Reckless Beading

CROCHET WIRE NESTS FOR MY BIRDIE

2012-01-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

My friend Yoshie wants me to wear my new MAKUstudio bird to the NY Bead Society meeting tomorrow night so I needed to finish the necklace. Since I hated to cut the pretty ribbon, I decided to make a small scarf ring as a fastener in back and crochet two wire bird's nests for counterweights. You can see the finished necklace above. I can wear the ribbon ends in front with the bird or hanging down my back for a dramatic exit.

The bird's nests were so much fun that I made two more sets and turned one set into earrings.

If you want to try your hand at crocheted wire bird's nests, here is a site to get you started: http://www.craftstylish.com/item/604/how-to-make-wire-crochet-jewelry/page/all.

I did things a bit differently, starting with using 22 gauge wire which I would not recommend. It makes great-looking bird's nests but it is hard on the wrists and fingers. I will try 24 or 26 gauge wore next time. Also, I chained 4 instead of 3 for a slightly bigger nest. I formed the nest over the end of a large crochet hook to make it deeper and used the second tail to make a few squiggles and loops on the top edge of the nest.

Now I can't wait to wear my new necklace tomorrow.

Raku New Year

2012-01-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of attending the holiday party at Bead by Blanchewww.beadsbyblanche.com in Bergenfield, New Jersey. My plan was to just buy some seed beads for upcoming class projects until I walked by the trays of raku pendants by Marianne Kasparian of MAKUstudio. I managed to grab this little bird and pair it with one of Marianne's hand-dyed ribbons for an instant necklace. You can check out more of Marianne's pendants, beads, and earrings at www.makustudio.com. Everytime I look at this little birdie, it makes me smile so may you also find your own blue bird of happiness in this new year. Happy New Year!

CHRISTMAS WINDOWS NYC 2011

2011-12-28T07:07:00.000-08:00

We did our usual tour of the Christmas windows in Manhattan on Christmas Eve so here are a few photos of the high points. First is Barney's with a Lady Gaga theme:

Gaga's boudoir with everything covered in hair.

Another window at Barney's

Then it was on to Bergdorf's. The side windows were fashion shoots with manequins in animal heads.

The main windows gathered together items made of one material.

This was wood.

These items were paper.

A small window

This window had sea creatures made of tile.

This window was fiber animals.

This was the metal window.

This was the bead window.

Then it was on to Henri Bendel's

One of their smaller windows.

Tiffany's was doing a circus theme...

but they removed most of the jewelry from the windows, making them rather empty.

This was Diesel, not a Christmas decoration but an interesting facade.

Tommy Hilfiger wrapped their store in a big bow and the store next to it did their usual filagree belts.

Cartier wrapped their store in the traditional red bow.

The Rockefeller Center tree framed by trees with blue lights.

Bananna Republic.

Anthropologie: not Christmas but a fun background.

Sephora, which used to be the Charles Scribner's Sons bookstore.

Lord and Taylor did Christmas scenes.

These two windows with a beagle are for my parents.

More Lord & Taylor

Macy's did windows that were full of motion and a little nightmarish. The theme had something to do with the magic of ornaments. Since everything was moving, I took short videos to give the idea.

Then we went home to watch for Santa.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL

2011-12-24T14:06:00.001-08:00

Both Don and I have been so busy with theater work (the poor guy is still at the shop now on Christmas Eve) that we decided not to drive ourselves crazy decorating a tree or buying presents for Christmas. Feeling bad that we couldn't put up a Christmas tree this year, Don remedied the situation a few days ago. Behold this year's version of presents under the tree:

So may you all be as creative and unstressed in you holiday celebrations: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanza.

ENCHANTED FAUST

2011-12-24T14:04:00.000-08:00

The months since September ran together as I worked on three knitted costumes for two operas for the Metropolitan Opera. The first project was a lovely but challenging machine-knit sweater for the very pregnant Marguerite, played by Marina Poplavskaya, in a new production of Faust. The costumes were designed by the talented Paul Tazwell.

The yarn was two strands of different variegated yarns that were made in Italy. The shopper thought that the yarn was cotton but, working with it, I came to the conclusion that I was knitting with cashmere. It was very soft and light.

After that I was on to more chain mail for a new opera entitled Enchanted Isle, a mashup of Shakespeare's The Tempest and A Midsummer Night's Dream. I had to make as set of chain mail for Neptune, played by Placido Domingo, that was supposed to look like it was distressed from being underwater. After many samples, the costume designer, Kevin Pollard finally chose this sample:

You can see the sketch for Neptune here:http://www.wqxr.org/#/articles/wqxr-features/2011/dec/06/wqxrs-met-opera-preview-enchanted-island/slideshow/. Scroll through the designs to number 5. I am curious to see the final costume.

After I finished the chain mail pieces for Mr. Domingo, it was decided that I should knit another set for the understudy, a singer with the voice of an angel and a 63 inch (160 centimeters) waist. So I madly knit another, bigger set that was finished on December 17. Now I can take a break from knitting and get back to some beadwork designs with fast-approaching deadlines. Oh, and I think there is a holiday or two coming up.

INSIDE CROCHET CORRECTION

2011-12-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been so long since I have had a chance to post that blogspot has changed their setup. I have been so incredibly busy with knitting costumes and beadwork design (more about that in the next post) that I have had no time for anything else.

Late though it is, I want to let everyone know that November's issue of Inside Crochet did indeed publish a lengthy correction with proper credit for my bead crochet designs in the Turkish Delights article in Issue 21.

Here is a photo of the correction on page 71. If you have trouble reading it, blame the current fashion of magazines printing text in grey.

Thank you for all of the comments that you left on the original post about Inside Crochet leaving out design credit for my beadwork. I still don't know what happened, other than a representative of Inside Crochet told me that it was their fault. Luckily, the matter was corrected.

MY WORK IN INSIDE CROCHET

2011-09-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

I was going to wait until Inside Crochet published a promised correction so that I didn't have to do a grumpy blog post about not getting design credit but too many people have been asking about this, so here goes.

The latest issue (September 2011) of the magazine used photos of my designs without giving me credit.  A woman named Phyllis Serbes contacted me in February ago to ask permission to use some of my research in an article on Turkish crochet, the craft of her ancestors.  After I said yes, she asked for a few photos of my work for possible inclusion in the magazine. I sent her some photos.

So now the article is out and I find my work used as examples of anonymous crafters from Turkey.  Here is my Ziggy Snake Necklace described only as showing typical patterns of flowers and use of vibrant colors. Aside from the fact that it is my design, the inspiration was actually Balkan.

Then we have my Turkish Delight bracelets--again no design credit-- with the description that Turkish crochet uses color combinations seen nowhere else. Really? Not even in my design studio?

Next we have one of the snake bracelet projects from my book Bead Crochet Snakes: History and Technique. These were just described with "Snakes are common creations in beaded crochet."

As an added tweak, the magazine also used the photo of my Side by Side bracelet design-- again with no design credit--and then published the strikingly similar pattern below by Phyllis Serbes in the same article:

Now, I don't think it is quite copyright infringement because I did put a free tutorial for the Turkish Flat Bead Crochet stitch on my website but it just seems bad form to omit design credit on the photo of my bracelet and then offer a pattern that is clearly taken from my bracelet.  I like the macrame closure, it's cute; so does that mean it is okay for me to start using her closure in my Turkish Flat Bead Crochet Bracelets?

Phyllis Serbes seemed like a nice lady and a representative from the magazine said that the design credit omission was their fault but this whole thing has spoiled the magazine for me. I probably won't be buying any more issues or contibuting anything else to them.

SABINE'S SPARKLY CLASSES, DAYS 1 AND 2

2011-08-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

As we sit here waiting for Hurricane Irene, I thought I would do a blog post about the two classes with Sabine Lippert that I took at Beads by Blanche earlier this month for those who haven't seen the Facebook photos.

I got up nice and early to go out to Blanche's in Bergenfield, NJ--it is actually easy to get to by bus.

Here are most of the class getting to work. Sabine is at the head of the table.

Here are some examples of Sabine's work. For those of you who don't know her, you can find out more at http://www.trytobead.com. She is fluent in both German and English so we had no trouble with instructions.

This was Sabine's sample of Sparkling Spots, the first project of the day.

Here is Sabine showing off her fun side.

This is my finished Sparkling Spots bracelet. Wendy, at Blanche's did a wonderful job of putting together color combinations for each class project. I managed to find this lovely clasp at Star's Clasps http://www.starsclasps.com on our trip to Bead Fest Philadelphia last week.

This is my finished version of the Riddle Pendant, our second project of the day.

Here are my friends Maureen Chin and Yoshie Marubashi posing for a photo on Friday. Maureen is a former New Yorker who came up for the class and it was great to see her again. Some of you may know Maureen from bead shows and classes in the North Carolina area (http://www.maureenchin.com. Yoshie's work has been seen in publications and exhibits all over the world (http://yoshiesjewel.com).

This was one of Sabine's pieces that we admired during Friday's class.

Here are some of Sabine's rings. These she does for fun and does not write up her instructions.

This is one of Sabine's samples of the Renaissance bracelet,

Friday's challenging project.

This is my version of it in progress. Although the bead combination looked good in the tray, there is something about it that I don't like once the beads were together . I bought some other beads at Bead Fest and will play around a bit.

So, we had a great time and I learned more about building three-dimensional shapes with needle weaving. Plus I have some new jewelry to wear!

SPARKLY CLASSES WITH SABINE LIPPERT

2011-07-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

It is hot and sticky outside and I am in bed with a cold; to lighten my mood, I have been thinking about Sabine Lippert's upcoming classes at Beads by Blanche from August 11-14.

Blanch has divided the classes into two 2-day sessions and I am signed up for the August 11-12 session.

On August 11, we will learn the Sparkling Spots Bracelet (above and right) and the Riddle Pendant (below).

The Riddle Pendant.

On August 11, we will learn the Renaissance Bracelet.

Another view of the Renaissance.

The August 13 class will learn the Zanzibar Bracelet (at left) and Granada (below).

The Granada pendant.

The August 14 class will learn the Petit Carre Bracelet (at left and below).

For more information and registration, visit http://www.beadsbyblanche.com.

I am looking forward to seeing Sabine again and can't wait to learn some of her lovely stitches. Now, though, I am going back to bed.

BEAD AND BUTTON: SHOPPING

2011-06-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

I spent a fair amount of time on the shopping floor but actually spent very little money. I tried to buy--I really did--but everything that I needed was not what the merchants brought.

I did buy some seed beads for a commissioned snake bracelet that has to match other bracelets that the client owns. The olive, brown, and orange beads are for that, the shiny blue/green beads are just because.

I managed to snag some of the new Tulip beading needles, which were flying out of the booths. For those of you who haven't heard about them, these needles are a result of a collaboration between Carol Cypher and people at the Tulip Needle Company in Japan.

The new beading needles are flexible and springy so they don't bend as quickly, have an eye that is easy to thread, and have a rounded tip to avoid splitting the thread. They come in a little glass tube inside a cardboard box. The needles may seem expensive but I went through 7 John James needles on the Melanie Potter Wild Flower project before I changed to a Tulip needle. The Tulip needle is still going strong. For more information you can visit Carol Cypher's website at http://www.carolcypher.com. Carol is the U.S. distributor of the needles. On the shopping floor, I saw the needles at Knot Just Beads, Beyond Beadery, and Out on a Whim.

My one mad purchase was two pieces of leather--from fish. Yes, this is tanned tilapia skin. I got it at the Nature Beads booth.

Here is a closeup shot.

One of my favorite things from Bead and Button was actually a gift from my friend Merle. Merle bought a bunch of these adorable minature dolls in Peru

to put on a hatband. I was lucky enough to get the left-overs!

So that ends the highlights of my Bead and Button experience. I took some great classes, had fun socializing, met some wonderful people, and did some shopping. Now I am counting the days until Bead and Button 2012.

BEAD AND BUTTON 2011: BEAD DREAMS

2011-06-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

After Carol Cypher's class, I finally had a few minutes to check out the Bead Dreams exhibit. Here are photos of a few pieces for those who didn't make it to Bead and Button.

This is a piece by my friend Yoshie Marubashi which won second place in the Objects or Accessories category.

Another stunning bracelet by my friend Suzanne Golden.

NOTE: The bloggspot editing program and I are not getting along and text is ending up in the wrong place. Susan Matych-Hager's necklace is the yellow lampwork glass one. Sherry Serafini's lovely necklace is the one made with brushes.

Susan Matych-Hager Lampwork/Glass category

Vilma Dallas Lampwork/Glass

Barbara Caraway Lampwork/Glass

Yuka Matsushita

Seed Bead Jewelry

Photo below:

Sherry Serafini

Finished Jewelry

Congratualtions Sherry on a very imaginative piece. Who knew brushes could be so glamorous?

This was part of a Ukranian exhibit.

As was this necklace.

BEAD AND BUTTON SHOW 2011: PART 3

2011-06-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

Friday brought Carol Cypher's

Complex Cane Hand-Felted Beads class, the most fun class of my journey. For those who don't know Carol, that is her (complete with felted hair) in the photo at the right.

Here is one of Carol's necklaces that she brought as an example of what we would be making. Her goal was that we could walk out of the six-hour class with a completed (but wet) necklace.

Here are some members of the class working on their projects. We made a series of long fleece pieces, bundled them together, wrapped more fleece around that, and started felting our "cigars." Carol brought squares of the the ribbed felting surface that she has developed for us to use and they made the job much easier than bubble wrap.

Here are the beads of one of the students after the "cigar" has been felted and sliced into beads.

Here is another set of beads resting on the rubber square used to felt it. These were very interesting because she sliced her cigar on the diagonal and then turned each slice inside out to make a round surface instead of a flat one.

These are my beads. I was surprised at how much darker the fleece was after it was felted. That pretty pale green was a neon, lime green when I started.

Carol brought beads and stringing material for us to make neckalces but I decided to wait to buy beads for my necklace. She also brought the new Tulip doll needles for us to use in stringing and those were a godsend in getting through the felt beads.

I found some perfect vintage, plastic beads at Sandy Shore's booth. When I got home, I tried rinsing an extra felt piece with lemon juice but didn't see any difference in the feel of the felt. I also tried putting acrylic floor polish on the underside of each bead but didn't like the fact that it made the surface darker.

I finally strung the necklace but the round shape didn't look right on me. Thanks to an inspiring late-night bead spill, I sewed the 3 center felt beads together, added more green beads, and put burgundy Swarovski pearls as spacer beads at the back.

Here is a closeup. Unfortunately, I forgot to buy a clasp and will have to search for something.

Now, what colors do I want to felt next?

BEAD AND BUTTON 2011: PART 2

2011-06-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

Tuesday started bright and early with Melanie Potter's WildFlowers Necklace class. Here is Melanie getting ready for class with one of my fellow students in front of her. We are in the Hilton Hotel, which has elegant meeting rooms.

Here is most of our class project; I am still working on the neck chain part. This was my first exposure to the chevron chain stitch and I love the fact that it looks like lace done in beads. It didn't hurt

that Melanie was a patient teacher and her instructions were very clear.

Tuesday night was a get-together for Facebook beady friends and anyone else who wanted to join us. Here is Suzanne Golden showing off some of her understated jewelry.

Here is a lovely purse embroidered by Liz Thompson.

Here is a shot of part of the Facebook group. That is Stacy Creamer in black. She was wearing a very intriguing necklace made of lightweight metal rings.

Wednesday's class was "Light and Shadow, The Art of Phtographing Glass and Jewelry" taught by Doug Baldwin, photographer and glass artist. This is a photo of part of his postcard for the

class. Doug showed us how to build inexpensive light boxes, explained how to take good photos, and demonstrated how to make them even better in Photoshop. I learned a lot in this class.

After class I spent some time with some of my new friends in the meeting place in the Hyatt Hotel. Here are (from left to right): Katharin Pfannschmidt, Petra Tismer (in back), Evelyn La Hirschel (showing off a little leg), Sabine Lippert, and Elke Leonhardt-Rath. They are all carrying the same purse as

members of the Bonn beading group.

After dinner, it was off to "Meet the

Teachers" in the Frontier Airlines,

where we had a chance to meet the teachers, buy kits and supplies from them, and catch up with friends. The Toho Bead people were doing a nice thing this year as they set up a table where you could donate to the Japanese Red Cross by buying donated kits and glass beads. All of the proceeds went to the Red Cross. I bought a fun bracelet kit donated by Dallas Lovett.

Thursday brought a class in

freeform netting at the Frontier Airlines Center--you can see why I called the Hilton's classroom elegant in comparison. I am reluctant to say much about this class because I was not happy with it but I am not sure that it was the teacher's fault. How can anyone who brings chocolate to class be bad?

This was the class project. I think

part of my unhappiness lay in the fact that I was expecting a class in freeform netting and got a class where you did 2 rows of netting, piled on fibers and then tried to pin everything down with more loops of beads. Since the teacher kept saying that we could do anything that we wanted to do, I decided that what I wanted to do was leave class early and redesign the necklace to my satisfaction. Still working on that.

Thursday night was the shopping premier and we all spent 5 hours browsing, buying , and chatting with friends.

BEAD AND BUTTON SHOW, PART 1

2011-06-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

I arrived in Milwaukee before it was time to pick up my badge for the Bead and Button show so I decided to explore a bit. I walked over the bridge on Wisconsin Ave. and found ladybugs!

A closer view.

The River Walk looked inviting so I wandered along that for a while. This is a statue of Gertie the duck. Explanation below.

If you can't read the explanation, Getie and her babies held up replacement of the pilings on the bridge and captured the city's heart in 1945.

There are ducks everywhere!

A long view of the river.

Even the bridge was decked out in beads.

Some sculptures had been erected along the River Walk--this was one of them.

This was another. The round objects in each circle are big rocks.

I even managed to find a beaded bead on the bridge by the Hyatt Hotel.

During registration I ran into my friend Sabine Lippert (on the left). Sabine is a fabulous beader from Germany who was in 3 of my classes last year. Here she is sitting with Jill Wiseman of Tapestry Beads.

Here is a closeup of Sabine's ring--or a hand-hider, as she called it--that she made with a cabachon by Linda Roberts. The hand-hider was actually quite comfortable and hides any spots on your hand.

Sabine had taken a precious metal clay class and was showing off the ring that she made in class. So cute!

To see more of Sabine's work, visit her blog at

http://try-to-be-better.blogspot.com

For more of Linda Roberts' cabochons, visithttp://www.myheartbeadsforyou.com

For Jill Wiseman's website, go to http://www.tapestrybeads.com

Now I have to go finish a project from one of my Bead and Button classes. More about my trip later.

PINKALICIOUS

2011-06-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

See this flower arrangement with the cute little frog? It's..................

my latest bracelet!

I have admired my friend Merele Berelowitz's lovely plastic flower creations for years and finally had a chance to try my hand at a plastic and lucite flower bracelet.

I started by following Merle's pattern as published
in the April 2009 issue of Bead and Button (example above).

If you don't have that issue of the magazine, the pattern is available at www.kalmbachstore.com/bbpdf090442.html

To see more of Merle's work, you can visit http://www.msmaddiesbeads.com/

I deviated from the published pattern by using a variety of flowers, stacking some flowers in twos and threes, and doing 4 flowers per fringe instead of 3. This is actually the second edition of my bracelet because I got carried away and added a whole other set of fringe between each Swarovski pearl on the first try. It looked great but I couldn't get the bracelet on my wrist and it felt like it would be uncomfortable anyway. So I ripped it out and started over.

After finishing the fringe on the second bracelet, I did a peyote loop and added some flower fringe to the loop to fill in some space. Then I added a carved bone frog button to complete the clasp. The frog reminded me of walking in the woods and finding frogs hidden among the plants.

Now to pack my new bracelet for my trip to Bead and Button 2011 next week.

CARNATIONS AND WIRE

2011-05-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have been playing with another crocheted oya pattern from the book "Anatolian Bead Oyas," this one is aptly named Karanfil or Carnation. Although, the flowers are meant to be crocheted in a long chain, I wanted to play with individual carnations. Here are a few of the flowers:

I started making earrings out of the flowers but they needed something. I added a bit of twisted wire but it prevented any movement. I also thought that just clipping a jump ring through the end of the stems loked a bit unfinished and I could use a brighter-colored wire.

With some time between my classes at the Innovative Beads Show in Marlborough, MA, I went shopping and stumbled upon some helpful supplies. First I discovered some Rose Gold craft wire from BeadSmith at Marti Brown's booth The Odyssey & Bead Expressions (http://www.theodyssey-ojds.com)

Then Moggie Moyer at Bead my Love booth pointed out some new, permanent-finish, mint green, ceylon beads (at right). I bought them and later noticed that they went well with my little bead crocheted carnations.

If you like bead embroidery take alook at the jewelry made by Moggie's daughter Meg. You can see some of her work at http://www.beadmylove.com/.

So I took my new supplies and made another version of the carnation earrings. I think I am done, but maybe it would be fun to play around with addding some swirly decoration to the ear wires that I made.....

BEAD CROCHET CLASSES IN MARLBOROUGH, MA

2011-04-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

I am busy making kits for my two bead crochet classes at the Innovative Beads Expo to be held in Marlborough, Massachusetts May 6-8, 2011.

On Saturday, May 7, 2011, I will be teaching the Side by Side Necklace from 10:30 am-1:30 pm. This was the original color combination.

I have also come up with a few other choices. It has been a challenge to come up with interesting yarns that will fit through the small holes of the beads but I have learned a few tricks for stringing.

I also got a shipment of ceramic clasps made by Saralee Rhoads of Mad About Beads. I discovered Saralee's clasps at Bead and Button last year and they were the perfect finish to my bead crochet necklace. Check out her work at: http://www.madaboutbeads.com/

I wil also be teaching the Turkish Delight bracelet class again on Sunday, May 8, 2011 from 1:15 pm-3:45pm. What a great way to spend Mother's Day!

For more information and class registration, visit http://www.innovativebeadsexpo.com/

SUNNY FLORIDA

2011-04-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

Looking at our grey, rainy weather , it is hard to believe that we were in Boca Raton only 10 days ago. My two brothers, their wives, my husband, and I surprised my parents with a belated celebration for my mom's birthday. We flew from snowy, rainy New York to sunny weather with temperatures in the low 80s.

Not much was blooming in Boca, but my father's gardenias were putting on a show. Here is a bud just ready to open that we brought inside.

The buds open to become large, snowy-white flowers.

We brought a number of blossoms into the house to enjoy their beauty and perfume.

The magnolia tree was also in bloom. Casey, one my sisters-in-law, wanted photos of the flowers as inspiration for the sugar flowers she wanted to make for her cake business in Texas http://www.bridestable.com/.

Although we spent most of time with family activities, my parents took us to the Boca Raton Museum of Art.

Here is a photo of part of the courtyard at the museum's entrance.

This is a sculpture by Julio Larraz entitled Space Station which "suggests the irony of Latin American political realities," according to the accompanying plaque.

We went to the museum to see Cut! Costume and the Cinema, an exhibit of some of the period costumes made by Cosprop for film, television, and theater. My mom gets gold stars for noticing the museum's add in the paper because it was an interesting collection.

We weren't allowed to take any photos inside the museum but here are a few shots from the brochure.

This is one of the costumes worn by Kiera Knightley in The Duchess.

A frock coat with metallic embroidery worn by Heath Ledger in Casanova.

Ball gown of silk and lace worn by Emmy Rossum as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera.

Jophnny Depp's eccentric costume for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Detail of a dress worn by Kate Winslet in Finding Neverland.

This is a traveling exhibit so it will show up at a number of venues. Don't miss it if it comes to your city.

Although we were celebrating my mom's birthday, both of my brothers had presents for us as well.

Tom, our international traveler, brought me a necklace and matching earrings that he bought in Bangkok, Thailand. It was made by Iftikhar Asif, a jeweler from Afghanistan with a business in Bangkok.

My brother Bill, who is a talented woodworker, made us all wine bottle holders. Here is a shot of the holder laying flat. Doesn't look like much, does it? A piece of wood with a hole in one end and a bevelled edge at the other.

Well, here it is holding a bottle of wine. It's all in the weight and balance. How neat is that?

Bill had one more surprise for us. Before we sat down to a delicious barbeque dinner prepared by Bill and his wife Joan, my brother gave me a few berries from one of the miracle fruit plants in his yard. The Synsepalum dulcificum plant, otherwise known as the miracle plant, produces berries that, when eaten, make sour foods taste sweet. It was too dark to take a photo of my borther's plant so this is a photo from Wikipedia taken by Hamale Lyman.

We tried the berries at breakfast the next morning and were surprised to find that grapefruit sections and lime wedges did indeed taste sweet. It was strange because my tongue said "sweet" but my brain said "What? It's supposed to be sour."

We had a relaxing time in Florida (which I doubly appreciated because I was recovering from the flu) and loved seeing most of my family. Then it was time to put on our coats, hats, and gloves to return to cold and rainy New York City.

THE BEADED EDGE

2011-03-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

Given my interest in bead crochet and Turkish oyalari, I was anxious to read The Beaded Edge: Ispired designs for crocheted edgings and trims by Midori Nishida/CRK Designs recently published by Interweave Press. This is an English version of the Japanese book Edgings with Beads by Crochet and Needle Vol. 1. I finally had a chance this weekend to read the copy that I bought.

Despite the general title, the book is being marketed as an effort to introduce Turkish bead crochet trim to a wider audience. Ms. Nishida explains that she discovered this form of Turkish trim at an exhibition of oya held in Japan and has been studying boncuk oyalari (or bead trim) ever since. A language note: the Turkish term for the trim is the plural oyalari but crafters in the U.S. and Europe tend to call it oya, the singular form.

As with just about every bead book today, the design is beautiful-- particulary the cover. Don't fall in love with any of the edgings on the cover, though, because the book does not include instructions for those particular trims. It does have instructions for simplified versions of 3 of the edgings shown on the cover, 11 other bead crochet edgings, and 4 beadwoven trims.

Instructions are given for the edgings only along with suggestions for how to use the trim. The sample projects are modern applications of Turkish trim and range in size from decoration on felt Christmas ornaments to edging for a shawl. There is information on materials needed and hints for adding trim to textiles. If you are familiar with Japanese diagrams, the crochet instructions are clear.

Despite all of the information, this is not a book for beginners or those who want to learn to crochet but is geared towards bead crocheters who are used to working with small beads and fine thread. Bead used range from size 7/0 -12/0 and threads range from lace-weight crochet thread to wool embroidery thread. That said, the book will appeal to crafters who want to play with making some fun beaded edgings.

If you are also interested in learning more about oya, however, this book will prove frustrating. Since Ms. Nishida states that her mission is to "share the charm of Turkish Boncuk oya and the pleasure of making it with as many people as I could," I was frustrated by the blurred line between actual Turkish techniques and creative interpretation.

Some of the edgings are authentic examples of Turkish oyalari but with new names, like this pattern for design #8. The Turkish name for this exact pattern is pigeon's eye or bird's eye. Some of the other edgings may actually be her own invention or a combination of Turkish and Japanese beadwork techniques--the clever beadwoven star comes to mind--but those are still lumped in with authentic Turkish patterns.

I sympathize with Ms. Nishida because the question of making traditional techniques our own is one we artists struggle with all the time. There is also the time-honored practice of looking at an object and making our own version of it with possibly different techniques. In a book that purports to teach Turkish techniques though, the line between academic information and creative interpretation could have been better delineated.

Not that information on Turkish oyalari is totally lacking. There is a one-page explanantion entitled "Beautiful Turkish Edgings" opposite a full-page version of the cover photo, which turns out to be examples of pieces from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Ishimoto. The book also includes a two-page essay entitled "Village hopping in search of Turkish hand-made crafts" about the Ishimoto's collecting efforts and Ms. Nishida's trip to Turkey in 2006. Unfortunately, the photos included in that section are disappointedly small.

One word about the patterns, if you have seen the sample pattern on the CrochetMe blog, http://www.crochetme.com/blogs/crochet_me/archive/2011/2/28/be-inspired-with-a-free-beaded-edging.aspx

be aware that all of the instructions are not on the same page like they are shown in the blog. The page with the first photo of the edging has 3 photos of the particular trim in progress but the actual instructions and diagram are in the back so you may need to flip back and forth as you work.

Also, the bead weaving stitch used in the grapes (shown at right) and peppers patterns is just called "bead stitch" or off-loom beading" but it looks like peyote stitch. If you have never tried that stitch and need to find instructions for it, there are peyote tutorials available elsewhere.

Despite my disappointment that the book doesn't have more information on actual oya edgings, I applaud Ms. Nishida's efforts to popularize this Turkish craft and am heartened to see the positive response to the book in Japan and the U.S. Renewed interest in oyalari will hopefully keep the craft alive in the countries where it still made.

CATCH ME--THE MUSICAL

2011-03-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

After months of knitting white,blue, and champagne sweaters for a new Broadway musical entitled "Catch Me if You Can," I finally have a few minutes to tell you what I have been doing.
For those whose missed the movie, it is the story of Frank Abagnale, Jr. a teenager who posed as 8 different people including a Pam Am Pilot, Atlanta pediatrician, and assistant attorney general in order to pass bad checks in 26 countries over a period of 5 years in the 1960s. Before he was caught at age 21, Frank had stolen 2.5 million U.S. dollars. After serving time in prison, Frank became a security consultant for the FBI and founded his own financial security business.

Like the movie, the Broadway musical focuses on Frank Abagnale, Jr., played by Aaron Tveit, and the FBI agent Carl Hanratty who chased him for years, played by Norbert Leo Butz. Tom Wopat plays Frank Abagnale, Sr., a najor influence in Jr.'s life The show opens with the capture of Frank by Carl and unfolds as a 1960s variety show as Frank tells his story to the audience. As you can see from the playbill, the mood of the show is that of the glamorous, high-flying 60s.

Here is a shot of Frank meeting some Pan Am stewardesses, courtesy of the shows website http://catchmethemusical.com/

Another shot of the stews courtesy of the Daily News. Flying never looked so exciting. The link to the full story is below:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2011/03/20/2011-03-20_jet_propelled_theyve_got_legs_and_the_catch_me_if_you_can_showgirls_know_how_to_.html?r=entertainment

My part in the show was 10 men's, machine-knit, cardigan sweaters for the male dancers to wear during a number called "(Our) Family Tree," sung when Frank meets his fiance's family. William Ivey Long, the costume designer, was inspired by sweaters worn on the Perry Como for this number.

Here is the original research showing Andy Williams and his dancers.

Here is one of the finished sweaters. The body is knit with a white wool/rayon yarn and trimmed with stripes of navy blue and dark champagne. I did all of the knitting myself but was lucky enough to entice 4 friends to help me put the sweaters together in time for the first tech rehearsal.

The sweaters are worn with cream pants, a cream polo shirt, and a spiffy hat. The sweater looks a little dumpy because my dress form doesn't have the chest and shoulders of the chorus boys. On the right bodies, the sweaters look GAWGEOUS and the Catch Me dancers have the right bodies. Heck, you could put burlap sacks on these guys and the sacks would look good.

We were lucky enought to see the show and enjoyed it. The set is amazing, the costumes are fun and glamorous, the music is bouncy, and the dancing is great. Norbert Leo Butz breaks out of his staid, FBI character to do a dance number that amazed everyone with it's complexity and energy. The story also delves into why Frank became a con man and how the lark turned into a chase that turned into a treadmill he couldn't get off; it's not all glitz and gloss. The show even manages not to end on a down note with Frank's capture; the cast briefly relates that Frank served his time in jail and turned his life around. Quite a tale made into an entertaining musical.

After that it was more chain mail for the Metropolitan Opera's production of Die Walkure.

Here is one of the pieces drying after being steamed into shape.

Now, I am cleaning up and deciding which beadwork project I need to work on next.

BEAD SOCIETY GARAGE SALE JANUARY 25

2011-01-24T09:56:00.000-08:00

Yikes! I have been so busy knitting sweaters for the new Broadway production of "Catch Me if You Can" that I forgot to tell everyone that tomorrow is the Bead Society of Greater New York's 6th annual Garage Sale. Over 35 of us will be selling or giving away our excess beads, supplies, bead magazines, books, and jewelry. Admission is free. Here are the details:

LOCATION
Fashion Institute of Technology
The John Reeves Great Hall
Enter on West 28th St. (between 7th and 8 Aves.)
New York City, NY

DATE & TIME
January 25, 2011
Doors open at 6 pm, runs until 8:30 or so

ADMISSION
Free!

Come join us. Add to your stash and help us make room for more beads in our stash.

SABRINA'S NECKLACE

2011-01-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

My niece Sabrina, who is a fabulaous baker, graduated from college in December. As soon as I saw these beads at a bead show, I knew they were perfect for her so, using my new wire working skills, I made her a necklace with the minature cupcakes and cake slice.

I used square copper wire and my WigJig to fashion a pendant and hung the beads from the loops with with round copper wire. Then I put the pendant on a purchased wire chain, adding two fire polished beads at the join for a little more sparkle.

Here is a close up view.

Side view so that you can see the painting on the cake slice. No there isn't a problem with my camera--I changed the background paper to see how it changed the photo.

The beads are painted ceramic and are made in Peru. I bought them from the J P Imported booth at the Soft Flex show here in NYC but you can buy them from the website at http://www.jpimported.com. They have all kinds of food (I bought some donuts for me), chocolates, animals, surfboards, skulls, musical instruments and so much more.

CHRISTMAS TOUR 2010

2010-12-31T18:11:00.000-08:00

We did our annual Christmas Eve tour of the store windows this year on a very cold night. It was so cold that we missed a few sights. We started at Barneys, which was doing a salute to the Food Network.

Here is a window with the "boys."

Here is the "girl's" window--the only time that you will see Snuggies in Barneys.

On to Berdgdorf's, who always has

the best windows. Paper seemd to be the medium of choice for window decorators.

Closeup of some of the paper

structures.

Another widow showing the signs of the zodiac.

Detail of some of the animals.

This little dog was my favorite paper animal.

This photo is for my niece, Melissa, a talented horsewoman. How's this for a decorative horse?

Detail.

A window with a sea theme.

Sparkly alligator.

Turtle

A dress with red flowers.

Detail ofthe flowers.

Van Cleef and Arpels went with a mushroom scene.

Tiffany's also used paper for their windows.

Snowflakes on scaffolding near the Swarovski store.

I've forgotten which store this was but the lights were programmed to look like they were falling down the side.

Cartier's.

Detail of the garland around the door.

One of the windows at H. Stern. it must have been beautiful with the jewelry in the window. It was removed for storage while the store was closed for the evening.

The windows at Saks had a bubble theme. The crowds were so thick that we couldn't get any photos of the windows but I did get a shot of the bubble projected on the facade of the store.

The tree at Rockefeller Center. Notice the flags whipping in the wind.

This is why I have no photos of the angels lining the plaza of Rockefeller Center. The crowds were so thick that you couldn't get a decent shot.

Even an empty space on 5th Avenue was decorated for the holidays.

Down to Lord & Taylor. The vintage cookbooks looked so charming--this photo is for you, Judith.

Lord & Taylor's main windows illustrated holiday stories submitted to the store.

Working our way down to Macy's, decorated with a huge Christmas tree made of strands of lights.

Macy's did "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" for their window decorations. More charming decorations of paper.

That was the end of our tour because it was just too cold to continue. I hope you enjoyed this look at the lovely sights of the season.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2010-12-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Winter Solstice, belated Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year. If I missed any holidays, we can add them later or just make up some more.

It as my turn to design the front of the Christmas card and I was so taken by the zentangle phenomenon that I incorporated some of the features in my drawing. Don designed the holly border for the inside.

For those of you who have missed the Zentangle craze, it is basically a formalized way of drawing. You can learn more and see many interesting examples at http://www.zentangle.com/. Have fun if you decide to try your own zentangle!

INNOVATIVE BEADS EXPO, EDISON, NJ

2010-11-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that the Innovative Beads and Embellishments Expo will be held this weekend--November 19-21-- at the New Jersey Convention and Raritan Center, 97 Sunfield Ave. in Edison, NJ. There will be 54 vendors and beading classes, including my own Turkish Delight bead crochet and Side by Side bead crochet bracelets.

If you go to the Innovative Beads Expo website (http://www.innovativebeadsexpo.com/), you will find a list of vendors, a way to request a $1 off coupon, and driving directions. I am scouting out the way to get to the NJ Convention Center by public transportation.

The nice people at Innovative Beads just posted how to get to the show by public transportation. here are the directions: Take the Northeast Corridor train from Penn Station towards Trenton Transit Center to the Metuchen stop (48 minutes, 8 stops). Walk to main St. at Woodbridge Ave. (about 5 minutes). Take the 813 bus towards 813 Middlesex College (16 minutes, 10 stops). Get off at Northfield Rd.--1000ft north of Fernwood Rd. Walk southeast on Fernwood Ave towards Newfield Ave 0.2 miles. Fernwood Ave turns left and becomes Sunfield Ave 62 feet (about 4 minutes walk). Walk to 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison, NJ 08837. Shop for beads.

KRYLON AND BEADS

2010-11-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

I had my first adventure in spraying beads with Krylon and thought I would pass what worked for me. In preparation for my Turkish Loops bead crochet class this month, I sprayed two different dyed beads with Krylon in an attempt to make the color stay on longer. Of course, the beads are the perfect colors and I can't find sustitutes that aren't dyed.

I put a small amount of beads (about 10 grams) in a plastic snack bag and sprayed the beads with Krylon in a few short bursts. I then closed the bag and massaged the beads through it to spread the acrylic through all of the beads. It didn't look like everything was coated so I opended the bag, sprayed, and massaged again.

After that, I put the wet beads on a sheet of parchment paper to dry. Once they had dried a bit, I rolled the bead clumps through my fingers to break up the beads and left them to dry thoroughly.

A few things that I learned:

1) Wasteful though it seems, it is best to use a new plastic snack bag for each batch of beads that you spray. I used the same bag to spray a second batch of the gold beads and some dye came off of the beads and stayed on the plastic bag. That made the second batch of gold beads stick to the bag and it was harder to get them out on to the parchment to dry.

2) My friend Suzanne suggests that you spray the beads before you make your beadwork item. She once sprayed the dyed beads in a finished bracelet with Krylon and watched the purple dye slide off the beads on to a paper towel underneath the piece.

3) The beads changed color when wet but went back to the original color when dry.

Now to see if the Krylon-coated beads keep their color longer than the non-coated ones.

CREATIVE BEADING VOLUME 6

2010-11-01T12:50:00.001-07:00

I got the news a few days ago that my Turkish Delight bracelet project will be included in Creative Beading Volume 6 published by Kalmbach Books. The publish date is summer of 2011. I had seen some of the previous volumes and was quite impressed with the books so inclusion in the next volume was exciting news.

WIRE CLASS WITH MILLY VALENTIN

2010-10-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

As a birthday present to myself, I took a class
yesterday entitled "What Can I do With a WigJig?" taught by Milly Valentin for the Bead Society of Greater New York. I had heard from other bead society members that Milly's classes were great and I have to concur--we learned a lot and had a load of fun. The photo on the right shows the main class project.

I am afraid that my photos are not the greatest-- my camera objected to photographing without flash--but they will give you an idea of Milly's wire jewelry that she brought to inspire us. The world of wire was pretty much new territory for me.

Here is part of a simple but elegant bracelet that Milly made. Almost all of our class time was spent learning to make various components on the WigJig or other wire bending devices. If you have never seen a WigJig, visit http://www.wigjig.com/ for more information and hundreds of free patterns. Milly also showed us how to wrap a bead with wire, as she did for the crystals on this bracelet.

Here is a photo of Milly at the head of the class as she is packing up her supplies and jewelry. It was hard to get a photo when she was standing still because Milly is a bundle of energy.

Here is one of Milly's pieces with crystals and wire.

Another piece with square wire and herts.

Here are some of my humble efforts. On top are two different styles of earring wires plus a wire component in the center. More components are in the middle row and the start of my necklace is on the bottom of the photo. The connectors for the components are made with the Coiling Gizmo, another new tool for me. More on that at http://www.coilinggizmo.com/.

When I have time I am going to start the necklace again in copper wire with larger beads but I am pleased with my first efforts.

One of my fellow students is also a reader of my blog but I didn't get her name--it was the end of class and we all had to scoot when she said hello. I am sorry that we didn't get a chance to talk, maybe we will connect again at the next bead society meeting.

Gönül Paksoy and Edible Beads

2010-10-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to see that Gonul Paksoy, one of my favorite Turkish artists is featured in the latest issue of Selvedge magazine. One of her areas of exploration is making necklaces of edible beads, using items the the rest of us would normally just eat.

Here is a photo of her necklace made of cranberries from her new book "Edible Beads" that is included in the Selvedge article. Photos are by Rehan Eksi.

Here is another necklace of pistachios.

This is the cover of the issue of Selvedge (Issue 36, Sept/Oct 2010) that contains the article on edible beads. If you are unfamiliar with the magazine, it is a wonderful publication from the U. K. that covers textiles. For more information, visit http://www.selvedge.org/

We first discovered the work of Gonul Paksoy at the International Bead and Beadwork Conference in Istanbul, Turkey in 2007. First, the Rezan Has Muzesi had an exhibit of Dr. Paksoy's bead collection and some of the jewelry that she made from the historic beads. Along with that, Ms. Paksoy mounted an exhibit of necklaces made with food items, i.e. edible beads.

Here is one of her necklaces made of wrapped candy that was exhibited during the bead conference. Photo by Don Recklies.

Here is another necklace made of coiled orange peel and dried fruit; photo by Don Recklies. The museum set out dried and fresh fruit for people to make their own jewelry but, unfortunately, no one had eaten dinner and many participants ate the "jewelry supplies" instead of making art.

INNOVATIVE BEAD EXPO CLASSES

2010-10-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching two bead crochet classes at the Innovative Beads and Embellishments Expo in Edison, NJ on November 20 and 21, 2010. The first class is

TURKISH DELIGHT: TURKISH LOOPS BEAD CROCHET BRACELET
Based on a bead crochet stitch that I learned in Turkey, this sparkly bracelet looks impressive but is actually quite easy and works up quickly. Students will learn how to string beads in a pattern and crochet the Turkish Loops stitch. Once the bead crochet is done, students will make a button and loop closure and embellish the loop with a peyote stitch decoration or needle-woven flowers and leaves. Only basic crochet skills are required. This class is a good introduction to a bead crochet technique that lends itself to experimentation with many different beads.

When: Saturday, November 20, 2010, 2:00-4:45PM
Class Fee: $60. Pre-register before November 18 and save $10
Kit Fee: $40

NOTE: The photo of the Innovative Beads class page only shows the green bracelet but kits for all 3 bracelets shown will be available in class.

The second class will be:

SIDE BY SIDE: TURKISH FLAT BEAD CROCHET

Based on a Turkish oya (lace) stitch that I learned from a shopkeeper while visiting theRoman ruins at Ephesus Turkey, this bracelet is a fun introduction to a form of bead crochet that uses larger beads and interesting fibers. Learn how to string beads, work the oya stitch known as Railroad, and make a button and embellished loop closure. Because this stitch is worked from side to side, there is no guseesing about how long a piece needs to be. Only basic crochet skills are required; you must know how to make a chain stitch and a single crochet (UK double crochet).

When: Sunday, November 21, 2010, 2:30-5:30 PM
Class Fee: $60. Pre-register before November 18 and save $10.
Kit Fee: $20

For more information about the show, classes, and registration, visit http://www.innovativebeadsexpo.com/

Hope to see you there!

ZIGGY SNAKE AND LITTLE ZIGGY

2010-10-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, in the dreary and grey weather of February, I was craving color. So I designed and made this colorful snake necklace named Ziggy.

Recently I decided that he needed a friend so I designed a bracelet. Introducing Little Ziggy:

Ziggy is a little more sparkly than his bigger brother because I used Swarovski crystals for the white centers of the green vlowers as well as part of the fringe on his tail.

NEWSPAPER YARN

2010-09-09T11:25:00.001-07:00

I am busy cleaning up some of my beads so that I can find things, but I ran across the work of a Dutch artist named Greetje van Tiem who spins newspapers into yarn.

Here is one of her knitting projects made from the newspaper yarn.

Here is another.

To see more newspaper yarn objects, visit http://greetjevantiem.nl. For instructions on how to make newspaper yarn check out Doug Gunzelmann's June 17, 2008 article at http://greenupgrader.com/2138/handspun-recycled-newspaper-yarn/

CHERRY CLAFOUTI--I FEEL SO FRENCH!

2010-08-31T13:57:00.000-07:00

The cherry crop was disappointing this year, so when I saw some lovely cherries at Whole Foods, I went nuts and bought almost two pounds. Casting around for a way to use some of them, I settled up on a Cherry Clafouti--something that I have somehow never baked.

I looked at Julia Child's recipe but decided to try the one from The Food of France by Maria Villegas and Sarah Randell. Their recipe calls for the traditional method of not pitting the cherries to give the dish an added almond flavor.

The clafouti baked up beautifully and is one of those typically French desserts that uses perfectly ripe fruit surrounded by a simple pudding-like cake. Unfortunately, it was not a big hit; it was a little too simple and eating around the cherry pits is distracting. The second time I served it I reheated the slices and garnished with a bit of whipped cream. That was an improvement.

My advice to other bakers is to used Julia Child's recipe and pit the cherries; the pits don't add anything. Don't be put off by the tablespoon of vanilla, it's the right amount for the dessert.

A HELPING HAND: CERAMIC CLASPS BY MAD ABOUT BEADS

2010-08-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

One of my objectives at Bead and Button was to find a clasp for a Turkish Flat Bead Crochet necklace that I made using two different sizes of beads. When I taught the Turkish Flat Bead Crochet technique to Moncie Williams, a former employee, she played with using different beads for top and bottom . When Julia Gerlach at Bead and Button wondered what would happen if I tried different-sized beads with the Turkish Flat Bead Crochet technique, I had to experiment myself.
I walked through over two-thirds of the shopping area at Bead and Button without finding a clasp that excited me and then I came across the Mad About Beads booth. I immediately fell in love with the ceramic clasps made by Saralee Rhoads and found the hand-shaped clasp (shown above) that seemed to be made for my necklace. To see more of Saralee's work, visit http://www.madaboutbeads.com/.

Here is the finished necklace. Using two sizes of beads allowed me to make a 24" necklace with a gentle curve so that it fits nicely around the neck. Now to go find other bead combinations.

BEAD CROCHET: NEW STUFF

2010-08-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

I am busy designing an embellished closure for on the Turkish Loops Bracelet class in November, but I took a few minutes to play with some beads that I bought at Bead and Button an some new threads that I ordered.
On the left are some purple matte bugles and some seed beads that look like terra cotta pottery crocheted with C-Lon micro cord in the Turkish Loop pattern. The middle sample is crocheted with pinch beads, seed beads, and the new C-Lon Fine Weight cord. This cord is advertised as being suitable for Swarovski crystals or size 8/0 seed beads and smaller. It was too small to go through the purple bugle beads doubled but the holes on those beads were small. It went through the seed beads fine. The sample on the right is done with the new spiral bugle beads, seed beads, and Tuff-Cord #2, a 3-ply, twisted, bonded cord made from long nylon filaments. The bugles have cuts on their surface that make them very sparkly.

Here is a shot of all 3 threads together for size comparison. Top to bottom: C-Lon fine weight cord, Tuff-Cord #2, and the C-Lon micro cord I have been using. I don't mind the micro cord, but a lot of bead crocheters find it too thin to work with easily. For projects where you need support, I like the Tuff-Cord #2. The C-Lon fine weight cord would also be good for projects that need support but its size might be a problem if you are using seed beads with small holes.

Here is how the Tuff-Cord comes packaged. I
bought both nylon cords from http://www.jewelsinfiber.com/. She is a macrame artist who carries a variety of threads.

My other discovery was courtesy of Janet Rosenberg. She and her husband Robert sell crochet hooks with cherry wood handles made by Robert. Now I have heard repeatedly that the hooks with large handles are easier on wrists, but I hadn't bothered to try any. Since I crochet holding my hook in the "pencil" grip, I figured that hooks with bigger handles would get in my way. Boy was I wrong! It turns out that the wood handle of the size 10 steel hook rests comfortably between my thumb and finger to make bead crocheting less painful and I didn't even have to learn to crochet another way. I am a convert. Robert also makes beautiful cherry wood looms. To see their looms and crochet hook handles, visit http://www.boomerangpro.com/. I have also discovered that the other advantage to having a hook with a large handle is that it doesn't get lost as easily.

Crochet hook with Robert's cherry wood handle.

BEADING MYSELF OUT OF A CORNER

2010-08-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

Last week I managed to bead myself into and out of a corner. A few years ago, I was playing with the Russian Spiral Stitch and made these cute little wreaths. If you aren't familiar with the stitch, here is a tutorial: http://www.tarnhelm.com/NeedForBeads/RussianSpiral.pdf

Inspired by my class with Marcia DeCoster at Bead and Button and Laura McCabe's book "Embellished Beadweaving," I came up with a different decoration for the green wreath. Every way that I attempted to fasten the decoration to the wreath was so tortuous that I couldn't ask students to follow them. I was about to tear out my hair!

Here is the new decoration with a band that was to wrap around the Russian Spiral. That didn't work either, but it might make a cute ring.

Finally, I think I have a way to add the new decoration to the wreath. I am so relieved!

BEAD CROCHET SNAKES ON SALE!!

2010-07-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

To add some excitement to these dog days of summer, Bead Crochet Snakes: History and Technique is on sale at Sova Enterprises! From July 17 though August 14, the price will be only $17.25. For more details visit http://www.sova-enterprises.com/catalog/specials.php.

For those not familiar with the book, I have written a history of the bead crochet snakes made by the Turkish soldiers captured by the Allied forces during World War I, bead crochet snakes made by village women in the Balkans after World War I, and snakes made specifically to be worn as necklaces.

There are also patterns for people who want to make their own bead crochet snake jewelry.

JAPANESE CROCHET BLOG

2010-07-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

I am busy working on some new bead designs but, in the meantime, have fun with this look at fun and inventive crocheted items on this Japanese blog http://blog.livedoor.jp/m203gow. It takes a minute to load but scroll down past the Japanese characters to view the photos--the mushrooms were my favorite.

SIDEWALK CATWALK

2010-07-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

As I was fruitlessly hunting through the bead district in Manhattan for some size 15/0 Japanese seed beads today, I stumbled upon the Sidewalk Catwalk event. This is a series of mannequins wearing fashions by 32 local fashion designers, some famous and some not--or at least not yet. The fashion show is located on the pedestrian plazas along Broadway between Herald Square and Times Square. Here are photos of most of the mannequins around Herald Square; note that I am guessing about some of the materials.

PRABAL GURUNG: outfit made of paper and screen (I think)

ISABEL TOLEDO: dress of screen or mesh with drinking straws.

ELIE TAHARI: dress of riveted metal and glass or plastic

RACHEL ROY: bodice of plastic cabochons fastened to fabric, mesh skirt, felt(?) vest.

YEOHLEE TENG: a dress of bricks

REBECCA MOSES; top knit or crocheted out of some kind of eyelash trim with knit, metal wire sleeves. Belt is snakeskin and the skirt is felt(?). The best part was the metal bracelets.

BETSY JOHNSON: Paint with a belt of real flowers.

CHRISTOPHER CIACCA AND ARIEL PENZER: Dress of those same plastic cabs and some kind of electronics parts (?) fastened to fabric.

The mannequins will be on display through Labor Day.

SHIPWRECK BEADS GIVEAWAY

2010-07-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Shipwreck Beads is doing a weekly drawing to give away 2 $250 gift cards to their electronic newsletter subscribers through September 1, 2010. To enter the drawing, just sign up for the newsletter at http://www.shipwreckbeads.com. Your newsletter number will then be entered in the drawing.

BEAD AND BUTTON 2010

2010-07-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

Now that I have caught up on the committments that piled up while I was gone, I can try to describe my first trip to Bead and Button 2010. I say try because it was an overwhelming experience. I am afraid that I was so busy taking in all that is B&B that I didn't take many photos.

My friend Yoshie and I got to Milwaukee on Tuesday afternoon, June 8 and arrived in rain and a temperature of 57 degrees. We checked in to the Best Western and wandered over to the Hyatt and the convention center to see what was going on. Despite the cool temperatures, the air-conditioning was cranked up everywhere. I finally figured out that if I turned on the heat in my hotel room, I could raise the temperature up to 72 degrees.

Wednesday morning, bright and early, I showed up for Leslie Frazier's (http://www.lesliefrazier.com/) Ndebele Fanatsy bracelet class and beaded until 3:00PM. The class was a lot of fun and I learned both a new stitch and some new techniques. Here is my finished bracelet:

Closeup of the pinch bead button that we made in class.

I next found my way to Stephanie Sersich's (http://www.sssbeads.com/) class for her Spiny Knotted Bracelet. It was a quick class, only 3 hours, and then we went on to the Meet the Teachers Event. There I caught up with friends, looked at the kits for sale by the teachers, and chatted with some of the people that I have only met online.

Here is my finished bracelet from Stephanie's class. She calls the bracelet design " a party on your wrist" and she is so right! I can't believe the attention it gets when I wear this beauty.

Thursday was the challenge of Marcia DeCoster's (http://www.marciadecoster.com) Crystal Collage class. I was filled with trepidation over that class because I was sure that I had gotten in over my head--Right Angle Weave with size 15 beads, what was I thinking? I was soon reassured because Marcia is a great teacher. The class was challenging but I understand what I am doing and can (eventually) finish the necklace on my own. I had the great fortune to sit next to Sabine Lippert, an incredibly talented beader from Germany with a sparkling personality. Check out her website at http://www.trytobead.com/.

Thursday night was the opening of the vendor area. I did a lot of looking but didn't buy much, partly there was just so much to look at and partly because the lines were so long to buy seed beads. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my friend Michael Harrington had a booth selling his paper beads and cold fusion, resin beads (http://www.beadsbymichael.com/). I did look for the new sizes of C-Lon thread and found one vendor who apparently had them but then forgot where that vendor was located. It was all just too much to process at once.

Friday was Sherry Serafini's Freeform Cutaway Cuff. It was my first time using Lacey's stiff stuff for embroidery and so far, it is holding up well. I missed embroidering on a frame so that you have both hands free to work, but I enjoyed the class and the bracelet will be stunning when it is finished. I got in a bit of shopping after class.

Here is one of Sherry's beautiful necklaces.

Friday night was the Toho Bead party, a very nice affair with delicious food, drinks, lively company, and an impressive display of beadwork done with Toho beads.

Here are some of the members of the Bead Society of Greater New York in front of a portion of the beadwork exhibit.

Saturday was Paulette Baron's Circles & Spirals necklace class (http://www.paulettebaron.com/). I was pleased to meet Sabine again in this class and snapped a photo of her.

Unfortunately, I had to leave class early to get to the airport for our 7Pm flight back to New York but learned enough of the peyote spiral technique to carry on at home.

So, all in all, it was a fabulous but overwhelming experience. I took some great classes , made new friends and saw old ones, bought some interesting beads, and can't wait for Bead and Button 2011.

BEAD AND BUTTON SHOW

2010-06-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

I am busy getting ready for my first trip to Bead and Button. Along with the usual packing, I have been honing my Right Angle Weave skills so that I won't embarrass myself in Marcia DeCoster's class and learning Ndebele for my class with Leslie Frazier. I still have to refresh my peyote stitch skills for Paulette Baron's class.

The Innovative Bead and Fiber Expo was a lot of fun with teaching, meeting new crafters, and looking at beads to buy. The show had tables for the Embroiders Guild of America, the Bead Society of Greater New York, the NYC Crochet Guild, the NY City Polymer Clay Guild, and the Long Island Crochet Guild, which added to the experience. Not only did members of the various guilds show visitors their creations but they did free demonstrations. I was good, though, because I only spent $8 on some Chinese crystals. On the recommendation of EVERYONE, I am saving my money for overwhelming shopping experience in Milwaukee.

INNOVATIVE BEADS EXPO REMINDER

2010-05-17T11:14:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that early registration for the classes at the Innovative Beads and Fiber Arts Expo here in New York City is Wednesday, May 19, 2010. There are places left for my Turkish Flat Bead Crochet class and the Fifties Flowers Embroidered Needle Book and you can save $10 by registering early. Even if you can't take a class, I look forward to seeing everybody at the show. For more information, visit http://www.InnovativeShows.com.

TIM BURTON EXHIBIT: MY WORK AT MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

2010-04-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

We went to see the Tim Burton exhibit at the Musuem of Modern Art today and there, among costumes from some of his movies, was thewhite, angora sweater that I knit for Johnny Depp to wear in "Ed Wood". I even got a credit for making the sweater, which was more than I got on the original movie. Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take any photos and the guards were vigilant--so no photos of my fuzzy, white sweater on display.
If you are a Tim Burton fan in the New York City area and haven't seen the show, do order tickets beforehand, brave the crowds, and get to MOMA before April 26. It is an overwhelming exhibit. My favorite overheard comment was the one from a woman who said to her companion "I am not really a fan of his darker works."....and his lighter works are?
To take a peak at part of the exhibit, visit http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2009/timburton/index.php

CLASSES AT INNOVATIVE BEADS EXPO NYC

2010-04-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching two classes at the upcoming Innovative Beads & Fiber Expo here in New York City from May 21-23, 2010:

TURKISH FLAT BEAD CROCHET

This class is for anyone interested in bead crochet. Based on a Turkish lace (oya) stitch that I learned from a shopkeeper while visiting the Roman ruins at Ephesus, Turkey, this bracelet is a fun introduction to bead crochet but also offers experienced bead crocheters a new stitch and a chance to play with fibers and beads. Students will also learn how to make a button and loop closure and how to embellish the loop with more beads. Basic crochet skills are required.

When: 2:30-5:30pm Friday, May 21, 2010
Class Fee: $60, pre-register and save $10
Kit Fee: $20 (more colors available than shown)
Students need to bring scissors, task lamp (optional)

FIFTIES FLOWERS EMBROIDERED NEEDLE BOOK

Tired of hunting all over for those needles you had just a few minutes ago? Make a colorful, felt needle book to hold needles, pins, and other sewing supplies. Embroider felt flowers and leaves to a felt cover, embellish it with a botton and cheerful bee, then sew together 4 "pages" and the cover to make a handy place to store necessary items. Students will learn the running stitch, blanket stitch, whip stitch, French knot, how to sew on a button, and how to sew on a snap. Basic sewing skills are helpful.

When: 2:30-5:30pm Sunday, May 22, 2010

Class Fee: $60, pre-register and save $10

Kit Fee: $20

Students need to bring scissors, task lamp (optional)

To register for teither class or for more information about the Expo, visit:

http://www.innovativebeadsexpo.com/

Hope to see you there.

ADRIENNE SLOANE WORKSHOP

2010-04-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

As I was frantically getting ready to speak at a conference in England (that's for another post), I took time out to attend a knitting workshop with Adrienne Sloane, an incredibly talented fiber artist. That is her work above. I joined some of my fellow Textile Study Group of New York members at the aprtment of one member for a stimulating and fun day.

Our first exercise were to try knitting with non-traditional materials. I tried knitting with rubber bands and yarn--not easy because the

rubber bands stuck to my needles.

copper wire

and metal guimpe with a green lurex yarn

After a quick lunch, we spent the afternoon working on a sampler of various knitting techniques for making 3-D structures. Here is my effort:

After we finished our samplers, we spent time looking at books and magazines that Adrienne found inspirational. I learned a lot and also had a lot of fun; Adrienne is a great and patient teacher. Check out her website at http://www.adriennesloane.com/. She will be teaching classes

at various venues, including Split Rock and Penland School of Craft.

MJSA EXPO AND CHOCOLATE

2010-03-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Beads and chocolate, what could be better? On this past, rainy Sunday I went into Manhattan for the opening day of the Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America Expo. On the way I detoured into Teuscher's Chocolatier in Rockefeller Center for some truffles. Here are a few shots of their Easter windows.

Having bought chocolates for us to consume later, I continued on to the Expo. Most of the shows exhibitors didn't really help me much, being metal casting, insurance, metal machinery, and precious metal jewelry businesses, but I did find some great metal beads at BCM--Ball Chain Manufacturing Co. The nice people at the BCM booth gave me samples of some of their copper beads which I played with last night.

Here are two bead crochet samples using BCM beads. The top one was done with copper, 1/2 inch, elliptical bars and the bottom one uses the 5.5 mm, copper, filligree beads. Their website is http://www.ballchain.com

The other discovery at the Expo was Preciosa, maufacturer of Czech crystal beads, pendants, and crystal nacre pearls. It's a name that I had been seeing in advertisements in the bead magazines, so I was happy to have a chat with Larry Brezenoff at the Preciosa booth. Preciosa is an old company located in Northern Bohemia who products are better-known in Europe and South America than in the U.S.A.; they are now hoping to move into North America. I am excited to have an alternative to Swarovski.

At left and below are a few photos of part of the sample card that I got at the Preciosa booth. Their crystals look very nice and are less expensive than Swarovski. The Preciosa people also explained that they have some colors and cuts that Swarovski doesn't have and Swarovski has some cuts and colors that Preciosa doesn't make.

Here is a closeup of a small part of the sample card showing 4 versions of each color from left to right: Color, Color AB, Matt, and Matt AB. I am in love with that matt aqua. The Preciosa website is http://www.preciosa.com. For retail shoppers, Preciosa's crystals are available from Margola Import, 48 West 37th St., New York, NY 10018. Their website is http://www.margola.com.

CHINATOWN MUSHROOM FORAY

2010-03-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

A friend asked me to do a post about our Mushroom foray through the markets of Chinatown in Manhattan so here goes. Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera so there aren't any foray photos, but the streets and the tiny stores were so crowded that I am not sure what kind of photos I could have taken. As it was, we got yelled at and insulted in Chinese for taking up space on the sidewalks packed with Saturday morning shoppers.

Joining the outing was the idea of my husband Don, the amateur mycologist, and was part of the badly-publicized Umami Festival. So we all met at 10:00 am last Saturday at the Macao Trading Company (http://www.macaonyc.com/) on 311 Church Street. The organizers divided the 30 of us into 3 groups and we took off to look at mushrooms. We stayed with the group led by Gary Linkoff, a veritable font of wisdom on the topic of mushrooms.

After we examined and "gathered" (i.e. bought) mushrooms for about 1.5 hours, we all met back at Macao for a show and tell and lunch.People had found fresh mushrooms, dried mushrooms, mushroom powder, and mushroom candy. Lunch was a choice of hot and sour soup or chicken and corn soup and a variety of dumplings prepared by the Macao staff. Here are the mushrooms that Don and I came home with --we skipped the medicinal reshi mushrooms and the ones that started at $700/pound.

This rather phallic-looking mushroom might lead you to say "what happened to this poor daikon radish?" It is actually a mushroom known as King Oyster or King Trumpet. Unlike many mushrooms, you use the stalk--heck, there's nothing but stalk. I used this as part of dinner that night by slicing it, drizzling oil over the slices, and baking it for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven. The slices that were thin were tasty, the slices that were thicker were okay but more chewy.

Most of the mushrooms that we saw were actually dried, so here are the first dried ones that we bought. These are shitake mushrooms and the Chinese consider the mushrooms with the most white between the brown sections to be the best. I rehydrated these tonight and made an Italian mushroom sauce (garlic, mushrooms, wine, cream, and Parmesan cheese pureed in a blender) for pasta. We plan to buy these again.

These are dried hedgehog mushrooms.

A closeup of the package.

No one was positive what these mushroom are but the guess is honey mushroom.

A closeup of the mushrooms.

So I have more mushrooms to try.

BEAD CROCHET OYA SAMPLES

2010-03-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

I have been playing around with instructions for bead crochet oya from the Turkish book "Anatolian Bead Oyas From Present to Past" by Sevgi Senol. I can't give you the Turkish title or the correct spelling of the author's name because I can't cut and paste the Turkish characters.

In any case, the oya strips were done with size 6/0 beads and Chinese cord while the flowers were done with size 12/0 beads and size 30 cotton crochet thread. I love the carnations and can't wait to incorporate them into something.

Oya strips made with size 6/0 beads and Chinese cord.

Oya flowers made with size 12/0 beads. The red flowers are carnations, the white flowers are ivy rose, and the red and white one in the middle is a tomato.

It also turns out that the stitch that I learned in Turkey from the shopkeeper in Ephesus is actually another oya stitch. The name of the stitch in parts of Turkey is Snake's Bone--very fitting given my bead crochet snakes.

My jewelry using the Snake's Bone oya stitch that I learned in Turkey.

EARTHLINK FIXED THE MESS

2010-03-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

Since I complained about Earthlink, I also have to tell everyone that they activated our service the next day and did finally approve a request to credit my account for the overcharge. I still wouldn't recommend Earthlink to anyone looking for an ISP but our problem is solved.

NO EMAIL--THANK YOU EARTHLINK

2010-02-23T11:02:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to keep this blog about happy stuff like beding and knitting but I am so spitting mad about this that I have to spill the beans. First, we will have no email access for 24-48 BUSINESS hours, so I can't answer anyone's email.
In December mybusiness website went over its allowed data transfer allowance for the first and only time in 3 years. Eathlink did not send me the promised email when my data transfer level reached 80% of the month's allowance, they did not shut down the website ,they did not even look into the fact that the majority of traffic was coming from countries like Hungary and Lithuania; they just charged me over $282. I tried to get the matter resolved with Earthlink but all theemployee in India would say was "if the computer says it is so, it is right." You can't get hold of a supervisor, you can't email anyone in charge, and their website says do not send mail unless you are cancelling your account.
So I disputed the overcharge with Visa. Today Earthlink shut down both my business account and our personal account in retaliation. I could only activate the accounts again by giving them another credit card so that they can charge me the $282 in dispute. Before I gave them the new credit card number the reprsentative said they would issue me a credit for the disputed amount as a one-time courtesy. After I gave a different representative the credit card number, he said that he would "try" to get me a credit for the disputed amount. It will now take 24-48 BUSINESS days to get the account reactivated--that means 3-6 actual days.
The fact that the service is crummy is bad enough but add this incident to the ones this summer when Earthlink kept trying to get us to pay our monthly bills 6 months in advance and it looks like it is time to change service providers.
Now I have to go write another letter to Visa telling them that Earthlink got their money back another way. At least I can prevent them from contesting the charge-back and getting my money three times.

SHEILA PEPE, FIBER ARTIST

2010-02-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Our speaker at this month's Textile Study Group of New York meeting was an artist from Brooklyn named Sheila Pepe. Ms. Pepe uses crochet to create large installations. She doesn't have a website but you can view some of her pieces here http://www.balckbird.vcu.edu/v2n1/gallery/pepe_s/slides/strings/htm , google her to see more images, or visit her facebook page.

BSGNY GARAGE SALE

2010-02-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

The Bead Society of Great New York is holding their annual Garage Sale on February 24, 2010 in the Great Hall at FIT. Doors open at 6:00PM. It is a fun event and a great place to pick up more beads and books at reasonable prices. I will have a table there. For more details, go to http://www.nybead.org

NEW COLD INCLUSION BEADS

2010-01-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

Michael Harrington, a fellow bead artist, informally showed off his latest creations at the Janaury meeting of the Bead Society of Great New York on Wednesday. I was familiar with Michael's paper beads, like those that make up the blue portions of the pens shown at the left, but he is going in a different direction with the new beads.

Michael is adding shiny things to a clear substance to create what he calls cold inclusion beads like

the bead on the right. This bead measures about 7/8" long.

He had the pink beads below at the meeting and the photo does not do them justice; the actual bead is sparkly and eye-catching.

Two other beads with small beads and sequins encased in a clear substance.

Michael also makes beautiful velvet scarves with long fringe decorated with his paper beads. Here is a red one that he was displaying at his table at the Bead Society's holiday dinner.

You can see more of his beads and check out prices at http://www.beadsbymichael.com/. Also visit http://www.thanksmikie.com/ to see his pens with paper beads and read his bio. Michael is a mulit-talented guy who has worked for NASA as a research engineer, sung with the San Francisco Opera Company, acted on shows on NBC, ABC, and PBS, and now makes beads.

CASHMERE SWEATERS IN NINE

2010-01-19T11:42:00.000-08:00

Did anyone notice two cashmere sweaters--this white one and a black version-- on Marion Cotillard in the movie "Nine?" Did anyone see "Nine?" I knit the two sweaters and caught a glimpse of the white one in a commercial for the movie but haven't seen the film yet. With times being so uncertain, we decided that it was silly to spend the money to see "Nine" in a theater if I was just going to buy the DVD later. I am however, curious about how much my sweaters got worn.

LOIS SHERR DUBIN LECTURE

2010-01-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

Lois Sherr Dubin will be speaking at the next meeting of the Textile Study Group of New York. For those who don't know her, she is the author of "The History of Beads from 30,000 B.C. to the Present", a comprehensive, illustrated history of beads that explores the use of beads as talismans, religious symbols, mediums of communication, and expressions of art. The book has been updated and was republished in October, 2009. I have heard her speak a number of times and have always been entertained as well as informed. Her are the details:

WHEN: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
WHERE: Community Church of New York Unitarian Universalist, New York, NY
40 E 35th St. between Park and Madison
Entrance at street level on the far right ofthe church itself; doorway marked #40
ADMISSION: $10 for guests unaffiliated with other textile organizations
$5 for members of other textile organizations

The Textile Study Group of New York's website is http://www.tsgny.org

2010-01-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

BOOK SIGNING AND STRINGING CLASS

My friend Yoshie Marubashi is doing a book signing for her new book Stringing Pearls, the Professional Way and teaching an accompanying stringing class in Manhattan on Sunday, January 17, 2010. Here is the information:

DATE: January 17, 2010 2:00-5:00PM

LOCATION: Kinokuniya Book Store, Second Floor
1073 6th Avenue (between W 41 St and
(W 42nd St)
New York, NY
Telephone: (212) 869-1700

FEE: $20 per student

TO REGISTER: Contact Ms. Kanako Hiyama

MATERIALS TO BRING:

1 strand of 8mm pearls or beads and a clasp for the necklace. If you don't have a clasp, bring 2 strands for a longer necklace without a clasp.
Beading awl. If you don't have it, you can purchase one at the workshop for $5.
Sewing kit, work mat or thick cloth to prevent beads from rolling, small scissors, tape measure, and glue or clear nail polish.

INSTRUCTOR WILL PROVIDE:

Beading needle
Guide thread #00 silk thread
Stringing thread (silk, nylon)

Kinokuniya Book Store will be selling Stringing Pearls, The Professional Way by Yoshie Marubashi (in Japanese and English) and Yoshie will be signing copies. If you wanted to learn how to string pearls, this is a way to learn from an expert.

CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK

2009-12-31T12:47:00.000-08:00

As is our tradition, Don and I went out Christmas Eve to look at the store windows and decorations around the city. So as we get ready to celebrate 2010, here are some of the photos that we took.

We start at Tiffany's with their cut-paper window scenes.

Close-up of the jewelry.

Next to Bergdorff''s, who always have the best windows.

Close-up shot. There is always such a crowd at these windows that it is difficult to take photos of the whole windows.

Close shot of the sweater on the manequin to the right. The decoration is fur and beads.

The polar bears had crystal-incrusted heads and chainette fringe for fur.

This beauty was surrounded by horses covered in natural materials.

Some ofthe natural materials that covered the horses.

A dress that caught my eye; the white decoration is done as cutouts with white fabric behind the spaces.

A second story shop window along Fifth Avenue.

Bands made of metal and lights wrap around a store--forgotten which one.

Cartier's is wrapped in their usual Christmas bow.

Saks had their facade rigged with snowflakes made of lights that came on and off in time to music. Quite a show!

The tree at Rockefeller Center; not one of the largest ones the city has seen.

One of the windows at Lord & Taylor. If I had know that my little camera would do such a good job with moving figures, I would have taken more photos of these window.

The other half of the Lord & Taylor window.

BASIC EMBROIDERY CLASS IN JANUARY

2009-12-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

I will be teaching a second basic embroidery class for those who couldn't take the class the first time around. The class will be held at That Yarn Tree in Williamsburg on 5 consecutive Tuesdays from 7-9 PM starting on January 5. So the class will be January 5, 12, 19, 26, and February 2. The classes at the Yarn Tree are limited to 6 people so students get a lot of individual attention. Here are the 4 projects that we will make:

A pair of embroidered felt mittens that can be used as knitting needle point protectors or ornaments.

An applique and embroidered felt needle book to hold your needles, pins, buttons, scissors, and other notions.

A bead embroidered silk pin or ornament.

A napkin embroidered with satin stitch peppers.

For more information, visit http://www.theyarntree.com/studio/classes

EMBELLISHED BUTTON AND LOOP CLOSURE

2009-12-03T11:58:00.000-08:00

I like the button and loop closure but was never crazy about the amount of "dead" space that the closure creates. So I am in the midst of experimenting with embellish the loop portion of the closure. Here is my first experiment:

A Turkish Loops bracelet with an embellished loop of leaves and flowers.

A detail photo of the closure; the lady bug is the button.

Now to try some other ideas, maybe something geometric...

MY BRACELET IN BEAD AND BUTTON

2009-12-02T17:26:00.001-08:00

I am so excited that my design for the Turkish Loops bead crochet bracelet has been published in the December, 2009 issue of Bead & Button. It was an intersting experience working with the Julia Gerlach, the editor for the article. Left is the first page of my article and Right is the cover with the beautiful design by Melissa Grakowsky.

I submitted two bracelets with more color but Julia took the design in different directions, one a more Twilight/goth look and the other more casual. It is alway interesting to see what individual spin other beaders put on your design.

Here were my original designs:

cutting Power Pro thread

2009-11-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

I bought some 10 lb. test, Power Pro braided bead thread for a project that I was working on; it is similar to Fireline. While trying to get a clean cut on the thread end I took a good chunk out of one finger with my sharp embroidery scissors. This was Wednesday night--yep, the night before Thanksgiving. What fun fixing dinner with a bandaged finger.
I have now learned that the thread cuts cleaner if you put a little tension on it. I am using my tiny, stork embroidery scissors to cut the thread but that may not be a good idea because I read that you shouldn't use good scissors to cut Fireline.
If anyone has any othe tips, feel free to share.

ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL IN COMPUTERLAND

2009-11-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

The new computer arrived yesterday and we started loading our programs on to it. Now we are finding out which programs--like our photo editing ones--are too old to work on the new operating system. It is always something, isn't it?

MY LOVELY BEADS PROFILE

2009-11-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

RATS! After a flying visit to Florida to surprise my father with an 80th birthday celebration, we returned home only to have our computer die. So I have news to share but am stuck using my husband's little laptop until our new computer arrives.

One big piece of news is that my friend Zoya Gutina was kind enough to do a very nice profile of my work and Bead Crochet Snakes in her October 2009 newsletter for My Lovely Beads, her website. Zoya is a very talented beadwork artist and puts together a very interesting newsletter--I have been working my way through past issues. Check out October's issue at http://www.mylovelybeads.com/php/newsletter/en/200910.html

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-31T09:29:00.001-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Pictured are a pair of pumpkin earrings that I made years ago--they still make people smile. Later today will be the neighborhood Halloween Parade for the kids. Trick or Treating is different here in New York--the kids dress up and visit the merchants along the major shopping streets. It is such fun to shop at that point and see all of the princesses, ghosts, goblins, etc.

NEW MAGATAMA DROP BEADS

2009-10-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

At the recent Softflex show in Manhattan, I bought some of the new magatama drop beads from Jane of Jane's Fibers and Beads.

I tried crocheting the drop beads in a 6-around tube using a bead single crochet stitch. I tried the slip stitch but wasn't sure that it made much differnce in the look. The photo on the right shows the tube with beads crocheted in 3 different ways: two section were strung with the beads going in the same direction and 1 section was strung randomly.

Here is a detail of one of the section with the beads strung in the same direction.

Here is another section that was strung randomly. I am not convinced that bead crochet is the way to go with the new magatama drops; it is just kind of a variation of crocheting with dagger beads. They looked so great on the cord before I crocheted them that I am going to keep playing with them. They are fun beads!

BASIC EMBROIDERY CLASS #2

2009-10-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

Last night was the final session of the Basic Embroidery class at the Yarn Tree that started in September. My students did so well that I added an embroidered napkin to make a fourth project.

We had a great time and the class proved to be so popular that Linda is offering it again starting on November 10, 2009. The class will run on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 PM on Novmerber 10, 17. 24, and December 1, 8, 2009.

The class is limited to 6 students so you will get plenty of individual attention. For more information, click here: http://www.theyarntree.com/studio/classes/index.html

MYSTERY MACHINE: ERIKA LINKER

2009-10-11T13:21:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine gave me this machine. It is called a linking machine and is used to sew two pieces of knitting together. It was made by a company named Erika and she bought it sometime in the 1980s. My friend explained in general terms how the machine works, but doesn't really remember the details and no longer has the manual. An online search has not turned up any information. If anyone can give me any help, I would appreciate it.

LAST GASP OF SUMMER

2009-10-06T10:57:00.001-07:00

Before I finish gathering things for my embroidery class tonight, I thought I would post a few photos of the garden because the toad lillies are blooming. These strange little plants are an example of finding the right plant for the right spot. Thanks to our neighbor's mulberry tree, we have a lot of shade in the yard and that limits what I can grow successfully. These are a winner.

A closeup shot of the individual flowers.

Here is a photo of more of our little garden. For those lucky gardeners who are not familiar with New York growing, those wire cages are part of our squirrel-proof growing strategy. The cages go over whole plants to keep the little critters from eating the plants or digging up the roots. Don hates the look, but at least we still have plants.

BEADWORK ARTIST CODY HARJO AT BSGNY

2009-09-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

Last night's meeting of the Bead Society of Greater New York included a very entertaining talk by Cody Harjo entitled "Blending History and the Contemporary in Indian Beadwork." Cody is a contemporary beadwork artist of Seminole, Otoe, Creek, Cherokee, and Iowa heritage. She was raised in Oklahoma, but now works for the National Museum of the American Indian in the George Gustav Heye Center in Manhattan (http://www.nmai.si.edu/) and resides in Brooklyn.

Cody gave us a brief history of beadwork in relation to the Native American life but concentrated on her life as a beadwork artist working within tradition but also striving to add a personal stamp to her pieces. The most stunning example of the mixture of tradition and modernity was her version of the bandolier bag shown at the left and below. She depicts her environment of the city and adds a cat with an umbrella, a polar bear, clouds, and a turtle.

The strap contains images of snakes and alligators. I won't attempt to go through the symbolism but it is an outstanding example of mixing the old and the personal in her artwork.

Cody brought actual examples of her work for us to examine and the crowd around the table with her beadwork never abated. I managed to snap these few photos around the crowd.

The next two photos are pendants.

This last photo is another example of Cody's mixing old an new elements. The pattern is a traditional Otoe pattern that Cody has modified and the new is the purple beads that cover a lot of the surface.

TURKISH DAYS IN NEW YORK

2009-09-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my friend Yoshie and I braved the rain to attend the kickoff event of "Turkish Days in New York", a week-long festival of Turkish and Balkan cutltures. Sunday's event was a festival with food vendors, educational exhibits, Turkish items for sale, and performances from Mehter, the famous Ottoman band (pictured to the left), and a variety of folk dance troupes.

Unfortunately, it rained almost the whole time, which put a huge damper on the festivities and prevented some of the merchants from showing up.

Yoshie and I spent most of our time under the tent for the spectators, watching the performances. I didn't take many photos because I didn't want to leave my dry seat and many people stood in our sightline to get a beter view of the stage. For thiose of you Brooklynites, even Marty Markowitz showed up with his usual cheery words and official certificate.

Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz (in the tan raincoat).

For those readers in New York, there is a 4-hour parade of Anatolian Civilizations in Times Square today from 12-4, Turkish movies at the New York Film Academy from September 29-October 1, performances and a bazaar at Grand Central on October 2 from 9am-6pm, and a Street Festival/Grand Bazaar on 41 st Street on October 4. For more information, visit Turkish Days in New York http://www.turkishdaysinny.org.

WILD FIBERS AND RAWANDA TALK

2009-09-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Teaching my embroidery class at The Yarn Tree ( http://www.theyarntree.com/) on Tuesday reminded me that I had never gotten around to writing about the interesting fundraiser for an international student that Linda LaBelle arranged on Septenber 12. A group of us first gathered at The Yarn Tree, her store, for wine, cheese, and samples of the farm-raised lamb that Linda in now carrying.

After some pleasant coversation and good food, we moved to the studio to hear a talks by the two Lindas and look at a lot of slides. Linda Cortwright, publisher and editor, of Wild Fibers magazine (http://www.wildfibersmagazine.com/) about her experience chasing escaped, woolie sheep in the Southern Alps of New Zealand (it involved a helicopter) and her travels to Mongolia to explore felt making and camel raising. Linda is an entertaining speaker and I marveled at her adventerous spirit!

Linda LaBelle then told us about her June trip to Rawande to work with 10 genocide widows to improve their wool spinning and learn to dye with natural materials. It was a fun time and I got to hear two geat talks.

EMBROIDERY CLASS PROJECTS

2009-09-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

I have finished designing the last of the three projects for the Beginning Embroidery class at the yarn Tree, here in Brooklyn. The class will teach how to set up fabric in an embroidery hoop, how to mark out a pattern, embroidery stitches such as running stitch, lazy daisy, French knots, bottonhole, straight stitch, lines of beads, individual beads, lines of sequins, and individual sequins.

The first project will be this cute, mitten-shaped knitting needle protector.

The second project is a needle book, to hold your needles, buttons, pins, and other embroidery supplies.

The last project is this sparkly heart that can be used as an ornament or pin.

There are 1 or 2 spaces left in the class that starts on September 15, 2009. If you are interested, visit http://www.theyarntree.com/studio/classes

EMBROIDERY CLASS

2009-08-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

No time to write because I am designing a beginner embroidery class for The Yarn Tree ( http://www.theyarntree.com) that starts September 15. I will post samples and details later.

MILKWEED POD CONTRIBUTION

2009-08-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

I have finally finished my contribution for The Milkweed Project (http://sticksandstitches.squarespace.com), a collaborative art installation based on the inside of a milkweed pod conceived by Shan Bryan-Hanson. The guidelines were to knit or crochet a strip using a white or off-white yarn or soft fiber.

I got carried away--my piece measures 26 feet x 6 inches (7.92 m x 15.2 cm). Working on the image of the hither and yon path that the little seeds take, I machine knit a lacy base, crocheted a meandering line of chain stitches with mohair and textured rayon yarn. After that, I threaded a yarn with clumps that look like the hairs of a milkweed seed through the chain stitch. To finish the ends, I added fringe of mohair and the textured rayon yarn.

It was a fun project and gives me ideas for other fiber work.

PARIS, DAY 5: GOING HOME

2009-07-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

I would like to report that we got to the airport in plenty of time and flew home with pleasant memories of out stay in Paris--I would like to, but I can't. As we were changing from the Metro (subway) to the RER (suburban arm of the Metro) on the way to the airport, Don had his wallet stolen by a group of pickpockets. Even though he had his wallet in his front pocket, they got it as he was entering the train and he didn't realize it was gone until the doors were closing.

He talked to the police in the airport because he wanted to file a police report but everyone kept saying "Air France will take care of it." Even though we arrived two hours before our plane was supposed to leave, it took forever to get through check-in and security. There was no time to talk to Air France about a police report; in fact, we were positive that we were going to miss our plane as it was. Then I got stopped for a separate bag check at security because I had this guy in my carry on bag:

It was one of the beadwork snakes that I had taken for the exhibit in Birmingham. I must admit, he did look like a sedated or dead real snake in my luggage.

As I was waiting for the agent to look in my bag, I told Don to run down to the gate and tell the Air France employees that we were in the airport but stuck in security. He did and they held the gate for a few minutes but told him they couldn't wait anymore. He ran back to get me just as I finished up with security and we ran for the gate. An Air France employee with a sign that said New York was looking for us and snagged us as we ran by. She escorted us partway to the plane and sent us down a stairway where another employee stopped us and said "Sorry, you are too late! Ha ha, just kidding." That employee escorted us to the gate, where the staff was waiting for us. One of the staff spoke with someone on the plane and all we heard was the word "desolee" (sorry). Our hearts sank but then the employee printed out boarding passes for us.

We headed down corridor to the plane but I was stopped one last time for a bag check. When we got to the plane, the Air France stews apologized and asked us to wait about 5 minutes because the cabin had already been "contained" and they needed to finish reconciling the number of bodies with the manifest. We were so happy to be on the plane, we just smiled and waited.

Our boarding passes had us separated into different rows and there was already someone sitting in Don's assigned seat, so the stews started moving people around in our compartment. Some family had originally gotten separated, so the parents got moved closer to their children and we got the parent's seats (together yeah!). We were very grateful that the Air France employees made a special effort to get us on the plane.

As soon as we landed, I started calling the credit card companies to cancel the cards. We got off the plane and went to collect our one check bag, where we got busted by an Agriculture Department beagle. Don had bought some cherries in Paris and we had planned to finish them at the airport but the cherries got stuck in my carry on bag in all of the drama. The beagle sniffed them out! Don was laughing that other dogs sniff out drugs but beagles sniff out food. All we had to do was turn in our handful of cherries to the customs people and we were on our way home. I got home to find that the knitting project that I had been rushing home to finish (the reason that we HAD to be on that plane) had been cut from the show and I didn't have to spend the weekend madly knitting.

So we had a good time in Paris, except for the last day. At least, Don's wallet was stolen on the last day and not the first.