Where do I find a Melbourne Macramé Class?
When I first started making macrame I found it really challenging to get any kind of hands on help. Every choice I made felt like a gamble!
I decided to teach myself. It’s a challenging path and the resources available today were nowhere near as good when I began! I had to look high and low. Melbourne Macrame Classes, very thin on the ground back then.
I made trips to Bunnings, Spotlight and Lincraft hoping to magically find the rope I wanted. It was all expensive and didn’t feel good to work with, much less feel confident cutting into lengths so I could make things out of it! I now have the best rope in the entire world to use. It’s soft. It knots beautifully and it provides the perfect base to all of my work. I strongly believe that your work will only ever be as good as the materials you craft with. If you have something ethically produced (ALWAYS ask for the country of origin, don’t just assume it’s ethical because they say so) and sustainably sourced your work is starting from an amazing place.
How do you get started making Macrame in Melbourne?
I would spend hours and hours researching guides and reading tutorials on how to tie the knots I had seen. Getting the right kind of rope also took a really long time. (If you’re keen to learn more about rope check out this post I wrote!)
I’m a crafty kind of lady. I’ve always made things with my hands. I’m also very stubborn and once I set my mind on making Macrame that was it. I was going to master it by whatever means, even if I didn’t have a Macrame class to attend.
I think Josh (my Fiancé) thought I was initially a little bit mad. I would spend hours and hours at the computer watching grainy tutorials of men on boats tying knots. I also looked up old scout guide books to see if they had diagrams because my logic was ‘if it’s simple enough for a child to do then I, Maggie May fledgling Macrame artist, will also be able to do it!’. (Anyone with their knot tying badge is a hero in my book).
The resources in American were awesome and there were also a few people around Australia doing it, but not quite in the style I imagined for myself. I was able to piece together a Macrame education, but there were a lot of things I had to figure out for myself. Like how long do you cut the cord… Literally no one would tell me that! What is the best rope for a certain project? Figuring out why some things worked and others didn’t took a really long time.
Understanding tension and rope structure took a lot of patience and practice. Also, I was deadset against replicating any other macrame wall hanging I had seen. My work was going to be an expression of my ideas and creative journey. This made things much more difficult, but in the long run much more worthwhile. But isn’t that the case with most things?
I started teaching macrame classes when a friend asked me to show her how to do it! I immediately loved sharing my macrame obsession.
What can you expect from a Middle Aisle Macrame Class?
My Melbourne Macrame workshops are designed around my own Macrame philosophy and ideas about creativity. A creative process is something that you can take throughout your whole life. It can help you feel more confident in completely unrelated areas of your life. Creative classes can help you develop an awareness and empathetic sensitivity to other people.
My classes are not only about macrame, they’re about being a kind person to yourself and the people around you. I teach Macrame Plant Hangers, Macrame Wall Hangings for Beginners and now a brand new Advanced Techniques Class!
If you’re after an enriching and well rounded Macrame class then The Middle Aisle Premium Macrame workshops are the place for you. We use the best Australian rope available and everyone is encouraged to craft something original.
My Macrame classes are now held at Think Thornbury. It’s a lovely light filled room, perfect for crafting and learning.
Fancy a private or skype Macrame class? Get in touch.
Much Love, Maggie May xx
