M3 Chapter 8 - Beads

I had quite a collection of beads and had coloured some wooden ones with acrylic paint. For my bead sampler I decided to use an ammonite shape, and for the background I used coloured cotton organdie with some strips of painted bonda web ironed on. I used medium weight calico as backing fabric. I drew a simple pattern outline from a picture on the internet.

 

 

From the center: Single diamond shape glass bead, frosted glass seed, gold rocailles, variegated rocailles, renaissance beads, glass beads cross stitched, bugle beads, wire check purl snipped, chains of rocailles, flat paillettes with seed bead, flat back glass beads with chain stitch and short bugle beads, bugle beads in check pattern, flat back glass beads with straight stitch, short chains square and diamond beads, flat paillettes with seed bead and seed bead pattern, trapped renaissance beads under sheer fabric with seed beads, bugle beads with seed bead pattern, steam punk beads with paillettes and renaissance beads, and shi-sha mirror with bugle beads.

 

Outside the spiral shape I stitched some coloured wooden beads with flat back glass beads.

 

Although I'm not a keen 'beader', the sampler made me look at several ways to attach and use them. I wasn't particularly pleased with my painted beads at first but with a little sanding down I'm pleased with the effect. I then moved onto using beads as edging.

 

 

I used a mixture of renaissance, glass, seed, paillettes and bugle beads.

 

I like using cotton organdie as it colours well, is quite fine and light weight, however it does tear easily and leaves holes if any stitching is unpicked. I would probably use a silk noil or similar in the future.