What's a Tassel?

Welcome to Lyndunes Tassel Talk





The purpose of this blog is to talk tassels. I love tassels and I know others do also!!


I would like others to share their love of tassels.

I have been fascinated with tassels and how they are made since the 60's. I would buy them and take them apart and then make my own. This is when I was in grade school! I have done 1000's of hours of research and talking to people.

This is one I created in 2003. Hand-dyed, Hand beaded and gilded.


In 2004 I was invited to India to talk tassels!! That's was glorious!! My goals are to do research in England, France and Italy. I am starting my own tassel design company and soon will be coming out with a totally unique tassel product. But enough of that! I will tell you about that later



Most people think a tassel is something that enhances something else. Such as tassels on a pillow or a curtain tye-back. Others say its a embellishment that goes on anything you want to put it on. Same thing?


This one was a fun one I put together with ribbons and beads and different textured fibers.





When you think of a tassel what is the first thing that comes to mind? Now I have taken an informal poll of this question. I asked people when I was a vendor at the Portland Saturday Market 2003. Out of 200 people, 100 being female and 100 being male.





Women


50% Interior Design
30% strippers costumes ( surprising, at least to me)
15% Belly Dancing
5% Jewelry





Men


54% Strippers
46% Interior Design




Ok.......That was interesting!

Lets ask another question. What DO you put tassels on? Ahhhh another profound thought. Or what CAN you put tassels on?


Now mind you tassels have been around for a mighty long time.


You remember the Siberian Ice Maiden 2400BC?
A wonderfully preserved grave site in Siberia. She was wearing full garb including a tasseled belt and they found tassels on the saddle blankets that were buried with the horses.








I don't know if you can see that, but look up Siberian Ice Maiden on google.


Fascinating read.

Tassels were associated with the wealthy. Royalty or upper class and the religious community. Their clothes, their surroundings and their animals were decorated with tassels.


In most every culture throughout time, tassels have adorn camels, horses, lamas, goats and more. Kings, queens, priests, military generals, high society, presidents, scholars, witch doctors and shamans have worn tassels.

The interiors of churches, to the Arabian tents to the temples of the far east and no Victorian parlor would be caught without tassels for their curtains.

Tassels are a Hugh thing at Graduation, can't tell you why this minute, but there are quite a few of those kinds of tassels hanging around. And its not only graduation for high school or college! Its for kindergarten, preschool and eighth grade.


So far this is my two cents on tassels. I will be adding more as the days go by. Please leave a comment if it moves you to do so. And I would love to hear from those other tassel lovers out there!!

Food for thought.............

Every tassel that has ever been made has been done by hand. No machine that I am aware of can make a tassel from beginning to end. ( unless its the most simple of design )