How to Fill an Empty Basket!

 Basket Inspiration!

I started the Sweet Pea Sampler in Early July.  One of the first dimensional finishes,

on the Sampler piece, was my woven Basket in the lower right-hand corner.  It remained empty, 'cause I just could not decide what I wanted to put in it.  As I was working on the rest of the piece, I would look at the empty basket and think:

"Hum, what kind of basket are you?"

"Are you a Stitching Basket?"

This is the basket on my Classic Stitching Santa.   When I painted the

Sweet Pea Sampler, I modeled the basket after the one above, thinking

it would be another stitching basket.

But, as I worked, it was telling me it did not want to be a stitching Basket!

"Are you a Fruit Basket?"

Like Rebekah is carrying to the first Thanksgiving.

It could be filled with stumpwork appliqued and beaded fruit?

or

"Are you a Vegetable Basket?"

Like the Wampanoag Indian Squaw is carrying to 

the First Thanksgiving.  It could be filled with stumpwork, appliqued 

and beaded Vegetables?

or

"Are you a Springtime Flower Basket?

It could be filled with realistic Silk Ribbon-work Flowers,

like the Seasonal Basket above?

The problem was that the Basket was answering,

"NO"

to every thought, or idea or suggestion that I had!

 The rest of the Sampler was nearly completed, and still 

it was a 

VERY EMPTY BASKET!

YIKES!

Market was coming in less than a month and the crunch was

on to finish and frame this piece!

"What should a stitching gal do?"

Then

on January 9th, 2013

Carolyn Hedge Baird posted this picture on Facebook:

It was stitched by Dr. Margot, one of her students.

I just about fell over! 

GORGEOUS!  

LOOK at that Bike Basket Brimming with Flowers!

Finally, 

my Basket just screamed at me,

"This is it!  This is what I want to be!"

THANK YOU

to Carolyn Hedge Baird and Dr. Margot! 

I now had my inspiration...and couldn't wait to get started

filling my basket!  But it was a Saturday night and I didn't have

alot of the right beads...well I'll scrounge in my stash, dig

through the girl's craft beads, pilfer my jewelry beads,

and see what I can do...

here was what I did that night:

 It was skimpy, and it wasn't the right combination of beads...

but it was Exactly What The Basket Wanted!

Hooray!  The next day I sourced out glass floral beads,

e-mailed with Carolyn Hedge Baird just to be sure,

she said:

"Yes, pile on the beads is what I would call it!  Pile them on in an 

artistic manner!  Looked at your picture and the basket is beautiful, 

just needs more flowers so just add a bunch more and maybe 

some loops of green silk ribbon 4mm hither and thither." 

I was sooo excited to get Carolyn's advise!

That Sunday Night, I ordered beads.  When they arrived on Tuesday,

 I had already torn out the first set of beads and had an empty basket

waiting to fill!

Hooray!  It is done!

My Gorgeous Beaded Glass Flower Basket!

I could now finish and frame my Sweet Pea Sampler!

Thanks for viewing!

and Happy Stitching, everyone!

Kelly