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Little Chute artist Abby Gammons stumbled upon her chosen medium by accident two years ago.

“I wanted to decorate my room and was looking on Pinterest for ideas. I saw an image that inspired me and it had a macramé weaving in it,” says Gammons, who describes her style as eclectic with Scandanvian and midcentury-modern influences. “Back then, I didn’t know what it was or even how to pronounce it.”

That quickly changed as Gammons began watching tutorial videos on YouTube and researching macramé,which she explains is the art of tying knots.

Gammons uses a variety of knots to create decorative wall hangings, plant hangers, earrings and keychains with a bohemian flair. She often uses geometric shapes, like diamonds or triangles, to create patterns with the
knots.

“Once you know two or three knots, you’re off to the races,” Gammons says. “I’m drawn to macramé because it has an organic flow to it. When I’m making it, it’s very repetitive and meditative so it’s soothing in that regard.”

Nature is a constant source of inspiration.

“I see patterns in a lot of things, especially outdoors with different textures,” Gammons says. “I think how I could translate that through a certain type of knot.”

A medium wall hanging takes about 10 to 12 hours to complete. Gammons accepts commissions for her larger wall hangings as they require more time and thought. While there are dozens of macramé knots, Gammons often starts with a clove hitch knot and builds wall hangings from there.

When working on commission pieces, Gammons likes to see the room in which the piece will hang so she can tailor it to the specifics of that space. She begins by tying the ropes to pieces of driftwood (as opposed to a dowel) to add more character. While she may use colored rope for jewelry or keychains, Gammons prefers neutral colors for wall hangings.

“Macramé brings a different presence to a room, with softness and texture,” she says. “I like the softness of the cream colors.”

Gammons has partnered with the Trout Museum of Art in Appleton to present macramé workshops as well as led a community macramé project at Art at the Park in 2019. Community members tied colorful pieces of fabric to the macramé tents which were later displayed in the Trout’s atrium.

For more of Abby’s work, follow her on Instagram @abbygammons.