Having Fun at a Beading Class at Beads & Stitches

 This past weekend, I attended a silk thread knotting class at the Beads and Stitches of Hicksville shop.

 As a lover of knotted strands of beads, some of the silk threads on the necklaces in my collection have broken over time.

The only way to inexpensively repair the beads was to learn to knot them myself.   Maryann Olson is the shop owner of this delightful establishment.

 She guided me in the acquisition of the correct tools for beading. 

 A kit for a lariat was supplied with the lesson for a very modest price and we were off.

 As we worked on our projects, Maryann expertly created samples of much more ambitious beading projects, which were coming out in current journals.

 At the start an example of the project was displayed for us.

 A photocopy of the bead arrangement was our "map."

 The shop is filled with beads, and threads of every conceivable color, with jewelry findings of every description. 

 The possibilities for a beaded necklace, earrings, or a bracelet design were endless.

 She had style and direction books.

 Examples of projects.

All in all the work was fun, the company of other students was cheerful, the instruction was excellent, and I went home with a completed lariet for a young friend who wore it today.   I would encourage anyone who wishes to start a wonderful hobby to checkout Beads and Stitches of Hicksville.  For more info click there.

Making a Liberty Banner for Northport's Tea Party

This is a step by step series of images that describes how a huge cloth banner was made for a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party, on April 4, 2009, at Northport Harbor's dock. This picture shows how each letter was traced on a Town flag, to ensure exact replication of the size, shape, and placement of each letter.
After each letter was traced on tracing paper, the paper was flipped over and scribble marks were made on the lines, with a soft pencil. This acts like carbon paper and enables the tracing to be transfered to a heavier paper for pattern making.The tracing paper with the scribbles is turned over on to the pattern paper, and the lines are re-traced with a ruler while pressing down very hard on the pencil.Cut out each letter carefully from the pattern paper, and save.In order to help the banner letters lay really flat, first, iron the cloth to be cut.Since the banner was a deep red in color, and the letters were made of white fabric, the white fabric was folded, and each letter was cut from a double thickness.Each letter was individually pinned and stay stitched to ensure stability.A base line for the word was measured, pinned and marked so that basting with a contrasting thread was accurate.Each letter was placed so that the bottom edge was resting on the thread line.A three inch casing was sewn on the top edge to accomodate a white PVC pipe.After the letters were sewn with white thread in a zig-zag stitch, the banner measured over ten feet in width and three feet wide. Each letter was 11 inches high. Click here to see a video of the Tea Party with the banner at the end of the tape. With all of the rain and wind, 300-400 people dressed as colonists, waving flags, singing the National Anthem, with bag pipes, came anyway, and threw two old wooden tea boxes into the water.