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!
