Needlework Monday - Feathers and Earrings
This week I am back onto seed beading feathers and earrings...I really need to fill the shops up before spring kicks in too much!!
To begin, I had to clear the bench of pyrography and leather...then set up for beading. Can you see the needle? It is about as thin as the thread. I like size 13 Sharps for beading needles...and pretty much the largest beads I use are 11/0.
Next on to the beading. Last fall I cut leather, cut the fringe and wrapped about 50 feathers. I honestly had every intention of getting them all beaded over the winter, but I kept getting side tracked. Soooo...first up is a Blue Jay and Lavender Peyote stitch feather...
It takes 4 to 6 hours of beading for each feather, depending on the design, and about an hour max to cut leather, fringe and wrap one. It appears alot quicker in a few photos...
This feather is a hand painted Goose Feather, made to resemble an Eagle feather...and is wrapped in a beautiful lavender Deerskin.
Since I really like these beads together, I decided to make a few pair of earrings before putting them away and choosing the next set...
If you would like to read previous posts on beading with some How To info, you will find them here -->
https://steemit.com/beadwork/@elew/on-the-bench-today-how-to-bead-peyote-stitch-and-design-hurdles
https://steemit.com/beadwork/@elew/on-the-bench-today-2nd-peyote-stitch-feather-and-changing-threads
https://steemit.com/beadwork/@elew/on-the-bench-today-prepping-medicine-bottles-to-bead
https://steemit.com/beadwork/@elew/on-the-bench-today-making-gourd-stitch-needle-cases
Thanks for reading! and Happy...
I did not know you have a shop!!! (I never noticed the address in your header) Such beautiful things there. And this beading is also stunning. You are such a multi talent and really good a choosing color combinations - I especially love the lavender of the leather.
Resteemed <3
Yes we do :) We actually have three shops, one for the journals, one for the beadwork, and one for my metal jewelry and hair accessories. That is why I am always working on something :) It's alot of work keeping the shops filled, but they will be my main job at some point in the next year, and I love handcrafting.
The lavender Deer was one of my favorite hides! It is such a difficult colour to create (I did not dye the hide). I made it last almost 6 years though, being super picky about what projects I used it in :)
These are lovely creations, I love the blue jay and the lavender leather. I like getting ideas for different colour combinations - things I would never think of or try myself without inspiration. I like the ear rings too, so glamorous, in younger days I would have worn them, but I think now I might adapt them for decorations among my plants.
Thank you :) Yeah, me too...I love making them, but I very rarely wear super long earrings now. Sometimes I am in the mood to, but usually I wear simple hoops because I am always working. I am glad the colours inspire you! That is the best thing about art community, is how inspiration flows...
Look at those tiny beads! And you are very good at working at it to create such a beautiful product. How long did it take you to finish this piece of work?
Thank you! This feather took about 6 hours total...
Wow, such a long process!
WOOOOOOWWWW! Okay, as a fellow beader I must congratulate you not only on your artistic skill and talent, but also on your eyesight. LOL! 11/0? Arrgh! Noooo. The smallest I will go is 6, but you've gone waaay smaller. Can we bot agree that no needle stick hurts more than a beading needle? Hee! Happy #NeedleworkMonday to you, my dear!
It's the truth!! I swear beading needles have honing devices made to attack individual nerve endings :O
At some point this spring and summer I plan on making seed beaded Christmas ornaments, but that and sterling earrings with beads are the only times I use larger beads. I go down to 13/0 and sometimes 15/0 for more detail...but 11/0 is my standard. I just use a jewelers visor I think has 5.0 magnifier lenses.
Happy #NeedleworkMonday to you too :)
I gotta try that! I feel like I am going blind when I look at seed beads. Thanks for th tip!
wow !!!! these are wonderful things !!!! very beautiful. I like very much
Thank you @tali72!! :)
It's beautiful and so very tiny! The earrings are pretty too. Are they heavy to wear?
Thank you :) They can be a bit heavy because they are all glass beads. They are more of 'wear for an event or a few hours' kind of earring, and they are shoulder dusters. I guess that was a trend here and there over the last few years, but in the Native community they have always been around.
I really like the delicate look of your beading! I feel like my fingers are too big and clumsy to be able to handle such tiny beads The feather and bluejay is quite striking. Is it to wear? I can't really tell.
Oh thank you Anise :) Yeah, beading is not for everyone, but that is okay...it is fun to see everyone's things though! The feathers we make to sell as smudge feathers. Around this time of year I usually make graduation feathers too, but this year I have not had time to...they would hang from the graduation cap, so would not have fringe.
Like this;
They are lovely! I really appreciate the use of natural materials in our increasingly synthetic world.
Original costume jewelry). This is a very laborious work, he needs a good imagination.
Thanks Inna :) I am a She, though I know my name doesn't give that away ;)
I mainly use beads from over in your area of the world...Czech beads are still the best made.
I know that you are she))). Translation error. I once wrote a post about the Luneville embroidery and also mentioned that the Czech beads are very good quality).
Haha, I was wondering if it was a typo :) They are...I sometimes use Miyuki and other brands, but the quality is not as good.
Okay I am like trying to grab those earrings through my phone but for some reason it’s just not working LOL! 😂 Wow oh Wow I am in Love with your work!! This bead work is Amazingly Gorgeous! You are a woman of many talents my friend!!!
Okay so I see the bird in the bead design on the feather. Do you have a pattern you go by or do you see it as you go? This is outstanding work! I can imagine it takes that long to assemble one of these, it’s very intricate work.
Those earrings...are just Beautiful! The colors are so bright and bold! Do you sell earrings like this in your Etsy shop? I love the photos you take of your work too! Very nice and crisp clear pics!
Thank you so much for sharing with us this week! 💕
Thanks @crosheille :D hehe, I am glad you like them! The colours go great, right? When I saw the feather finished I had to do some earrings. I have been beading since I was a kid, so I think it is just practice, and more practice...
This one I actually borrowed the Blue Jay from a free online pattern. I usually just let designs happen and create as I go, but I was in a serious blue jay mood and I love this design. The borders I made on this feather.
Yes, we have a shop where all the beadwork lives, here... https://www.etsy.com/shop/Elewmompittseh
I actually just put all of last year's beaded earrings on sale, and will not list these new ones until April 5th.
Thank you so much for hosting :) Needlework Monday has become one of my favorite days on Steemit, I cannot wait to see everyones creations :) Now we just need SteemPower to pick up some value so we can share the wealth a bit more...
Yes the colors go sooo great! Okay so April 5th! I’m going to see if I can use some of my hat shop funds to buy a pair! I really really want those second pair of earrings...the royal blue colored ones!! 😍😍😍 Thank you so much for the link! Your Etsy shop is full of just amazing beauty...wow you are so talented!
You are so welcome!! I get tickled every week just seeing how it’s growing with all of these creative sweet people. I get even more excited hearing the inspiration stories and how so many have connected through this. I feel the same way too about wanting to share the wealth around. I really think the @fiberartists community that is being started by @artemisnorth will help with that. As time goes on and her curation power grows everyone in the craft community should be able to benefit from that. Hopefully just from the craft community expanding period we will all be better rewarded for our efforts eventually. I have even thought about finding a way to get SP delegated to me just to curate our Monday posts...
Haha, you picked the one pair that has a Mistake :) There is one missing black bead, and I left it out. Maybe we can trade? We can talk more, but I Love having things around that others handcraft. I will just set the cobalt pair aside, and they are yours no matter how we decide to do it...
We could also start a Needleworkmonday account, which could be for voting, and to collect delegations...or a fiberartists one. I love her idea too, but I feel needlework is more inclusive. I can say I would not have joined in as a fiber artist, but needles I use all the time ;)
What? Really? No way there’s a mistake on those!!! Wait what? Did you say you’re putting that pair aside for ME?!!! 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆 Thank you so very much!! I’m like so excited right now! That pair was singing out to me...didn’t you hear them singing earlier? LOL! How about we DM sometime this week and talk about the trade?!
Yes I definitely agree about needlework being more inclusive, that’s what my interest/speciality is in so it was easy choosing needlework for the weekly gathering. I like the idea of starting the account I just know I wouldn’t be able to run it. I have wife restrictions lol! My husband and I have set some guidelines for my Steemit usage. He has been so lenient on how much time I spend on Steemit and he really doesn’t want me to take on much more. I ran it by @crystalize so we’ll most likely chat about it soon but I’m not sure if it would happen unless someone volunteers to do it.
Yes really :) I will DM you over on Discord as soon as I get a moment :) But they are already set aside <3
Whooo Hooo!! Thank you so much!! Okay I’ll be looking out for your DM!!! 😃
I will have to try really hard to get onto discord for coffee hour...today we were having power issues, so there was no time.
No problem at all. It will be available for you to get on every Monday now if you want to further chat and hang out :) I won’t be able to join in every week but I do plan on hopping on when I can.
Wow, beautiful and impressive work! And time consuming ...I do bead weaving of seed beads (but haven't put them in the round like that!) and totally appreciate how long that must have taken!
I think I have seen some of your beadwork too, I will have to go look again, but I swear I saw some pretty earrings?...yes, it is a meditation event for sure :) Thank you!!
I did a post about weaving a poem in beads which I will (maybe, depending on length) sew onto my cloak. It was a while ago!
Oh, no...I did not see that! Well, now I am looking forward to seeing some of your beading :D