Behind the Scenes
Jackie was kind enough to answer a few questions so you can find out more about her and the world of macramé.
Who is Bertie and The Boys and what do you make?
Bertie & The Boys is me, Jackie. Mother and step-mother to four boys and partner to Bertie. You could say I’m outnumbered and as I have zero interest in fishing, football and electronic games it seemed only natural to immerse myself into a hobby and interest. I am a self-taught macramé artist making mainly wall hangings and macramé rainbows.
Favourite item to make?
My favourite item to make are my large wall hangings, I find them therapeutic to make and love adding little twists and new techniques to my designs. It’s always a surprise to see the finished result as they rarely turn out as I planned and I quite like that. The most popular item I make is most definitely the macramé rainbow.
How long does it take to make rainbow?
Making a rainbow can take between two to four hours depending on the size. There are several stages to it, cutting and wrapping the rope, sewing it together, brushing out and straightening the fringe, trimming and attaching the loop and lastly, backing the rainbow in felt. I’m sure I could cut the time down but I like the rainbows to be as high quality as possible and potentially become a family heirloom.
What’s a favourite way you’ve seen one of your rainbows styled or hung?
I’ve seen so many beautiful and unique ways that customers hang and style their rainbows. One lovely company commissioned several that she uses in her beautiful luxury tepee slumber parties. I always get a thrill when I see them styled amongst other beautiful items for a little girl’s birthday party.
If someone wanted to have a go at macramé themselves, what advice would you give them?
Macramé is such a relaxing craft but you can put too much pressure on yourself when your finished piece doesn’t look at neat or as pretty as what you were hoping. My advice would be to start with small projects with no more than two to three different knot techniques to begin with. Use cheaper materials whilst you practice. The first few that I did were terrible so I pulled them apart and started again over and over. Once I was familiar with the knots I then concentrated on my neatness and tension. You will be amazed at how quickly you improve! There are so many tutorial videos out there now, books to buy and patterns to purchase online. You definitely won’t regret it.
Why have you chosen Place2Be as the charity you want to support?
Because it’s a charity close to my heart. It’s a children’s mental health charity who provide support for pupils, families and staff in schools in the UK. I have personal experience first-hand at how this kind of support for young children and their families can help change lives for the better.
