Finishing WIPs

My craft room looks pretty normal and tidy, and I have stepped into the job of delving into drawers and boxes to put all my beading supplies with beading, sewing with sewing with sewing, and yarn with yarn. Of course, I had to start with beading, where I undoubtedly have the most stuff, including an embarrassing amount of projects that are 90-95% done. This pair of earrings, design by Gwen Fisher, needed only ear hooks. The necklace, a design called Barely's, needs a fastening and weaving off of thread ends. I was pretty pleased to see that they go together. Two down, and I don't even want to count how many to go!

Wonky Urban Stripes Completed

My Urban Stripes Necklace is done and I kinda love it. I've dubbed it Wonky because it waves a bit due to the disparate sizes of beads I used. I learned alot from the project. I am back to enjoying bead crochet. I learned I can splice to add length to a rope - useful if a rope is too short or I made a stringing mistake. I have a new crochet hook which is much kinder on my poor fingers.

Most of all I appreciate the kindness and artistic spirit of Judith Bertoglio-Giffin, who sponsored the project and provided the pattern. Her help and encouragement was great. It was real incentive to bead this project with the other members of the group, and to see their color choices and interpretation of the pattern. I am hopeful that an Urban Stripes 2 pattern will be added to the collection!!!

Urban Stripes by Judith Bertoglio-Giffin - progress

There are 34 happy beaders working away on Judith Bertoglio-Giffins urban stripe necklace project. We receive sections of design for a crochet necklace that we each string and crochet. We have 4 sections so far, and will have 6 or 7 when the project is complete. The color combinations that have been picked by beaders are based on the urban landscape, and are wonderful variations of the landscape in an urban setting and what it has to offer. One of the beaders is happily working away on four different ropes. Some beaders have yet to start.

It took me awhile to get started and complete the first few rows of crochet. After several rows I had my rhythm going. The rope above shows two sections complete. Its a bit wonky because I used different shaped beads. I've strung section three and am working on the now. I've learned alot on this project - one big thing is how to add string to a long project like this. Wonderful if you find a stringing mistake or don't want to wear down your thread if the project it huge. This simple trick is also going to let me go back to a project that I had stopped years ago because it was too short.

The project has been a huge amount of fun. Receiving each section is like getting a new present. If your interested in learning more about the project, you might want to visit Judith's blog http://www.beadline.blogspot.com/

Aphrodite's Smile

I spent most of the weekend working on a new design to teach this Friday. Its a quick pattern, and I am seeing it in pearls and in cream colors for the bride, and in the palest of pearls for the bridal party. There are 3 variations of the design, and I plan on publishing the pattern in the next few days to my ETSY site: auntieannie.etsy.com.

Homage to Horace R. Goodhue and Ruby

Indian Bead-Weaving Patterns. Its not a very big book, only 80 pages long. The last update was 1989. None of the pictures are in color, and all the diagrams are handwritten. There is a photograph of Horace, the author, in the front of the book. He's 78, tall and lean, dressed in buckskin in the Delaware Style at a Narragansett Tribal Gathering. It is still one of my favorite beading books, in part for the lack of detail and the lack of color. When you follow a pattern its like finding a treasure; you never know exactly what you are going to get until the beading is done.

In the back of the book there is an essay on beads that helps me to understand why I bead. It tells me that the Obiibwa name for seed beads is Manido Minensug, meaning "god's little berries". I also found out that the word bead comes from the Middle English word "bede" meaning to pray.

So when a woman on one of the Yahoo groups wanted to know what stitch was used in a picture of a necklace on Ruby's beadwork page I went to Horace's book and found the pattern for circle bar daisy chain, and stitched up a quick necklace. I thanked Horace for all the work that he did documenting and recreating the native beading patterns. And I thanked Ruby for her use of color and design when interpreting these traditional patterns you can see her necklace here labeled gold and silver necklace :http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/245633

Driving Miss Daisy

Another class project for my group of beaders at the senior center. This pattern was developed for students that had gone through the class once. Its now been made in plums, in pinks, in blues, in reds & golds, and in black, grey and taupe.

Donut with curved bail

Every Friday I bead with several of the women who took my beading class at the Senior Center. I look forward to this time and getting together. I don't really teach - I do problem solve with them and we all get a chance to bead. A few weeks ago one of the women asked my about gemstone donuts. I have a stash of them, and always wanted to play with creating a bail for them. This is what I came up with - its a work in progress. I like the curve of the bail and the way it follows the shape of the donut. I plan on finishing it this weekend - so wish me some beading time.

Creative Beading Volume IV

We actually had another sunny, beautiful day yesterday. My sister-in-law, Judi Dixon and I went to Hillcrest Museum on a butterfly walk, shopped a bit at Design Forum in Farmington (yes, another frog), ate lunch at the Copper Mill Bistro (outstanding).

I came home to a box with a book : "Creative Beading Volume IV" and a thank you note from their editor. My design for a three-tiered necklace was included! The necklace shown is in browns and plums and belongs to my sister Rachel