Pepita handmade: A Time to Stitch 4

February 24, 2014

Finally finished!!!

Do you remember my unfinished necklace from the A Time to Stitch Challenge? For the netted base I've used the "Round and Round Collar" pattern from Marcia DeCoster's book Beads in Motion.

Well, I've just finished it, finally!!! I was so hurrying to take the pictures before the sun went down to show it here today, that the pictures are not perfect.

The first part of the necklace was done quite quickly, but the second part needed much more time. The main problem was that I don't have a lot of practice in bezeling a cabochon (it was only my second attempt) and the shape was particularly challenging for me. In fact it was much easier to make the cabochon from polymer clay than bezeling it.

The first try was a failure ... but the second one was just right (I would exaggerate a little saying perfect)!!!

I had anther idea flowing in my mind ... what if I make the focal detachable?? When you want the necklace to be a little less "important", you can wear it without the focal, but when you want a statement piece, you put the focal on ...

Why I have to complicate a simple thing?? Wasn't it hard enough to bezel that cabochon?? Apparently not and I've found a perfect system to make the focal invisibly detachable :-) Happy, happy, happy!!!

Here's the first option - without the focal:

And here's the secon one - with the focal:

Khm, khm, I've seen that little flaw ... or better two of them :-$ ... it seems I can not count to three each and every time ...

Anyway ... I really love it!!!
And now just leave a comment to tell me what do you think ...

Be happy,

Alenka

January 15, 2014

A Time To Stitch 4

Beadweaving time! Today is the reveal for another A Time To Stitch challenge hosted by Therese and Christine. I have to say I really enjoy participating and learning new stitches, so I'm not gonna miss any of them ... even if I'm overwhelmed with work as this last months.

This time we had to create something with a net stitch (mandatory) and chose one of the other stitches between Spiral rope, Chevron stitch and Chenille.

For my first piece I've found an interesting tutorial on Youtube (sorry, I' can't find the link right now, will add it later) to create short pieces of rope in two colors with the ends of a third color, a kind of beaded beads. I've played a little with these pieces and came out with this necklace:

(sorry for the blurry pictures - if you click on them it's a little better)

For the pendant part I've made a rectangle and tried different combinations of including something inside the rectangle, but didn't like any of them and preferred it just like it is. I think is the minimalist part of me speaking (lol).

So, what do you think - what should I do with the pendant part? Any ideas will be welcome.

Let's go to the mandatory part of the challenge - netting. Well, I run out of time and beads and all I can show you is the work in progress ... I need one more evening or two to finish it.

The base is Chevron stitch and the pattern is from Marcia DeCoster's book Beads in Motion. I've just used a different size of beads and adjusted it a little. I'll include also a triangular polymer clay cabochon, made by me ...