Quilling

Day 26: Quilling, a craft which enjoyed the peak of its popularity during the mid-1800s, is still practiced by a proportionally small number of artists today. Named for the feather quills which were originally the tool of choice, today's quilling utilizes a needle or bodkin on which to form rolls from narrow strips of paper. Rolls may be made larger or smaller as the artist requires for a specific pattern, and may be relaxed and/or pinched depending on the shape desired. Once a number of rolls have been made, they are lightly glued together, and then may be attached to a paper backing if meant for a framed display.

Quilling often takes form as snowflakes or flowers. Creating a piece of quilled art may take anything from just a few to hundreds of tiny rolls. Count the curls in either of the two snowflake patterns shown here and you'll see what I mean.