Saturday, February 26, 2011
For the Beady Eyed Bunch - at last!
At last! I finally learned how to do the invisible join on this round Ndebele! It wasn't easy, and next time I think I will use a bead or a clasp, but it is possible if you can twist your mind around the directions. Even I can't tell where the join is at this point. Thank goodness, now I can move on!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
For the Beady-Eyed Bunch! I'm done with Ndebele samples!
My obsession with doing this pattern in different beads has come to an end. I completed the last one with size 8 rounds.
I like it - not colors I would wear but I think the size 8 rounds looks good. I still like the angularity of the cylinder beads better. So for the next Beady Eyed Bunch Celebration Bonani and I will use the 8 hex beads to teach those of you who are interested in learning this one.
The 'long' view!
All of the flat Nedebele together
And a close up - there seems to me to be a big different in how this stich looks depending on the bead and size bead you choose.
Now - I am going to go bead *anything* but flat Ndebele!
Happy Beading!
I like it - not colors I would wear but I think the size 8 rounds looks good. I still like the angularity of the cylinder beads better. So for the next Beady Eyed Bunch Celebration Bonani and I will use the 8 hex beads to teach those of you who are interested in learning this one.
The 'long' view!
All of the flat Nedebele together
And a close up - there seems to me to be a big different in how this stich looks depending on the bead and size bead you choose.
Now - I am going to go bead *anything* but flat Ndebele!
Happy Beading!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
More for the Beady Eyed Bunch!
Yet another...yes, another....flat Ndebele...since this is what I will bring to our Vernal Equinox celebration I thought I'd better work the pattern up in different sized and shaped seed beads to see how that alters the effect of the Ndebele pattern.
This time I used size 10 Declias (aka cylinder beads). It makes quite a difference in the size of the piece and takes longer to finish a bracelet. But it seems more delicate....here is a picture
And a close up
I took a couple of pictures comparing the one I made with the size 8 hex beads and the size 10 delicas - quite a difference!
I am now working on a bracelet using size 8 round seed beads. I can already tell the geometric pattern has been pretty blunted, not sure I like it but I will post it here when I finish. Size 8 is pretty big so it will go quickly. Watch this space!
Happy Beading!
This time I used size 10 Declias (aka cylinder beads). It makes quite a difference in the size of the piece and takes longer to finish a bracelet. But it seems more delicate....here is a picture
And a close up
I took a couple of pictures comparing the one I made with the size 8 hex beads and the size 10 delicas - quite a difference!
I am now working on a bracelet using size 8 round seed beads. I can already tell the geometric pattern has been pretty blunted, not sure I like it but I will post it here when I finish. Size 8 is pretty big so it will go quickly. Watch this space!
Happy Beading!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
My Valentines!
What a wonderful evening with wonderful dinner companions. Drew and Peggy came down from Indianapolis and met Patty and I at Sweet Grass restaurant on Bloomington's south side. Peggy, Patty, and I have been coworkers for the last 4+ years, we had such a wonderful time with 'The Guy' Drew!
I don't think the evening would have been as enjoyable if Patty hadn't started it off with drenching the table with her glass of ice water. This caused a lot of very fast movement from all concerned and created significant bonding with the wait staff!
An 'ice breaker' it was!
Somehow the young waiter who came to our rescue got the message that I was 80 (how did that happen, Peggy?) and said I was really *hot* for an 80 year old! I decided to ignore the '80 year old' comment and focus on the *hot* and decided that being a Cougar wouldn't be bad at all......
The happy group!
Finally, the desert....OMG - made there, in tiny little skillets, a brownie, freshly made, served warm with a scoop of ice cream and peanut butter chips....wow....
Even though Drew is a 'man of the cloth' I don't think I would want to get between him and this dessert! He is a warm and wonderful man, and I think it would be ok....but just wouldn't want to test it...
The grand finale....a very wonderful evening! We missed you, Rose!
I don't think the evening would have been as enjoyable if Patty hadn't started it off with drenching the table with her glass of ice water. This caused a lot of very fast movement from all concerned and created significant bonding with the wait staff!
An 'ice breaker' it was!
Somehow the young waiter who came to our rescue got the message that I was 80 (how did that happen, Peggy?) and said I was really *hot* for an 80 year old! I decided to ignore the '80 year old' comment and focus on the *hot* and decided that being a Cougar wouldn't be bad at all......
The happy group!
Finally, the desert....OMG - made there, in tiny little skillets, a brownie, freshly made, served warm with a scoop of ice cream and peanut butter chips....wow....
Even though Drew is a 'man of the cloth' I don't think I would want to get between him and this dessert! He is a warm and wonderful man, and I think it would be ok....but just wouldn't want to test it...
The grand finale....a very wonderful evening! We missed you, Rose!
Friday, February 11, 2011
For the Beady Eyed Bunch - Ndebele, again
This is the last of the 3 designs I wanted to make. It is round Ndebele with size 8 seed beads and size 11 triangles.
It is big - very big! Probably about a 9 inch bracelet. I was making the 18 inch necklace but got tired of it and ended it early! The stich is very simple, this one has the addition of a triangle bead between the size 8 seed beads. It is about 3/8ths inch in diameter. It is a big and fat bracelet!
I like the first picture - I took it outside today in the cold morning sun. It made pretty colors in the beads. I took it really fast and ran back inside.
The closure is a toggle - which would have worked very well for a necklace, not sure how it will do as a bracelet. I wore it for a little while today and the toggle held well.
I am now beading the flat Ndebele and the round twisted Ndebele in a couple of different size beads. I will let you know how they come out. Bonani and I have pretty much decided that it would be best to teach the flat Ndebele at the Beady Eyed Beaders Vernal Equinox Celebration! It is easy and once you learn Ndebele you can make any of the designs.
Happy Beading!
It is big - very big! Probably about a 9 inch bracelet. I was making the 18 inch necklace but got tired of it and ended it early! The stich is very simple, this one has the addition of a triangle bead between the size 8 seed beads. It is about 3/8ths inch in diameter. It is a big and fat bracelet!
I like the first picture - I took it outside today in the cold morning sun. It made pretty colors in the beads. I took it really fast and ran back inside.
The closure is a toggle - which would have worked very well for a necklace, not sure how it will do as a bracelet. I wore it for a little while today and the toggle held well.
I am now beading the flat Ndebele and the round twisted Ndebele in a couple of different size beads. I will let you know how they come out. Bonani and I have pretty much decided that it would be best to teach the flat Ndebele at the Beady Eyed Beaders Vernal Equinox Celebration! It is easy and once you learn Ndebele you can make any of the designs.
Happy Beading!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
For the Beady Eyed Bunch - Flat Ndebele
You had round Ndebele and now flat Ndebele! I used the beads recommended by the pattern - size 8 Hex beads - just like the ones we used on the Lacey Daisy bracelets many moons ago. I was happy to find another pattern that used them and even happier I didn't have to order new beads for a new pattern! Like the first Ndebele round pattern, though, you could use any size or shape of bead. This is quite a wide bracelet and I would rather have had a narrower one. But the big beads made it go quickly and were a good choice for the first trial. This pattern was created by the same lady, Carole Ohl, that created the Lacey Daisy Pattern. She has quite a few patterns. If you use this link and search by designer you can see all of her patterns: http://www.bead-patterns.com/shop/shop.php
Many things went wrong when I was weaving this, my first, flat Ndebele
I specifically draw your attention to the use of the toggle - the round part is fine. HOWEVER, if you use just one row of beads close to the bar part of the toggle you will find you can't get the toggle closed when you have completed your piece. Why? Because the use of one bead won't let the bar fold back and then slip through the circle. Then you cry a little bit, get out your pliers, bend the bar hoping you can somehow make it go through... and then get up the courage to rip out the Fireline you used.. back to a spot where you can add more Fireline then finish with 2 beads and really could have used 3!
You also learn that you don't know how to create the same direction when you rip out and try to add thread. Oh well! Live and learn. I'm not showing the 'hole' that was created when I added thread and re-wove the end...I will bring the completed piece to the Beady Eyed Bunch Vernal Equinox celebration in March.
Otherwise, like with the round Ndebele, I found it to be an easy stich but it takes time as there is a lot of weaving to get the herringbone pattern.
Happy Beading!
Many things went wrong when I was weaving this, my first, flat Ndebele
I specifically draw your attention to the use of the toggle - the round part is fine. HOWEVER, if you use just one row of beads close to the bar part of the toggle you will find you can't get the toggle closed when you have completed your piece. Why? Because the use of one bead won't let the bar fold back and then slip through the circle. Then you cry a little bit, get out your pliers, bend the bar hoping you can somehow make it go through... and then get up the courage to rip out the Fireline you used.. back to a spot where you can add more Fireline then finish with 2 beads and really could have used 3!
You also learn that you don't know how to create the same direction when you rip out and try to add thread. Oh well! Live and learn. I'm not showing the 'hole' that was created when I added thread and re-wove the end...I will bring the completed piece to the Beady Eyed Bunch Vernal Equinox celebration in March.
Otherwise, like with the round Ndebele, I found it to be an easy stich but it takes time as there is a lot of weaving to get the herringbone pattern.
Happy Beading!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
More snow...
Another cold winter afternoon, more snow - about 3 inches so far since yesterday. What to do?
Guess I will warm up the truck and negotiate the hills to Patty's house
We went out to Lake Monroe to hang out with the Audobon Society, watching for Bald Eagles!
And, yes, they saw one out on the ice. It was fishing for it's lunch...
I think these people are having a good time - they just don't look like it.
There were some fine optics out there, very fine! Patty found out that none of the telescopes and tripods could be purchased at K-mart.
I am sure there is an eagle in one of those trees laughing his tail feathers off at the silly people standing in the wind and snow on the shore!
It was cold, and it was windy but it was pretty, too!
Now - back home to my little house and a fine winter afternoon nap!
Guess I will warm up the truck and negotiate the hills to Patty's house
We went out to Lake Monroe to hang out with the Audobon Society, watching for Bald Eagles!
And, yes, they saw one out on the ice. It was fishing for it's lunch...
I think these people are having a good time - they just don't look like it.
There were some fine optics out there, very fine! Patty found out that none of the telescopes and tripods could be purchased at K-mart.
I am sure there is an eagle in one of those trees laughing his tail feathers off at the silly people standing in the wind and snow on the shore!
It was cold, and it was windy but it was pretty, too!
Now - back home to my little house and a fine winter afternoon nap!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Ugly, icy, ugly and icy.....
Thought I would get this posted before I lose power! The big storm is due in sometime this afternoon. The trees are coated with ice and drooping over the powerlines. It won't take much wind for them to topple on over and we are supposed to get 35 mph winds.
There just isn't anything pretty about this!
Or this....
My neighbor's tree, the one the cardinals like to nest in. It would sparkle if there was any sunshine....but ain't seen no sunshine!
And my grass is so depressed it is just leaning it's head over the fence...
I have been here before several times - living in amongst the trees is wonderful but the power has gone out on several occasions. So I brought out all of my various lanterns, radios, hurricane lamps (I got the oil lamps when I lived in south Georgia and we really did use them when hurricanes took out our power)...added some of the new Starbuck's instant coffee and my propane stove. I have plenty of fruit, muffins, and other things to eat that don't require heat. Bubba's travel cage all ready in case I have to find somewhere warm for the little 18 year old parrot!
For the next cold weather power outage I think I will get some battery powered boot warmers and put on the bottom of the pan below Bubba's cage....then wrap the whole thing in a garbage bag! I think that will work for him.
but - until then...
There just isn't anything pretty about this!
Or this....
My neighbor's tree, the one the cardinals like to nest in. It would sparkle if there was any sunshine....but ain't seen no sunshine!
And my grass is so depressed it is just leaning it's head over the fence...
I have been here before several times - living in amongst the trees is wonderful but the power has gone out on several occasions. So I brought out all of my various lanterns, radios, hurricane lamps (I got the oil lamps when I lived in south Georgia and we really did use them when hurricanes took out our power)...added some of the new Starbuck's instant coffee and my propane stove. I have plenty of fruit, muffins, and other things to eat that don't require heat. Bubba's travel cage all ready in case I have to find somewhere warm for the little 18 year old parrot!
For the next cold weather power outage I think I will get some battery powered boot warmers and put on the bottom of the pan below Bubba's cage....then wrap the whole thing in a garbage bag! I think that will work for him.
but - until then...
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