A Time to Stitch 4 Reveal

Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller are the creators of one of my favorite beading hops - A Time to Stitch. This is the fourth in their series, where one stitch is mandatory (in this case, netting) and participants are given a choice of three additional stitches to try (chevron, chenille and spiral were the supplementary choices for this reveal.)

I have done circular netting around an armature in the past, but, despite the fact that I loved the look, I had never tried stitching a length of horizontal, flat netting. I wanted a piece that would be dense but flexible, like fabric, and because this is a challenge, I decided on a three-bead net in a single color of size 15 charlottes. The pattern, by Beverly Herman, adds a picot edge at the turnaround at the end of each row. Very clever!

After I had stitched a couple of inches using my standard beading thread, 6# Fireline, I realized the resulting bracelet would be too flimsy for the button I'd chosen by Susan Barnes of the Fire Goddess. The weight was much improved by a test sample in 14# Fireline, but charlottes have very small holes, and the beads that received a second pass of thread were becoming too prominent in the weave. That's when I remembered a spool of 10# WildFire tucked away in a drawer. I had never used this brand before, but I quickly became a fan. It gave this project the substantial weight I was looking for, and the perfect drape!

My new bracelet called for some companion earrings, in Russian spiral. They're stitched in the same silver charlottes, with accent rows of glossy black cubes.

Much thanks to Christine and Therese for hosting us once again and for encouraging us to explore new territory. Now, hop around to all the participants' blogs where I know we're going to see some fabulous adventures in netting!

Hosted by Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller

1. Amy Severino

2. Janet Bocciardi

3. Cynthia Machata

4. Alicia Marinache

5. Paula Kramer

6. Kim Hora

7. Dee Alcalde

8. Dagi (Kokopelli)

9 Maryanne Gross

10. LizE

11. Sally Russick

12. Becky Pancake

13. Jasvanti Patel

14. Karin Slaton (you are here)

15. Alenka

16. Sarah Sequins

17. Tanya Goodwin

18. Debbie Rasmussen

19. Shirley Moore

20. Crystie Willard

21. Nelly May

22. Ana Cravidao

 

 

If Winter Ever Comes

Despite the calendar, it’s headed for 90 degrees this afternoon, and we still have plenty of daylight hours to absorb the sun’s energy. But the days are getting shorter, signaling that winter is on its way. And that put me in the mood to take advantage of some local bead store sales and begin designing some pieces for the colder (or at least cooler) days ahead.

The beauty and unexpected color of this leaf pendant made it irresistible. The perfect focal for a crisp winter necklace.

I made a simple netted neck strap with hematite and nickel seed beads, embellished with metallic blue and aquamarine crystals that mimicked the silvers and blues in the leaf. Since the focal is large (24x75 cm), I made it to fall between princess and matinee lengths. It has a sinuous feel, and the metal seed beads give it a wonderful drape.

I used some additional blue and silver tones in the crystals for the earrings.

I made these for a friend who suffers from SAD (seasonal affective disorder.) Reaching for these mood-lifting accessories should keep her positively serene when the winter blahs come.