FGP#24 Finished 6 of Clubs "Clubbing the Night Away"

Th dance floor is continued flipping and repeating shapes from the already finished side to the other side. Bead ladder first, then rows of brick stitch in varying sizes, shapes and values of gray, and last filling in spaces with right angle weave maintaining high contrast between the figure edges and the background.

I can't wait to see the whole deck where each card is interpreted by a different fiber artist. Joanne

FGP#23 Dance Floor continued

I am continuing to work the dance floor in brick stitch outlines with right angle weave filler. The brick stitching is sometimes tapered. It helps to have multiple sizes of the same or similar bead. Working down to the deadline now. The photography for the deck of cards is commencing. I will post here where the cards may be ordered and when the exhibit of all the deck pieces will be when I get the information. Joanne

FGP#22 Dance Floor Brick Stitch

The collaged dance floor is used as a pattern for brick stitched lines in large gray on gray beads. Cylinder, triangle, rectangle and other beads are used to emphasize the lines and squares. Right angle weave fills in the center opf the squares as well as the background surrounding the squares and lines.

By this time all 4 corner nails have been removed so that the holes could be filled in with beads. Side nails are placed to maintain the size spread and they are repositioned as needed to make room for the stitching. Joanne

FGP#21 Right Angle Weave Background

Once the upper left corner is done, I began on the upper right, repeating the process--stitch the motif, then surround it and fix in place with right angle weave. I also wanted to repeat the pale bluish rectangle beads from the disco ball so that they did not appear in only one place. They made a cool tall drink.

FGP#20 Background Right Angle Weave

Last week we had a family vacation scheduled. We took our two adult daughters, our son, his wife and their 6 year old daughter on a cruise out of Baltimore Harbor to the Bahamas. I took my beadwork.

Since the project is due next week and I had been working 12 hour days at home, I had to continue to do so on the cruise. My first hurdle was just getting the project and tools onto the boat through security. They confiscated my hammer. I had to beg and plead for my pliers which I need to pull the needle when it is a smidge tight. I really can't work without it. They finally let me have the pliers because they were bent nose (so that I could reach under the beadwork to grab the needle against the board). They agreed that I would have a hard time stabbing someone with a bent nose pliers. But they ignored the hand drill! To move the nails, I predrill a hole so that I can just tap in with the hammer. I would hate to miss the nail with a full force hammer strike and smash my beads. If I really wanted to stab someone, I think that a drill bit would be much more effective than a pliers.

I worked in my cabin and on deck. I didn't go to any shows and didn't get off the boat at ports of call. My only break was dinner. Evenso, I believe I managed to put on weight.

The background is to consist of right angle weave surrounding brick stitched lines to form the dance floor and tie the figures together. I began by supporting the upper Charleston figures around the heads and shoulders with right angle weave Then began establishing the brick stitch dance floor squares with larger beads as well as rectangle, cylinder and triangle beads. I followed the lines of the collaged pattern underneath but not the colors. After all, clubs are black cards--no red allowed. And I wanted the background to be gray on gray so as to distract less from the figures.

Now, I was really dissatisfied with the speakeasy door and its eyehole. I felt that would not translate well reduced to playing card size as well as be too heavy a feel in the upper corner. In order to keep the entire background gray, I decided to eliminate the brown door. Since the Charleston era relates to prohibition and prohibition is what drew women out to clubs to drink (men always had had their "gentleman" clubs), I replaced the door with cocktails and liquor bottles and distributed them on both sides of the figures.

The first bottle and its cocktail included some medium and large triangle beads to simulate ice cubes and of course were done in brick stitch--two beads high to accommodate the height of the triangle beads. Note the hint of cherry--not too red, of course. The  bottle was stitched in vertical rows to contrast with the horizontally stitched glass and to give the bottle straighter sides. While stitching, constantly compare the beadwork to the photo to maintain shape, size, color or value and direction of bead rows.

Encapsulate the cocktail and bottle in right angle weave maintaining contrast at edges--light background around dark sides and dark background around light sides.

FGP#19 Background Right Angle Weave

I removed the nail in the bottom corner and filled in the hole with a bead as I worked the right angle weave in that corner. When I get over to the other corner, I will do the same. The piece remains attached to the board by the nails in the top corners and loops. I have placed the picture template under the figures to follow for placement. Next time I will sand the board. I am getting splinters in my finger tips.

There is a second way to add picots to the edge of brick stitch in preparation for butting against right angle weave. First, with the thread coming out of a bead in the brick stitch row, add 3 beads onto the thread. Pick up a thread bridge with the needle (you might have to skip a bridge depending on the size of the beads). Snug the three beads down so that they rest in a triangular point. Go back through the last bead only. Now put 2 beads on the thread and move over to the appropriately distanced thread bridge. Pass the needle under the thread bridge (again, you might have to skip one), snug the beads down and go through the last bead. Continue adding beads 2 at a time, passing the thread back through only the last bead. This forms a picot edge of little 3 bead triangles with shared base beads. The top bead of the picot is the one that will be picked up and incorporated into the 4 bead circle of the right angle weave structure.

I am also doing some brick stitch rows that will become the dance floor pattern--all gray please. There is no red in a black playing card. I have also removed the brassy beads as I felt they were too distracting.

I do like the way that right angle weave complements the figures. I feel that the change in texture that the right angle weave structure provides helps the figures stand out from the background.

I added my signature initials to the bottom by bending brick stitch ladders into letter shapes and surrounding them with right angle weave. When the signature block is done, it is incorporated into the corner stitching. I do like a subtle signature so I chose dark gray on black leaving the texture of the beads
to define the letters.

After establishing where the brick stitch lines will be placed, I removed the picture from behind the figures and added nails in the sides of the piece to make sure that the wire frame stays spread out tom the required shape.

In doing the right angle weave, interior spaces are filled first so that the figures and their spaces can be flattened and pressed toward the edges. If I worked from the outside in, I could end up with wrinkled figures. The right angle weave is then connected to the frame to completely encompass the figures. Shading in grays is worked to maintain high contrast between the figure and the background. I have to always keep in mind that fact that this will be photographed and reduced so the figure outlines must not be subtle.

I must also say that I had forgotten how much incredibly slower going stitching in single needle right angle weave is than brick stitch. Also, right angle weave around irregular figures can be confusing. However, I believe that I have previously stated that I believe in fudging--if the bead doesn't fall off--it's right! Stitch on. Joanne