About eight years ago and a few months shy of Effervescent Ethel's Broadway debut, I taught myself how to paper quill aka paper filigree. It's been around five years since I had picked up a quilling tool (and much like my sword fighting your Cap'n is a bit rusty). EE's been showing interest in learning to quill. Most of the supplies I already had on hand but I did purchase another quilling tool and a small pair of sharp quilling scissors. This is the book I purchased eight years ago to teach myself:
http://www.amazon.com/Klutz-Twirled-Paper/dp/B005NENZXW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1425754891&sr=8-3&keywords=paper+twirling
Day 1: Ladybug
Day 2: Daffodil
Day 3: Tulip
Day 4: Two Fish
A brief history of paper quilling:
source:
http://quilling-guild.weebly.com/the-history-of-quilling.html
'PAPER-ROLLING, PAPER-SCROLLING, FILIGREE, MOSAIC and QUILLING are all names which have been given to our art during its long history. Some sources suggest that many of the techniques we use today were originally practised in Ancient Egypt.
The popularity of Quilling has fluctuated. Work of high quality was achieved by French and Italian nuns in the 16th and 17th centuries; genteel ladies in the Stuart period; ladies of leisure in the Georgian and Regency periods - and it is currently enjoying a modern revival. It also spread to North America with the settlers. Those of us who quill today find we have something in common with Elizabeth, daughter of George III, Joseph Bramah (the famous locksmith), Mrs Delany (pioneer of other paperwork and friend of Jonathan Swift), Jane Austen (who mentions it in her novel 'Sense and Sensibility') and the Bronte sisters: quite a distinguished gathering of enthusiasts!
Nuns on the continent decorated reliquaries and holy pictures, adding gilding and much ornamentation. The ecclesiastical connection was maintained when the art spread to England with the development of paper, though vellum and parchment were also used. Poorer churches produced religious pictures with rolled decoration. When gilded or silvered, it was difficult to distinguish it from real gold or silver filigree work.
Quilling was never practised by 'working-class' women in the past. Indeed, it was a decorative art which ladies of leisure would use to work panels and coats-of-arms. Later it was extended to include covering tea-caddies, workboxes, screens, cabinets, frames etc. Backgrounds for these often included foil, mica or flaked shells. Beautiful boxes were made by cabinet makers, with recessed sides. These were advertised and sold, often to boarding schools for young ladies. '......it affords an amusement to the female mind capable of the most pleasing and extensive variety; and at the same time, it conduces to fill up a leisure hour with an innocent recreation...' (The New Lady's Magazine - 1786)
In 1875 an attempt was made to reintroduce the art of Quilling by William Bemrose, who produced a kit called 'Mosaicon', together with a handbook. Another reference has been discovered in an Edwardian book of household management entitled 'Floral Mosaicon'. In the article mention is made of pieces being purchased by Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra. '
Supplies used:
-paper quilling paper
-small, sharp quilling craft scissors
-glue
-toothpick
-tweezers
-recycled greeting cards
Total cost: $6.00
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