Monday, November 16, 2009

Miniature in Translation

Happy Monday! Here's a pic of the Canadian maple leaf I stitched over the weekend -- translated into miniature.

My stitched leaf is actually about 20mm -- reduced from the original which is a whopping 55mm or 2.75 inches...

I really wish I could have found crystal rose montees/diamantes small enough to use...the smallest I have is 2.5mm which means I would only be able to use 10 or so -- too big to get the outline of the maple leaf...I also couldn't find pearls small enough for the center "filling" so I used 3mm swarovski crystal bicones...they give a lighter effect than I would have liked but 15/o seed beads looked wrong as well...

So I had to resort to 1mm x 1mm bugle beads -- these silver-lined beads are truly like specks...they are the teaniest tiniest beads that I've seen commercially produced today.


I photographed them all together so you could get an idea of the scale. Very tiny...so if you choose to use them, make sure you have good glasses!

I bought them at New York Beads Inc. in the garment district of New York City -- they don't have them on their website but they may help you if you call them. I only saw them in silver-lined and gold-lined at the time.

And please don't ask me about the project it's being stitched on...it's a surprise...shhhh....

15 comments:

coral-seas said...

Somebody is in for a wonerful surprise. I hope when the secret is out we will get to see the rest of it. Look at that beautiful rose.

Hope you had a great weekend.

Dolores said...

What a gorgeous piece.

Judy S. said...

You are having way too much fun, Susan. What kind of a needle do you use for such tiny beads? Also, could you put some leaf-shaped darker fabric behind the leaf to darken it up? It's going to be a lovely piece when you're done with it, that's for sure.

Diane said...

They really are tiny when compared to the 11/0 - which I think are small already. The maple leaf is lovely, the flower is beautiful, can't wait to see it completed.

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Every time I see a snip of your next project, I am reminded of one of Terry and my favorite shows...The Ray Bradberry Theater.

What, you say? Why?

Because in the intro the camera scans his his library then focuses on him sitting at his desk and he says "People ask me where do I get my ideas".

Susan, inquiring minds want to know ~lol.

xx, Carol

MeganH said...

I love the leaf (so shiny) and I love the rose (which you didn't really point out - but it's gorgeous).

Hope you enjoyed some of those links I sent you. I was surfing Etsy and I just kept finding Leaves!

allie aller said...

So teeny tiny and delicious, Susan!!!

flyingbeader said...

PRETTY!!!!!!

Debra Dixon said...

Your handwork is always so pretty and precise. I wish you had more time to do it. Lovely rose!

Jane said...

Shiny, beautiful.

janey

NEEDLEWINGS said...

It's a surprise? Well I do have a BD coming up next week, will it be done by then? lol

Love the size of your pictures and such nice close ups. What is your secret?

Susan Elliott said...

Needlewings ~

As for the pics, I just posted about how I increase the picture size a few days ago...

http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-i-post-bigger-pictures-in-blogger.html

And photography is another one of my passions....I have been working on improving my technique for over a year now and I'm still not quite where I'd like to be but I'm getting closer. I use a Nikon D70S camera and never use a flash. But the number one key to really great pictures for me is having really great light....I will save the photographing of my work until a really bright overcast day -- those are perfect days for photographing textiles.

Hope that helps!

Susan Elliott said...

Judy~~ I use a size 15 beading needle and a size 00 nymo thread...

Ingrid Mida said...

When can you reveal the big secret??? Your maple leaf is stunning. I'm guessing it has something to do with the Olympics.....
Did you read my post on the beadwork of Samuel Thomas? I thought of you when I was at his workshop.

Wanda said...

Wow. I'm in awe. I can't even imagine what lighting you used. Or what sitting position you were in! That's always a big one for me. I am interested too in knowing what needle you used. And how you threaded it. I usually don't use a threader but with tiny needles, I find I need one but can't find any thin enough.

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