Another bowl filler in progress

Hello, everyone.

I had twitchy fingers by the time our week of Grampies Camp was done. I just wanted to sew something! So I stitched together some long, skinny scraps, divided the long thing into thirds and sewed the thirds together. Came to a stopping point with that one. Picked up another pinny top and put it with a blues and greens shell print scrap for the back. Quilted both pieces with some scrap fleece. Then it got a little crazy with beads. What can I say?

As usual, I used 6 pound test Fireline to sew the beads. It's a braided line and it feels waxed. Knots beautifully. The only (small) drawback is that it will wreck the blades of your good scissors. Fortunately, the same department of the store that will sell me big spools of Fireline will also sell me a line cutter. Mine is by Rappala and it deals very well with the fishing line that I bead with. At the time I got the cutter, it was only $3.50 or so at Walmart. But that was a few years ago, they might be more now.

Working towards Halloween

 Hello, everyone.

Halloween may be a bit different this year, but the children still enjoy dressing in costumes.

DGD expressed an interest in being Sailor Moon, an anime character in a cartoon series. The character is a schoolgirl in Japan, so her outfit is based around the typical Japanese girl's school clothes. That means a sailor (middy) blouse and a pleated skirt. 

Years ago I made a costume for DD2 of this type, but it's long gone to another relative and even if it were findable, DGD isn't the same size. So I'm doing it again.

This time I started with a purchased school girl outfit. Added a pair of red knee-high athletic socks for the "boots," and sewed a gem onto each one. (She is intended to wear the knee socks with her tennis shoes.) The sock gems can be removed later for normal wear.

That was the easy part. Next began the work on the gem for the bow, the tiara (no pictures of that yet), the ribbon choker, and so on.

The bow gem in progress. As there are a number of variations of the bow gem in various drawing of Sailor Moon, I used artistic license in designing something that has multiple colors around the central red element. A ring of the round gold beads was added after the photo. 

The back side of the bow gem, showing the pin back. The beads are sewn with Fireline 6 pound test crystal colored line. Yes, I have a fishing line cutter to cut it with, the braided nylon line will ruin your regular sewing scissors.

The ribbon choker. The ends have extender chain and a spring ring and are somewhat adjustable for size.

Many of the components are from stash: Mylar type gift wrap, round gold beads, stiff interfacing and felt, faux leather and pin back, etc. The small round gems were even in stash, though I had forgotten about them.

The larger, acrylic gems were from JoAnn's. 

The tiara is still under construction, with more of the stiff interfacing and Mylar and also some gold colored tulle, and more of the acrylic gems. Like the bow gem, there will probably be a line of gold beads around the top and bottom edges of the tiara. The plan is to have a strand of elastic to hold it in place when she wears it. 

Bead key chains

Hello, everyone.

Like a number of the other beaded bits and bobs lately, these are heading into the "consolation prize" baskets for a fundraiser at church.

The angels were bought recently, on sale at Fire Mountain Gems, and some of the split rings were picked up at Wal-Mart the other day. The bails are mixed seed beads, woven in brick stitch. (I used my fave 6 pound Fireline for this.) The red and white bail is #8 seeds. The others are a mix that is mostly #11s in different colors.

The key chains are quick to put together and I'm hoping they'll be popular.

Bead stash usage: another purse charm

Hello, everyone.

This is another purse charm, all bits from stash. The colors are in a springtime theme.

As with the last one, the catch was in that three-pack at Hobby Lobby. Most of the beads were from Fire Mountain Gems--some in their Boss's Bead Bag which is a random mix. (That used to be really fun to go through but the last time, some years back, it was less exciting. Still really useful, though.)

There are 5 strands strung onto 6# Fireline. I used a wrapped loop to connect the strands to the catch inside of the cone finding. Two of the strands were designed to provide balance to the other three, which have accent beads up and down the strand, so they're just plain old mixed white/clear seed beads.

I tied the bottom bead of each strand thoroughly, strung it to the right length, and held it in one of those little spring type bead holding clips. When all 5 were strung, I tied them to the wrapped loop, dropped the cone finding onto the wire, and made another wrapped loop to connect to the catch.

Stash Busting, Beads Edition

Hello, everyone.

There is a lot of stash around here, as has been said before. I saw a number of seed bead bracelets on Pinterest and watched a video or two and got inspired to see what I had to work with.

I did say, lots of stash. (Sadly, repeating that phrase doesn't use it up. One must actually make things to use it up!)

Lots of seed beads are included--size 11 Dynamites, size 15 Rocailles, assorted odd bits and pieces, they all went together into a few bracelets and a necklace.

Three bracelets and a necklace

What I'm learning: yes, there is a handy video about braiding the strands. It's trickier than it looks, especially toward the end of the braid. Y'all will note that only one thing in this group of projects is braided.
Using the bails that don't open or adjust in size with seed bead strands is only sort-of possible. It's surprising how thick a strand of the tiny beads is!
The little cones at the end of the strands are working with a wire-wrapped loop to hold the strands, it's the only way I could make sense of it. Also the tigereye bead on the necklace is on a wire work piece. It's fun and peaceful to wrap the wire around the pliers to make things.

Another bracelet

I was happy to be able to use up some of the odd bits from "assortment" bags that have been gotten from Fire Mountain Gems over the years. Also to find homes for some of the assorted saints' medals that have accumulated.

Bead embroidery color play 3

Hello everyone.

This is a little update on the scallop shell.

As y'all can see, the #15 pink rocailles are almost filled in. They look better alongside the ivory colored perles.
Next after these are filled in, the base of the shell. The best matches in the stash are either 3mm Swarovski perles (left over from the wedding dress a few years back) or some #11 Opaque Rainbow Cream Delicas. (That is a lot of words to spell out ivory, isn't it?)
It may become a brooch in the end. It might even get some dangling fringe! But it's too soon to commit on the final finish.

Color play: bead embroidery edition

Hello everyone.

Today, to get in practice for posting from the Camino, a small exploration of colors in a bead embroidery.

The piece is a scallop shell, being sewn onto a bit of, I think, Peltex.
Beads used so far: some ovals inherited from my late MIL and pink, excuse me, rainbow cream soda translucent #11 Dynamites that were bought from Fire Mountain Gems.

Several other candidate beads are nearby.

Heart fidget, 3rd progress report

Hello, everyone.

This is a progress update on the heart fidget. More elements have been placed and the filling of the background has commenced.

The white circles are mother of pearl beads. Their framing rows are 15 count rocaille beads. The background on the left side is mostly the 11 count transparent red seed beads. The contrast in color between the left and right background is because the rocaille beads have an iridescent finish on them. The beads are overall pleasant to touch and run fingertips over--which is really the whole point of a fidget in my opinion.

A book that the Christmas angels brought me, which is very helpful with thinking about these things, is Bead Embroidery Jewelry Products by Jamie Cloud Eakin. (The link goes to Amazon, but it may be available in your local bead or craft store. Along with the goodies beads to make the projects!)

Heart fidget, 2nd progress report

Hello, everyone.

As I'm trying to keep posts short enough that busy people can read them, there will be several smaller reports on the heart fidget.

Also, after the first photo, I switched from the phone to an actual separate camera.

Moving along with stitching, and many of the beads pose for a picture in their boxes and bags.

The back side.

If there had been plans to bead embroider this heart to begin with, there would have been a different stabilizer used I think. (I do have some Lacy's Stiff Stuff and also some similar feeling stabilizer that is used for hats and such. But didn't think of it until later!) One learns as one goes, they say.

Another fidget

Hello, everyone.

It's been a shockingly long time since a post here, sorry about that.

This is an early progress photo of the newest project in process. It's a fidget and it may be just itself, or it may be appliqued onto a mat. The jury is still out on that.

The major accent on the right is sewn down and netted to stabilize it. Pearls are going in along the left side. There will be more added! And if I am running out of steam, at the end of the beading I'll just make and attach a vinyl backing and put a bead edge to hide the seam. It's being sewn sturdily enough that a person can fiddle it in his hand without the beads all flying around loose. (Well--it's intended to be sturdy enough not to come apart.)

Scraps of pet screening were added on the back for additional strength. Various sizes and shapes of artificial pearls, red seed beads , clear iridescent seed beads in the netting on the large bead, Fireline 6 pound test line. The red spotted ones on the top left are saucer shaped (rondelle shaped?) pearls with a red #11 Japanese seed bead on top of each one.

More in a later post, it's getting late here.

It's been a very busy week

Hello everyone.

The busy isn't finished yet, either.

I did get some Christmas prep done around the house, though.

I recapped the Pinterest idea that was tried last year--added a couple more balls--and it still looks good. (I love a way to use up some ivory tulle!) As there is a picture in the post from last year, and I hadn't made a "save for web" version of this year's one, y'all can look at the photo from last year. It's pretty much the same, and hanging from the same light fixture too.

 Below the hanging collection of gold balls, a table runner that was made last year and something new. The greenery is two pine picks from Hobby Lobby, with a few of the fair sized collection of itty-bitty ornaments we have. The dangling blue and cream star was made from instructions in Bead and Button magazine December 2010 issue (goes to a back issue sale listing), using Delicas and 15 count rocailles and a cabochon instead of the suggested rivoli center. (Those from Fire Mountain Gems.)

The green version, which is on the other side of the little "tree" on the table.

There was also a white version made, but the photo didn't come out. It's on the main tree in front of a light bulb, and the light illumines the translucent beads wonderfully. In person. The camera looked at it and decided to focus on another thing entirely! Oh well.

As the busy time is not over yet--got to finish little gifts for my little angels before their party!--I will cut this post off here.

An experiment with a spool

Hello, everyone.

As most people who sew know, thread spools get emptied. I just can't bear to toss them without trying to find a use for the cylinder shaped cores.

Beginning the weave. You can see that the pattern was for
odd count flat peyote. 1 row less would have been a better idea.

Below, a picture of the weaving on the spool: