The January meeting of WAV took place on the 21st of the month. We randomly picked numbers out of a hat to decide what page number and line we would use from our chosen book as the theme for our first 6 month challenge. The results were page number 110 and line #9. It was amazing to find that everyone had something they could use. The book I chose was a National Geographic travel guide from the early 70's. Line 9 on page 110 read "Fat moon in the afternoon". They were discussing the look of the waxing gibbous stage of the moon in a particular location. Doesn't that bring all sorts of images to mind?
I thought I would show examples of the three beaded finishes I demonstrated and try to tell a little bit about how each is done. I am not going to go into basics about threads , needles, beads etc. I will assume you have done some beading and know how to start, end, etc.
1) The first finish is a classic and one I find very useful for the outer edge of quilts or for inside line edges. It is called the picot stitch and gives a subtle finish to your project. Start by bringing the thread up through your fabric in the place you want to begin. You can bury your knot or take it down from the top so it will be under the beads when you are done. I like to take a very small stitch at the beginning to secure the thread even more. Place three seed beads on your needle then take another small stitch in the folded edge right beside your first stitch. The middle bead should stand up above the other two. Come back up through your last seed bead and add two more. Take another small stitch right next to the last one you took. Once again the middle bead will stand up above the others. Continue on in this manner until you have covered the entire edge.
2) The second edge finish is a leaf fringe. I begin by making a row of beads along the edge using a simple backstitch. When you get to the end of your edge come back through several beads to the spot you want your first fringe to be located. Add as many seed beads to the thread as you need to give you the fringe length you want. Add a leaf bead at the end and reverse back up through five or six seed beads. Add three or four more seed beads and another leaf bead. Come back through those three or four beads added last and pick up your main stem again. Continue back up the stem toward the row of backstitched beads adding more legs to your stem as you like. You do not have to sew a leaf bead on the end of each one - you can simply add one last seed bead and come back through the beads above it using the last seed bead as your stopper.
3) The last finish is a variation of a netted fringe. I always think of it as the type of finish you might find on a decorative veil. Once again start with your row of beads attached using a simple backstitch. To make it easier on yourself you can insert a different color seed bead at regular intervals - I will use every seventh bead for the sake of the explanation. Make your turn at the end of the original row of beads. Pick up six more seed beads of your primary color, add one bead of your accent color, then six more beads of your primary color and go back through the first accent bead on your original row (bead number seven). Repeat the first set of steps (six primary, one accent, six primary) and go through the second accent bead in your first row (bead number 14). Continue on to the end of the first row and you will have one row of netting. Make the turn at the end and go back through the first six primary color beads and the first accent bead of your first row of netting. Add six more beads of the primary color, a drop bead of some kind, six more primary color beads and go back through the second accent color on your first row of netting. Continue in this manner to the end of the row.