Our Eighth A Time To Stitch Hop is all about beaded bags ~ Amulet bags, Clutches, Purses, Totes. I am so excited about this one! Amulet bags are what inspired me to beadweave in the first place, even though it took me twentysomething years to finally make one (you can see it HERE). I am curious about what got you interested in beading? And did you make it right away or did it simmer for a couple decades?
Today, I get to show my second beaded amulet bag! I really love the way it turned out :-)
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| Lovely Blue Quartz Bead holds the buckle in place...the weight of the buckle holds the fabric flap down. |
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| Flap open, revealing more of the pocket and the beadweaving. |
The beadweaving stitch I used is called Hubble. The woman who created it is Melanie de Miguel. I found the tutorial in Beadwork Magazine October/November 2015. The irony of this is known only to me, but in brief...after over a decade of receiving the Beadwork Magazine, I decided not to renew my subscription. I never make projects from it...it is mostly a reference for certain stitches I am still needing help with and a source of some inspiration. When Hubble presented itself, I thought it was a sign to renew again. But after the Hubble settled, I decided to stick to my plan. I still have all my issues, so I decided that come January, when there is no new Beadwork in my mailbox, I will go to the workshop and get the very first few issues and treat them all as new again.
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| Backside...how I secured that front Hubble pocket on to the fabric. The fabric was from an upholstery store sample book that the owner was getting rid of...she gave it to me and I have all these little fabric squares for projects. |
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| The fringe is a smattering of a gifts from two special people ~ my brother gave me all the copper beads a long long long time ago. And my friend Wyndy gave me those garnets, pearls, and crystals. |
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| It might be a bit blurry but I like the effect of this zoomed up picture of the Hubble. |
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| It isn't quite as long on me as it is on Fleur, because...boobs. |
A funny thing about the Hubble Stitch and me...this bag was my very first attempt at it. I didn't have one problem doing the stitch. It was a breeze! I thought, "I am going to Hubble EVERYTHING from now on!!!"
And since then...I cannot get the damn stitch to work at all for me. I am not sure what happened. I think it might be connected to cancelling my Beadwork Magazine.
But I am going to try and try again and even buy the book. It seems so versatile. And I think it would look great bezeled around rocks. Whatever my one-and-done block with this is, I have to get through it and Hubble again!
Thank you to all the participants, readers, and Therese. You all make ATTS an event to look forward to and enjoy!
Here's the list of all the creative people that took part in the Hop. Please go see what they made!
22 comments:
Way to go Christine. Your bag is wonderful. Thanx for hosting this fun hop.I really enjoyed participating. I started beading on 1800's style doll dresses. My first real bead project was the fringe for an antique lampshade frame that was in my husband's family estate stuff. There were 24,480 beads in the project. I did get the fringe done but I must admit that I did not sew the fabric to the shade yet. Someday I will actually finish that one. LOL
Christine, I love every inch of this bag - the buckle, the fringe and how the Hubble stitch is so perfect with that fabric. (I also let my Beadwork subscription expire in a flurry of downsizing a few years ago.) Thanks for including a link to Melanie's book. And thanks for hosting this hop. I try never to miss a challenge from you and Therese!
I love the dangles! They are a really fun part of your gorgeous design, and how lovely to include beads that were given to you by your brother and friend :-)
All the best to you, Lizzie.
Wow, this is a gorgeous bag . Love the fringe and the hubble stitch looks awesome. You`ve given me an idea to learn a new stich!
It`s been fun participating in this challenge and I thank you and Therese for hosting it :)
Christine, it's a gorgeous amulet bag. I love the denim blue background and the netted front, the buckle, the fringe with the beautiful TierraCast beads and the pearls... Thank you for telling that stitch is a new one, because in my inocence I thought 'this is RAW and it looks beautiful' and it's Hubble, you say. Thank you so much for creating and organising this blog hop. I'm having much fun!
Ana
First of all, I just love your idea. I love the fringes and those charms; the stitch is beautiful and the entire combination perfect. I had to laugh at your last comment, about not being able to get it right after this first time. That's the story of my life: whenever I get something from the first try, I am rarely able to do it again :) I think when we struggle, we also learn better. Don't worry, it'll come back eventually, and absolutely beautifully. Until then - enjoy the amulet bag! And thank you for co-hosting the challenge, for me it was a way to get out of my head and daily troubles and just enjoy my little bag.
Hi Christine,
First off thank you for being my partner in the A Time To Stitch challenges you make them so much more fun and easier to handle.
Your amulet bag is so you! I love that you combined a Hubble stitched panel and an upholstery sample to make an unique amulet bag. The copper and dark reddish purple colors go so well with the denim blue swatch of material. I can just picture this around your neck at events where you do not want to carry a purse.
Therese
This is so awesomely you with a beautiful swath of beadwork across the front denim in the background and fringe to give it sway. I LOVE this bag and I can absolutely see you tucking your bead money into this one next time we go shopping :) I do absolutely have to try this stitch. It has a hounds-tooth look to me for some reason, and I do love that retro look.
What got me started beading. 2 chapters really. First one was when I was young (perhaps 8?) I visited Crater Lake, OR with my grandmother and I fell in love with the Native American beadwork on desplay. She bought a necklace; one for me, one for my sister. I still have that necklace sitting on my bead table.
The second chapter is you, Therese and this hop. I was only working with wire when I started making jewelry. It was you guys that so patiently introduced me to stitches, and your hours of teaching me how to actually do so many things with bead weaving! So my inspiration I'm going to have to say is you my friend.
Love the way you've utilized the hubble stitch, Christine...great idea! What got me started beading? Quilting, actually...crazy quilting specifically, embellishing my quilts with beads. And then suddenly the beads were more interesting than the quilting LOL.
Thanks for letting me be part of another ATTS.
As always I have a lot of fun.
Your bag is so beautiful, that was a lot of work, but gorgeous.
I had a little glitch on my post, I did my post but forgot to publish, I fixed and I am sorry.
What a gorgeous bag! Love that you included beads from special people, too. This adds so much meaning to the bag. And yes, November seemed so far away when I signed up in June. Thanks for hosting this challenge, Christine and Therese!
OMG that is the cutest little bag ever. I am going to have to try that stitch. I love the colors, the design, the length, the size just everything. Thank you so much foe hosting this fun hop. It is one of the most special hops I like to participate in.
Hubble on, Christine! You have inspired me to give it a try. It was the perfect stitch to embellish your amulet bag, which is just wonderful. The darling charms an dangles are sure to bring you good luck. Thanks so much for hosting such a fun challenge! I really enjoy them and this one was really good since it seems to have inspired a lot of different interpretations.
Christine!! I read this post and felt like you are my kindred spirit!! Amulet bags also inspired me to start trying to bead weave as well! Also I'm struggling with my Bead&button subscription these days too. And how much did I laugh when ou connected your hubble struggle with canceling your susbscription!!!
I almost shared a story today (but didn't have the time, and I tend to stop short from sharing unpleasantries) about a terrible loss I incurred many years ago when there was an explosion/fire in my apartment and I lost many little amulets in the fire. :( Anyway - one day I might share, but in a nutshell, I still have one of the bags from 16 years ago that one of the darling firefighters recovered and delicately carried out and handed to me (between his index finger and thumb!) What a memory!
Anywhooooo - the bag is AMAZING!! BRAVO! And you have officially inspired me to try it out!
Look at you, getting all creative and fabulous and Hubble-y! I'm so glad you told what stitch you used, because I was making myself crazy trying to figure it out (not that crazy is such a far journey for me...) I like how you put it on the denim and polished it off with fringe built from beads that have special meaning for you. The colors go so well together. You've made yourself a treasure. Can't wait to see what comes out when you figure out how to appease the hubble stitch gods!
Christine, your bag is beautiful, I love that hubble stitch, I saw it in Beadwork and like you I seldom do their projects, but I think I will try that now.
Ooh its lovely! I love the fabric you chose, the visible weave, the color... and the copper and garnets are perfect. Dare I google Hubble stitch now? I just want to peyote all the things.
Hubba hubba! Love it! One of the first things I beaded was an amulet bag. First jewelry gift I gave, too. Pretty colors in this one. Off to the hop!
What great colors. Love the hubble stitch and what a great reason to try something new.
I love your amulet bag! It's gorgeous and I love that stitch. That's happened to me. Something works perfectly the first time and then I can' t do again! Crazy! I love the fabric you used. The colors are so great together. And, how nice that the beads in the fringe are special to you.
Love, love, love your bag! I adore the. . .unfinished . . .edges. Knowing that it's upcycled from an old sample makes me like it even more. And that stitch, oh goodness- it's gorgeous. I do hope you get the knack of it again soon! I love when you ladies have one of your reveals. I can check out all this seed beady awesome since you know I don't have the skill/patience for it. I get to enjoy all of your talent instead! :D
I love the way you made the pocket, and how the look changes when the flap goes down. The back is almost as nice as the front -- what a great way to meld everything together. Funky, free spirited and fun, just perfect. And I haven't even gotten to the fringe yet, which is amazing. You make it look so easy. That's the sign of a true artist.
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