Dandelion Ball Fringe Using Old Time Pattern
Sometimes the inspiration for the new comes from glimpses of the past. In wandering through Google Books you can find a treasure trove of wisdom and inspiration. Getting lost in this modern library can be a wonderful way to pass a gloomy Sunday afternoon.
The gloom of an upstate New York winter day can bring dreams of spring flowers. Choosing a bright yellow mix brought thoughts of dandelions on Mother’s Day. The perfect choice for a ball fringe DIY attempt.
History of Ball Fringe
Ball fringe was used in decorating the home and was also used for some garments in the mid to late 1800’s. Created from worsted yarn it was an accessible bit of fancy work for those willing to put in a bit of time making it.
Many a foot stool, curtain and pillow used this lightweight and colorful embellishment. Merchants of the day carried the yardage for purchase, but thrifty makers of the day created their own with wool yarn. The collar basket shown above (American Agriculturalist, 1889) is an example of how the fringe was added as an embellishment to everyday items.
Godey’s Lady’s Book came across my feed with directions on how to make the popular fringe. One section of the directions instructs makers to “hold them over boiling water that the fibres of the wool may be separated and the little balls become quite full and round”.
Skeptical of Success
I have to admit that I was skeptical and had to see if the boiling water trick would work, especially with acrylic yarn. A test with a small wool tassel puffed up beautifully. Acrylic yarn in wonderful Dandelion yellow was tested next with a make shift pom pom and it puffed as well!
Modern Day Ball Fringe
Making the 1 inch Dandelion puffs using the instructions above was a bit tricky. I was using a thicker worsted yarn for this project so I used a light weight yarn to tie off the puffs instead of thread.
In making the “skeins”, winding the yarn smoothly around two chairs would work well. I used a rake knitting loom and removed the skein as seen below.
To get the thread between the puffs and still be a tight knot was tricky but I was able to get the knack in just a few tries. Holding the thread about an inch from the last knot, taking a buttonhole stitch and then winding the thread tightly a second time prior to knotting helped. Taking a double knot under the thread kept it from coming loose.
Yes Steam Works!
After snipping between the gray thread the puffs were steamed. The steaming fulled the acrylic yarn, the same as the wool. Fulling increases the width of the strands and loosens the twist of the yarn. This helped hold the tiny bits onto the thread! It was truly magical!
After the steam bath the balls each got a trim. There is a bowl of stuffing for the next tiny pillow project sitting on the desk!
There were a couple of learning curves but in the end some adorable puffs were crafted, perfect for making my ball fringe next week.
Coming Soon…
We are going to fill the Home Town Notes Shop in 2022! Locally crafted as well as location merchandise will be on the shelves. If you love Upstate NY check out the HTN Shop in the next couple months.
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