String Skirt 7 - Metal bits on

(Metal tubes on, and as hoped, taking care of the fraying issue.)

These were fun to figure out, and not time consuming to do.  Here's some photos of the extant tubes:

I just sort of guessed that a nice size would be an inch long, and the pieces I cut to make the tubes are 1/4" wide.  If I had gauge measurements for the Egtved skirt (or actual measurements of the tubes) each would have informed the other, and I'd have a much more precise idea of how far I'm off.  I like making things in sizes of an inch - the first segment of my thumbs is an inch long, so that particular unit is easy to replicate by eye.

So it's pretty easy - I bought copper foil - they didn't label it with the gauge, unfortunately, but it's Amaco's ArtEmboss "Medium Copper".  I cut it into 1" strips with a blade, then into 1/4" x 1" strips, then rolled them with my fingers around a 2.50 mm knitting needle.  I could also have used one of my tapestry needles, or a bone needle, if I'd dug those out of storage.  Or a twig...

There are approximately 280 of these things, and it took a little more than an hour to make all the tubes.  Another couple of hours to pinch them around the fringes, occasionally using the end of an orange stick to mush down corners that stick up.  Done.  (I went to the trouble to dig out all the fancy jewelry pliers, and didn't use a single pair, fingers being faster, leaving no marks, etc.)

I originally hoped to do two rows of metal tubes - but I don't have enough copper, I'd have to wait for it, and it's not necessary now.  Perhaps later I'll oomph up my skirt with more shiny.

I really like this method of embellishment, and it raises my curiosity about working with bronze.  As a child, I once worked a bronze bracelet, and I'd be game to try to pound the metal thin and recreate these beads.  Another time.

I have a question for Jorgensen about the tactility of the embellished skirt.  She says that "experiments have shown that such skirts have a merry tinkling sound when worn..."  These tubes don't make any noise at all so far - they're not free enough, being at the top, and, being filled with fiber, there's nothing to resonate to create sound.  I'd like to see such a tinkling skirt.

I've had a question about sealing the copper to prevent tarnish and patina.  I'm not going to do that.  The bright copper is pretty, but as it would more resemble the historic artifacts if I let it patina, I'm going to do that.  I may try to hurry up the process with an agent, but not before it loses its attractiveness as is.