Task 4 completed

 

Tesha - Task 6a, Sequin flowers

Kathy, 

Here is a picture of my practice petals/flowers made with sequins (which are left over from more than 35 years of raising four daughters, and a half-dozen foster daughters):

I had a hard time figuring out how to lay the sequins and sew them down tight.  My thread would get caught in other sequins and hopelessly tangled.   The petals aren't aligned in a circle as well as I would have liked, but I guess flowers in nature aren't perfect either...   After a few new beginnings, I got the hang of it!  

I don't have much variety in the sizes and colors of the sequins I have on hand, so will either need to plan the colors of my beaded monogram (Task 6b) carefully, or purchase some new sequins.

It was fun though to learn how to make these new large and flashy flowers!

Tesha

Monika, Task 5 - couched beadline and brickstitch

 Hi Kathy,

Couched bead lines: I had to choose an extremely simple design and rather big beads to get the lines "almost" straight.

 

Brickstitch:

I felt more confident doing the brickstitch butterfly. The seedbeads I used are very sparkly, so it looks different (better) and more colorful in reality, compared to the photograph.

Task 3 completed

 

Tesha - Task 5, Couched beading

Kathy,

Below is my beaded humming bird.  I found it tricky at first to keep the beads in horizontal rows (hence the crooked beak), but finally got the hang of this technique.  I have done counted cross stitch in the past, so understood the concept of counting the number of squares in each color.  I also remembered why I gave up counted cross stitch when I became a parent... I was always losing count of where I was at because of child interruptions!  :)

The beads I used were wider than they were tall and as I stitched I realized that my humming bird was turning out "stretched" a bit.  It was kind of like distorting a photo of someone by stretching the photo vertically, but not horizontally to make them look thinner!

I tried out the square stitch and brick stitch beading (in order to learn as much as possible).  At first I tried with seed beads and I just couldn't get the beads to sit still long enough for me to tighten the threads.  I started over 3-5 times with each stitch and finally was about to give up on accomplishing this task, when I decided to try the technique with larger beads.  

It was still slippery and clumsy, but below are photos of my yellow beaded square stitch sample (I used a small black seed bead as an anchor) and my multicolored brick stitch sample.  The different colors in the brick stitch allowed me to clearly see the staggered (1/2) rows so I didn't get confused on where I was sewing.  Obviously these both would look MUCH better with tinier evenly sized beads... 

I was amazed that both of these stitches were fairly simple to do once I got the base row firmly in place.     

I wonder if there is some way I could use a clip board, or anchor the start to fabric (or any other kind of temporary place) in order to more easily use this technique in the future?  

Tesha

 Hi Kathy, sadly this is my last task.  Task 7.  I have made a small bead encrusted bracelet using a Czech glass button for the vocal point.  The top half is beaded asymmetrically and the bottom half symmetrically.  

I really enjoyed your class.  I always learn new things from you.  Thank you for making these classes available to us.  

Barbara

    

Monika, Task 4 Right Angle Weave

 Hi Kathy,

I did two simple bracelets, one of it decorated with a string of seedbeads, and a pair of earrings.

Monika

Task two completed

Tesha - Task 4, Right Angle Weave

 Here is my practice with "right angle weave".

I just played around with plastic beads to learn this technique.  I even tried the fancy fringe pattern... which was tricky and I got lost several time before I successfully managed to stitch this section of fringe!

Tesha  

Task 3b Kylea - with process pics

 I need to try some smaller ones next, but here is my second beaded cab, again a very large Czech glass button. 

I started with a couple rather large bohemian buttons. I have a few damaged one that I picked up cheap years ago. There is a bit of silver detail on the mermaid that doesn't show up in the pic. This mermaid bead is definitely the worst damaged, with that big chunk missing around 10 o'clock. I put a layer of E6000 over the sharp bit of edge.

Because it was so large, I figured I could get away with a larger bead. It would mean going a little faster in my first few rows, but I was motivated more by having more options when shifting to smaller beads. Started with size 8s until I finished climbing the sides. The first rows are clear, silver-lined, and then a row of silver metallic. 

I had smaller (size 15s) ready, but after one row of 10s my frame felt solid - and was at the very edge of the raised mermaid image - so I stopped there.  I had thought I might need to go further to cover the chip, but the exposed bit is smooth and not unsightly.

I have a few more mermaid buttons I look forward to beading on now. May start with 11s on the next one.

Task 3a Kylea - lots of process pics

Making a beaded frame on a cabochon is  something I have wanted to learn for years. I've seen the how to information before, but it took being in this class to finally do it. (I still want to learn to do it without using backing.)

Here are the finished pics, so you don't have to go through the process portion if you don't want. 

(Mermaid process in next post; this got crazy long. I did the dragonfly first, so am posting its details first.)

I started with a couple rather large bohemian buttons. I have a few damaged ones that I picked up cheap years ago. The dragonfly has tiny tiny chips out of the edge, hard to even see or feel on this one, though a little more obvious on some others I have. (I have about a half dozen in this colour - one that I can't imagine buying, except that it was part of that lot of damaged buttons.)

I did the dragonfly first, using delicas for the first few rounds. Those first two rows are definitely the hardest.

My work looks good from this side

But it really wasn't so tidy all around

The edge/side isn't straight; it angles in. This meant there was a tendency for the edge to slide off and under until I wrapped it over the top, 

The circumference actually grew a little bigger before wrapping onto the top, so I actually added a larger bead right at the top of the sides before going to smaller beads. 

  

 Size 11 delicas, a row of size 10 rocailles at the widest point, then coming in with one more round of delicas then two rows of 15s.

Would probably have looked better (less thread showing) if I'd done one more round of delicas before the 15s. When I realized thread would show a little I switched by clear/white to coloured thread. 

 Doing that extra pass through the last innermost row really did make a difference in how smooth and solid it felt. 

 Final with backing trimmed. (Added edging before trimming backing.)

Tesha - Task 3a & 3b - Beaded Cabochon Surround

This is a totally new task for me-- peyote weave stitch!  I had heard of and seen this style before, but never knew how it was put together.  I purchased a rather large glass cabochon to work with since I thought it would be easier for my fumble fingers... some of those size 15 beads are REALLY tiny! 

 Here is my first finished beaded cabochon:

I put fringe on the outside using alternating basic loops and stop-bead loops since the bead count around the oval shape was 78 beads which did not divide easily by 4, but did divide by 6.  I really like the look of this cabochon and look forward to trying to bead other objects for future CQ projects.    

Here is a photo of potential supplies for the optional fully-beaded cuff.  

I really didn't know what type of supplies would be needed, so may decide not to make the optional cuff if I need quite a few additional supplies beyond what I currently have on hand.   I would appreciate your feedback on this selection, Kathy!

Moving on to Task 4...

Tesha  :)

Monika, Task 3

Hi Kathy,

I am not sure, I would like to use this beaded cabochon as part of another cuff.

Just on its own it´s o.k.

Maybe I will try to make another one that will be more suitable.

Task 1 Completed

 

Tesha - Task 2, Beaded Lace cuff

 At first I didn't know what to do with this task... I wouldn't ever wear a lace cuff.  

But then I had a FABULOUS idea:  A dear old Christian friend was recently admitted to a memory care unit for dementia.  She LOVES fancy, lacy things and her favorite color is purple.  I would make this cuff for my precious friend Carole.  

Here is the front side:

I started with some white scalloped lace that wasn't wide enough for the lavender felt cuff, so I sewed two pieces together so the fancy border showed on both the top and bottom of the cuff.  I added three simple lace flowers in white and then decided on a few silver charms with more bead and button embellishment in white, purple and pink.  I worked hard to provide balance without exact symmetry.  

Here is the back with a message for Carole (with her name, so it will be returned to her if she misplaces it):

I think my friend Carole will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my handmade gift!

Thank you Kathy for such a fun project...

Tesha

Nina Task 2 Lace Cuff

 Hi Kathy

 The center stone is surrounded by little pearls. I auditioned many beads for embellishing the sides but everything looked too heavy and dark. I had some very translucent blue glass beads that I decided went well with the center stone.

My supplies

 

Lace with beads and buttons. 

Not overly lacy, and no particularly fancy/complex add on; used lots of buttons. 

 Hi Kathy,  here is task 6.  The monogram was slow going.

 Hi Kathy, Task 5 extras.  I did a sample of brick stitch (green beads) and square stitch .

Nina Question

 Hi Kathy

I see people are already on other tasks. I thought I completed task one and would like to continue to task two.  Have you sent it out to me and I failed to see it ?

Please let me know

Thank you

Naomi

Here are 2 other shapes I did with clusters.