Wild Garden - a fiber wrist corsage . . .

I decided to try a little plaiting.
I had first intended making a simple sari silk plait bracelet - but as usual got carried away. I will make those simpler versions - but this is the one that just wanted to be a little wilder !!

(1) First I spent a bit of time plaiting sari silk - I just love braiding, a very relaxing and satisfying thing to do. Just cut three equal lengths, tie one end to a door handle and off you go.

Here is pre braided sari silk pic and then post braided pic.

(2) I choose a particularly yummy raspberry purple sari silk  .  .  .  .  but then I could not resist adding in a strand of knitting yarn - the colour mix was perfect. The knit yarn is 90% wool 10% acrylic and made the final plait thicker and more textured. 

(3) I picked three Czech glass bellflower beads, a lucite trumpet bead, some raspberry and purple shimmer seed beads and a deep purple ribbon for the base.

At this stage I brought all the elements downstairs and put on a movie.

I wonder does the choice of viewing influence how the piece turns out?

I prefer to work while watching something I have seen before - I like to keep my

attention on what I am making and just be able to look up from time to time!

( I was watching - Thelma and Louise, so maybe that is why it grew a little wild !! )

(4) I sewed the fiber mix along the ribbon - twirling into a circle at the centre.

I added extra twists of plaited sari silk for more texture.

I put in the Czech and lucite beads and attached them with the seed beads.

5) I felt it needed something else. I looked at buttons / charms / keys but they all looked too bright. It cried out for a dark colour to anchor it. 

I finally settled on a lovely piece of black Victorian lace c1880 for both the extra depth of colour and a little bit of history.

So here it is - a little silk, a little wool, a mix of beads, some new ribbon and some old lace . . . . . 

a very ‘wild garden’ (very Thelma and Louise) wrist corsage.