Zipping Up Loom Woven Panels!

I should be done with this cell phone bag, by the end of this week! I can't tell you how excited I am to have completed such a project by 'loom weaving' the panels! I have only ever made a cell phone bag using the 'Brick Stitch' method of beading. It allowed me to not worry with all the 'warps', but seemed to take forever to complete.

Finally, I thought hard about my loom weaving techniques and wondered if they could be put to the test of creating a cell phone bag! IT WORKED WONDERFULLY! My head is spinning with other bags and things to create using the loom weaving method. Not 'ONE', I repeat, 'NOT ONE' warp thread was woven back in! This is a very secure method of finishing the warps so you should be seeing more from me along these lines! (I'll be doing something similar with the SLN split loom necklace)

Notice the picture below. I have the two panels 'zipped' together.

Because the loom weaving of these pictures were 'left to right', it made the beads lay in an awkward position for the cell phone bag to 'wrap around'. My answer to this was to zip up the sides using (3) extra beads. The looseness of the extra beads, allow for the 'wrap' to look more 'circular', as I wanted. The only other way to get that 'wrap' would have been to loom the pictures/panels 'top to bottom' on the loom. It surely would have made the beads sit in the right direction, but I would have been loom weaving rows 81 beads wide! When I add the epilates the sides will be even more secure.

With each pass, I also added a Toho Permanent Light Copper Metallic 11/0 bead. This is the accent color I include with each step of the construction. My reasoning is to 'pick up' the same metallic light copper color of the medal I bead bezeled and attached to the front of one panel, "Tuskegee Airmen".


After I complete the opposite side, zipping it together, I will bead some epilates to add at the top of the sides. These will hold the 'closed jump ring' I secure for the strap to be attached. Then I will consider a fringe, or no fringe.

An article about 'Beading'!

The MJSA Journal, article published about 'Beading', has hit the stands! (I'll get my copy later this week.) If you have never seen this magazine, please do your self a favor and take a look through the on line site or better yet, order a copy! There so so much great information and facts about jewelry making and supplies. A true 'brass tacts' jewelry making subscription!

Last June I was asked to conduct a 'phone interview', with one of the free lance authors of MJSA, who was including work and information about five or six various bead artists. It was exciting to think that my bead work and looming would be highlighted in a article to include beading with semi precious gems and fine silver, but what a wonderful step forward for seed beads!

The title of this article is, "Creative uses for beads - Inexpensive jewelry materials with high fashion potential". Well, seed beads can get expensive, but at least I feel I am making head-way with getting seed beading noticed as 'jewelry' and not just a 'craft'!! Thanks MJSA!

Composing the parts for the Cell Phone Bag

I have loomed a bit more on the opposite panel, of the Cell Phone Bag I am creating to take along on my NY trip to GMA. I'd like to loom a few more rows before I share this panel with you.

Let me show you my selection of 'accent beads' I picked out, which will be used for parts of the strap and the fringe.

The colors of the beads above, will match either side of the cell phone, depending on which side out it's worn. I may not be using all of the beads pictured, but I will more then likely use some of each you see.

I'll also add some beaded bead tubes to the strap, by beading tubes to match the colors as well. These aways lend themselves to carrying over the 'seed bead' medium, as opposed to just using larger beads or gems.

My thoughts are to pick up the grays, browns, blacks and blues. Notice the 'light copper' color Permanent Toho Metallic Beads. This will help to tie in the 'medal I will be bezeling and attaching to the panel I am looming right.

At first thought, I was going to graph/pattern a picture of RR, sitting at the GMA desk. Thinking more I decided against that pattern idea because I asked my self, "who would want to wear something with there picture, front and center." Not Me! I opted to create a more special feel. Since the first side of the panel is RR during her College Basket Ball Days, I created the other panel of something also dear to her heart, her Dad. He was a pilot with the 'Tuskegee Airmen'. She talked about this publicly many times. Here is a picture of an Airman's medal, all pilots received.

This will be bead bezeled and attached to the panel I am looming right now. This is the reason I used the 'light copper' accents on the strap and in my beaded bead tubes. I'll also add an ever-so-small splash of the same Permanent Copper Metallic Toho Bead to the fringe.

All of the parts, I am sharing here, were compiled in between the looming of the panels. This production type beading really helps me to finish a project much sooner then expected. This way, it gets exciting to put all the parts together, which it's time!

Above all, I am very pleased to have found a way to loom cell phone bags, without the muss of 'dealing with the warps'!

Deciding on a pattern.

Creating this cell phone bag gives me so much to think about. When I am making something for someone, I like to get to know a bit about them, so what I create will mean something.

The first panel, shared in yesterday's post, is complete and cut from the loom. All of the warps are gone as well. (I am so very pleased my techniques of ridding warps works this well!!!) It didn't take but maybe 10 minutes to eliminate 68 warps on the top and bottom of this panel. The under side is very clean, as this will be inside of the cell phone bag. I won't line it, because I love the feel of beads without lining.

RR of GMA is who I am creating this bag. This first side is a picture found of her playing basket ball, during her college years. I wanted the second side to be just as memorable, but didn't know exactly what to create. Today, I decided on a subject! I will be creating a montage of sorts, to include many pieces of the same idea. Here is the first few rows competed.

I ordered something off line, which I will use as an adornment and ties in perfectly with this 'montage theme'. I'll explain further when I can share a picture of this panel completed a bit more!

Dye the Warps!

I have been working on a 'cell phone bag' design. This one will include some dark color beads, as well as light and white beads. Therefore, I had to make a decision as to what color warp and weft I should use. My decision was:
WARP - white cotton thread...it will dye perfectly
WEFT - white nylon thread....the dye will not 'run' into the weft color thread.

Let me show you what I am looming!

Notice the dark beads! See the white warps too? This makes for a very uncomfortable color design.

I correct this by 'painting the warps' with a Permanent Black Ink. Then, my warps are white for the light beads in my picture, and the back beads can be dyed without any problems. Here is a picture of the looming, before I dyed the warps:

Notice the white vertical lines of warps...in between the black beads. I used 'white warps' so the 'white bead' colors would POP! They do, but the dark colors looks 'inappropriate'!

To correct this, I take a paint brush and some 'permanent black ink'. I paint the warps above and below the looming, as well as bristle it inbetween the black beads, wiping each swipe with the 'inked brush'. I do not paint into the white beaded areas.

I knew I was going there, with this idea, so when I started my project, I warped my loom using a 'cotton' thread, which absorbs the ink very dark and very quickly. Then I made my 'weft' a Nylon thread. Nylon does not absorb wet very well, including ink. Therefore, the ink would not 'run' inside of the light beads, when I paint the warps in between the dark beads. This was well though out prior! You can also notice the warps, in the picture above, being half dark and half light. This shows where I started and stopped painting.

New additions to the Lotus SLN

I am so pleased with how well my newly discovered techniques and my 'mind's eye' are working so well together! Each part, or petal and leaf, are edged with 11/0 Toho Silver Permanent Finish Glass Beads. Before being secured in to place, I sew a 6/0 Toho Silver Perm Glass Bead to the back so I can keep the proper depth of field for each addition.

There is so much more I will be creating, using new ideas, for this necklace. Completing the total look of the Lotus is only my first goal. I'll be working on some unique ideas for the upper portion of each strap side. The warp weights are still sitting patiently until I can start the straps! I have also been drawing out a finish for below the Lotus. However, I'll think on that one a bit more!

Working a design into 3D

I guess you could say I am being a 'Tease'! But this idea, for my recent SLN, is working out perfectly. It is exactly what I have had in mind! I decided to share a photograph of an earlier stage. More is completed, right now, but this photo is to give you the sense of my idea.

Each petal, of this Loomed Lotus, will be created in a handwoven stitch,edged with Perm Toho Silver 11/0 Beads, then secured to the base looming.

This technique is similar to the 'bead tole' I blogged about earlier. Each petal or leaf is rated for it's perspective placement. My last addition will be the foremost petal in the pattern.

I am working on the Mirrix, with the base looming still in play on the loom because I will also be working some unique ideas for the straps, of this necklace.

Take a look a the looming again and see if you can picture what I am trying to create. Then, I will share a more updated photo soon!