More tightening

Attachment 37801

Attachment 37802

Attachment 37803

Attachment 37804

more tightening,

Attachment 37805


getting close...

Attachment 37806


Eventually, the knot turned out like this. (hahahaha I crack me up, I see what I did thar.)

Attachment 37807


Now to the handle wrap. Once again, this was an iterative process. I made that little fringe of six strips, remember? Turns out it was too wide. So I cut the thongs apart and then made them narrower so their combined width was equal to the circumference of the handle. Like the round braids for the stems/falls, this braid has half the thongs/strand on each side. This has a core, and the falls had none, of course.

Attachment 37808

Here is the page I worked from. Clear, right? It is pretty clear actually.

Attachment 37809


Just like the other braid, I take the outermost thong, behind the braid, then over, under, over.

Attachment 37810


Switch sides, repeat.

Attachment 37811

Hm.. feels good!

Attachment 37812

I got to the end of my handle and had to decide how to finish it off.

Attachment 37813


I whipped the strands of the stems tightly, then trimmed them off hard.

Attachment 37814


I braided and tightened and snugged the handle wrapping thongs as far down the handle as I could.

Attachment 37815


At the end I ... I don't know the word here. I manipulated the thongs so they all folded over the end of the handle like three interwoven flaps.

Attachment 37816

I snugged them down evenly and tightly...

Attachment 37817


then cut them off flush.

Attachment 37818


Ta-da!

Attachment 37819


At last, I have a flogger. It looks like a flogger here, but as roses, it looks pretty pathetic.

Attachment 37820

Here they look like a bunch of roses in a vase.

Attachment 37821


Now to the hardware for the closure of the wrap. I took a two piece latch,

Attachment 37822


I removed the locking arm and used a heart shaped padlock through the staple over the hasp.

Attachment 37823


I then screwed the hasp and staple to the wrapper in a place where they'd be covered by the outermost part of the wrapper. I cut a little slit for the hasp and a hole for the staple so the lock could be attached on the outside when all wrapped up. The other silver dots are snaps I put on to keep the very tail of the wrap closed. These are on the back, you've never seen them.

Attachment 37824

Beauty shot number one of three that I'll submit to SEAF.

Attachment 37825


Glamour shot two of three for SEAF.

Attachment 37826


Glamour shot three of three for SEAF.

Attachment 37827


This whole project was very satisfying. I learned a lot about braiding and there's a lot to be done with braiding. I have other projects in mind (cue evil laugh). But mostly it was the pleasure of seeing the gradual and inexorable transformation of my idea into a real object. I'm happy how it turned out, and so is my darling girlfriend.

Thanks to all of you for letting me share my pleasure in my work.

I appreciate the final piece a lot more now that I've seen the process.

Very nice!

I've been doing a lot of four strand round braiding for the gimp thingies that I've been making as geocaching swag. I've been wanting to try leather, but haven't been to the craft store to get any.

Wow ... Amazed at your patience and the attention to detail.
Outstanding.

I submitted my art, they replied today.

Bummer. Next year, Fremont!

For originality of concept and skill of execution, I think your work is excellent. I have trouble understanding why they didn't choose to show it.

Meh, give em a good flogging!

They clearly do not properly appreciate fine art!

You created a beautiful and unique piece of art, V.
Never mind if it wasn't part of their vision for this year, you know you did good.

Thanks friends for your very kind words.

Good news: I wasn't forced to sell it and deprive the woman I love of her gift. That was the risk I was most worried about. She has it now, though I don't know anything about how she's displaying it yet. I'll find out soon. :)