This is a long post today with lots of photos so be forewarned! I took a beading class this week with Anne Marie Desaulniers. I used to do a lot of beading on fabric in the past and I have made many beaded quilts. But recently I have been enamoured with hand embroidery and hand quilting, and had gotten away from my beading. This class reminded me how much I love it and hope to incorporate more beading into my hand work. 
Here is my finished bead encrusted piece which I am calling "Killarney". It measures 2.5" square and contains hundreds of beads (mostly sizes 8, 11 and my favorite size 15) some watch gears, a cabochon made by Anne Marie, some stones, and other treasures I found in the bead box.Here are the steps we went through following Anne Marie's instruction...
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| Step #1 Select a base size for the project and a foundation fabric. This is a piece of my brother's shirt. |
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| Step #2 Select a cabochon and some coordinating beads. Attach cabochon with peyote bezel. |
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| Step #3 Audition colours, found items, and beads, and cluster them around cabochon. |
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| Step #4 Start to sew down the parts you know you like. Listen for the story that is developing. |
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| Step #5 Fix things that you don't like. I added a piece of a brown shirt behind the watch cog. |
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| Step #6 You don't have to know the whole design, just stitch down what you know you like. |
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| Step #7 Create movement with lines of beads. |
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| Step #8 Audition beads in open areas. |
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| Step #9 Have fun and try some specialty beading stitches. |
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| Step #10 Continue to add design around cluster. |
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| Step #11 Do the grunt work and fill in all the edges with size 15 beads. |
What are your hands creating this week? Link up your blog post below and share your project with other hand stitchers around the world. We love to see what you're stitching!
29 comments:
Killarney is gorgeous! What an interesting post Kathy thanks for sharing. Makes me want to get my bead box out and have a play!
This looks amazing. It would be perfect for an evening bag. I spent my weekend on the sewing machine finishing quite a lot of projects. Nothing slow for me this time....
I have never seen beaded quilts before and discover... marvels! Thanks for this beautiful post!
It is beautiful and obviously requires much patience...! I like Jo's evening bag idea! : )
Wow Kathy! That is just simply amazing how you designed that and what a great idea boosting post you have offered today! Thanks so much for taking time to take those pics as you progressed including the type of fabric you chose... I hope you keep showing this off as you do more beading!! I will be happy to see you incorporating them into your hand quilting too! Kathi
Wow, it's gorgeous!
Kathy this piece is stunning. I love the picture tutorial. What will you do with this piece? Is it not heavy?
This is gorgeous - what a great class to take. I haven't used beads for years but can't wait to revisit them now.
That looks changeling. Very pretty though. It would have been a fun class I bet.
That looks changeling. Very pretty though. It would have been a fun class I bet.
What a great creation! Very inspirational post. Thanks.
FlowerLady
Beautifully done! That looks pretty time intensive, but it's definitely worth all the time you put into it.
beading looks tough! I think I will stick with quilting - beautiful
Your work looks beautiful, interesting and difficult. May be I should try this type of work some day?
Killarney is so pretty. I really don't think I could "get out of my own way" when beading. I have to find a nearby class because I would love to add some beads to some of my cross-stitch pieces.
Thank you for sharing the process....that is a beautiful piece!
Wow - just wow! I adore all things bead-related, even though I don't think it's a creative avenue on my map. Thanks for sharing the process!
Such a beautiful piece of art...wow!
It is amazing what a 2.5 piece of fabric will create with beads! Beautiful.
Absolutely gorgeous! I too am curious as to what it will eventually become.
That is gorgeous! I can't wait to see your progress on this. You are so creative!
Your beaded piece is WONDERFUL!
Oh, my...isn't that gorgeous! Makes me want to dig out my beads!!
Very pretty...and what a story it tells. Can't imagine all the things you could use...watch gears!!hmm....
How wonderful Kathy!!! I thoroughly enjoyed the "story" of your beaded piece :) Great job!!!
Your beading has given me an idea for my stitchery.
Sure doesn't look easy to me--Amazing stuff!
Killarney is fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing this process. Reminds me of a bracelet I started ah hum.... years ago and have stitched all the cabs down. Now wondering how to go on and how I'll close it. I used 3 Turquoise cabs and have some labordorite, hematite and copper beads of different sizes and shapes with some gold & turquoise turquoise too. I may have to dig it out after seeing this. Thanks for showing your beautiful piece!
WHOA!!! This is spectacular!!!! absolutely love the result and thoroughly enjoyed seeing your step by step process. Fantastic!!
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