Braider Bob Studios

Marudai Boot Camp

June 7th & 8th, 2019, at The Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

At heart, Kumihimo is a fiber art practiced for thousands of years. The adaptation to the foam disk and plate and the use of beads broadened its reach to art and fashion, but there is a limit to what an artist can accomplish without using a marudai. More complex designs require more sophisticated tools; the marudai is a critical tool towards achieving advanced techniques in your work. However, with it’s free-form design and lack of “beginning” guidelines, the marudai can be intimidating to a new user.

This 2-day class is geared towards artists who wish to explore the possibilities the marudai offers, and to take the first steps more personal, artistic, designs. The curriculum is structured towards both artists who have never used a marudai and those who have a marudai but have not realized its potential. It’s designed to allow students to work at their own speed, exploring a variety of techniques and working at whatever pace is comfortable. Working through the entire course, or staying on a particular topic are both easily achieved. The goal is to gain a sense of how the elements move and interact with each other, and to begin to develop muscle memory for the basic moves of braiding.

The curriculum will loosely follow this path:

Day One

Introduction to the marudai: techniques and terminology
Tama basics: attaching, leaders, weights, fiber
Braid structures, basic movements, adding elements
- Eight element braids
  - Kongoh-gumi
  - Hira-yatsu
  - Edo-yatsu
- Twelve element braids
  - Hira-kara
  - Kongo-gumi
- Sixteen element braid
  - Naiki

Day Two

Attaching tama for beaded braids
Bead spinner basics
2-drop Kongoh beaded braid
Focal beaded braids
Reading patterns for beaded braids
Continuous beaded braids: Hira-kara
Beads as design elements in fiber braids

My goal during the two days is to have students spending as much time as possible braiding. The kit will include pre-set lengths of beads for the beaded braid lessons, as developing the skills to use a bead spinner can take some time. We will learn how to spin beads; each student will load one length of thread for their beaded braid.

This is NOT a projects class, but rather a techniques class. Each student will receive a comprehensive set of instructions covering all the class topics (and more), plus access to a private website for follow-up questions, video tutorials, and more.

For those students interested in taking the class who do not own or have access to a marudai, I will have a limited number available for rent, at $25 for the two days.

To register for the class, please visit http://bit.ly/tamethedai

Fees and Costs

Class Fees and Costs

Teaching Fees

I am fairly flexible in my fee structure for teaching. My goal is to provide a framework for students and hosts to negotiate a reasonable arrangement for all. In general, my fees are as follows:

Full day classes (6-7 hours): $300-$500 per day, depending on duration, complexity, student load
Per-student fees: negotiable
Half-day classes (3-4 hours): $150-$300, depending on duration, complexity, student load
Travel expenses: at cost
Per-diem: $50

Travel, Hosting, Per-diem

Round-trip airfare: Reimbursed at cost.
Driving to a location: Driving time is calculated based on google-map directions. If one-way drive time is estimated at 1 hour or less, no reimbursement is charged. If one-way drive time is estimated at more than one hour, then reimbursement will be at current IRS mileage rates. If actual drive time is less than calculated, the drive-time charge will be based on the actual driving time.
Overnight stays: Overnight at a hotel is either paid by the host or reimbursed at cost to the instructor. I am happy to be hosted in a private home, provided that I have a private bedroom and a bathroom exclusive to my use. I am pet-friendly (even the non-traditional kind) although cats tend to make me sneeze.
Transportation: Expect for cases where I have my own vehicle, the host must arrange for transport to and from the teaching venue. If local transport is not available, then the cost of transport (Uber or rental car) will be reimbursed at cost.
Meals: If meals are not provided, a $50 per diem will be charged.

Kit fees & Materials fees

Kit fees will be provided at the time of contract, based on the project being taught
The hosting venue (i.e. a bead store) may sell kit contents to students if desired. I will provide a complete list of materials in advance of the class. If the supplies provided for purchase to students do not match the list provided and as a result students are not able to participate in the class, no reduction in the class fee will be given.
If desired, I will provide a complete list of supplies in advance of the class for students wishing to bring their own materials. If student-provided materials are not adequate for participation in class, students may acquire materials from the instructor, but if students are not able to participate in the class due to incorrect materials, no reduction in the class fee will be given.

Fiber Anda-gumi Braid Class

The Anda-gumi fiber braid was developed by Makiko Tada as an adaptation of a Takadai (a Japanese braiding stand) version of the braid. Her goal was to create a beginner version of the braid that could be made using the foam braiding plate. The technique of the braid is similar to weaving, in that there is a pseudo-weft crossing the vertical elements of the structure. Unlike weaving, which results in a perpendicular set of interlocking elements, Anda-gumi yields an interlaced structure at a 45-degree angle.

: Wire Anda

: Soutache+wire

The braid can be made with almost any flexible material, including yarn, silk or rayon thread, wire, or leather. If it bends without breaking, it will braid.

Anda-gumi braids can be used for jewelry, such as bracelets or necklaces, purse straps, guitar straps, belts, shoelaces, and many other structures. The width of the braid is limited to the width of the braiding plate and the patience of the braider.

Class Duration: Full day
Student load: 12
Skill: Any level
Tools required: scissors, measuring tape, magnifiers (optional), task lamp (optional)
Equipment required: 12/12 slot foam braiding plate
Materials: fiber for braiding, clasp for jewelry projects

See my class fee & kit cost page for information on costs and fees

Andean Simp’a Wallqa Necklace

Friday, June 8th, 8:30-3:30pm

The art of braiding in the Andes is thousands of years old. It’s primary use was to make slings for hunting and herding, then later for decoration. The traditional method of Andean braiding was by hand, which is still practiced today. In the mid-20th century, the technique of making these braids was extensively researched, and adapted for the plate and the marudai, bringing the technique into reach for modern braiders.

This braid is an adaptation of an ancient Andean pattern of frets – “broken” diamonds. The name of the project translates to “braided necklace” in Quechua, the indigenous language of Peru. This samples were made using a variety of yarns to illustrate the potential of the technique.

This will be a fun class. By the end, you’ll know the basic moves used to make most Andean Braids. I’ll have a selection of eclectic yarns that I’ve collected in Japan and around the US, and your kit will include a magnetic clasp, a foam plate, and great instructions.

Interested? Visit the Bead and Button registration page to sign up. Hope to see you in Milwaukee!

Nejire Edo-Yatsu Necklace

Thursday, June 7th, 9:00am-4:00pm

Edo Yatsu is one of the primary braids in the Kumihimo compendium. It’s quite versatile depending on the number of elements, color placement, movement count and fiber used to braid. This version is a riff on a version I learned from Makiko Tada in Japan in 2015. It uses an asymmetric set of elements to flatten the face of the braid and create a twist in its structure.

I’ll have instructions for both the marudai and foam disc. The basic braid is easy enough for beginners, but I’ll have variations that are challenging enough for a pro. It’s a great technique to add to your Kumihimo portfolio.

The two samples are both made from imposter, using a second set of imposter threads for the twist. It’s a cool technique that opens a world of possibilities for the design of the braid, possibly incorporating beads into the offset threads, or even using the technique on other braiding forms.

Interested? Visit the Bead and Button registration page to sign up. The kit includes a clasp, foam disc (if necessary), fiber for braiding, and clasp options. I’ll communicate with students prior to the class with color options and styles so that we can get right to braiding! Hope to see you in Milwaukee!

Hira-Genji Leather Bracelet

Wednesday, June 6th, 6-9pm

Hira-genji is a traditional flat braid done on the marudai, often used for obi-jime (the belts used to tie Kimono). This version uses leather cord to create a cool bracelet that can be as thin or wide as you wish, with a colorful design. It can be made delicate for girls or masculine for guys by varying the width of the bracelet and the thickness of it’s components.

This class will be taught using the foam plate. For a bracelet, that makes the project quite easy to set up and portable. I will have a variety of leather cord from .5mm up to 2mm to choose from. Your kit will include a braiding plate, cord for the project, and choice of different types of magnetic clasps.

Interested? Visit the Bead and Button registration page to sign up. The bracelet kit includes a clasp, square brading plate, and options for leather. I’ll communicate with students prior to the class with color options and styles so that we can get right to braiding! Hope to see you in Milwaukee!

TOHO Beads presents Demi-Licious Beaded Bracelet

Wednesday, June 6th, 9am-4pm

My demi-licious beaded bracelet is based on Makiko Tada’s Anda-gumi braid, featured in many of her disc-and-plate books. I developed this bracelet over a 2-year period, and refined the design into an easy-to-learn bracelet.

As you can see from the photos, there is an endless possibility for design, from subtle to sublime. The bracelet can be any width from skinny to cuff, and can incorporate a variety of bead types for your artistic expression. The project is taught on the square foam plate, is easy to learn, and requires no prior braiding experience. The kit includes the braiding plate, a clasp, choice of TOHO’s Amiet thread in a variety of colors, and options for all kinds of bead designs. I’ll contact students in advance of the class with ideas on colorways so that we’re ready to braid from the get-go.

Ready to sign up? Visit the Bead & Button Show Registration page, or search for class code B181987. The class costs only $199.00, and includes a full kit – braiding plate, TOHO’s Amiet thread, and lots of bead options. I will send a survey out to students in the weeks before the class with color palates and bead selections so we can get right to work!

Hope to see you at Bead & Button!

Patterns Galore

The most difficult part of the anda braid is the tension (both fiber and bead), because of the structure. It’s not hard to master; once you do, there are all kinds of pattern possibilities. Here’s a pattern I did some months ago when I was developing the bracelet – I’ll be including this pattern in your instructions to try at home!

And then there’s the thread…

One of the key components of this bracelet is the thread that we’ll be using. Tt’s Toho’s Amiet beading thread and as you can see from the picture in the header, it’s visible in the braid. Amiet comes in a variety of colors (you can see them on Fusion Bead’s site.

I will have most of these colors in the class.
The reason that the thread is important is because its visible in the braid, and the color you pick can have a major impact on the appearance of the braid.
If you click each of the sample braid photos, below, you can see how the color of the thread impacts the braid by comparing the two halves of the sample.
Later, I’ll post two pictures of the same braid made with two different colors of thread, so you can see the difference.

Colorways for Anda-gumi Class

Colorway #1: Turquoise + copper-rose

The color name of the coppery beads is actually “mudbrick” which (to me) doesn’t do the bead justice. I think its more of a fire-painted copper (which sounds WAY prettier than mudbrick!). Oh, and believe it or not, the photos are actually in focus. What happens is that the reflection of the beads makes them like they are slightly blurry. You can click the photos for a larger view.

Colorway #2: Jet + bronze

Jet+Bronze. Toho’s 49F is pretty ubiquitous (IMHO). Its a great accent bead, and pairs very nicely with a wide variety of colors. While I was making this sample, I had an idea for another design, which I’ll post later on using both these beads, but with the jet as the highlight.Note that the Jet beads in this photo look gray, but they are really black. Working on that.

Colorway #3: Lilac + dragonfly

Pretty beads, and I like the “dragonfly” name!

Colorway #4: Frosted nebula +milky topaz

Here are the images for the 4th colorway. The bracelet in the header is made from this color combo, using Toho’s #9 Takumi beads – these are a little more cylindrical that the #8’s, but the scheme is the same. Below are the samples for this colorway.