieces of chain and put a pearl in the middle. The pearl is held in place by a piece of wire with two small loops at each end of the wire, big enough to keep the pearl in place. To attach the chain to the big hoops, I used jump rings. 

It was quite difficult to work with the tiny links in the chain. Even my smallest pliers were too big, so I had to use tweezers to keep the chain in place while trying to attach and close the chain link after cutting them. It took multiple tries each time.