The wisteria teapot ornament is made up into an ornament also. It's been a busy finishing week! I hope you can see that the loop is the same lavender Bucilla ribbon I used for some of the wisteria. I would have liked to have done little Japanese ribbon stitches and French knots in ribbon all around the edge of the piece but I assembled this by backing it with finishing foam covered in black felt. I sewed the backing to the front before I thought of using ribbon along the edges and it is too hard on the ribbon to get it stitched through the tight seam I made to use it as the edging. Next time I might put ribbon edging on before attaching the front to the back but that gives you the problem of being able to see the front and back to attach them to each other. I sew ornaments together instead of gluing them. With glue you wouldn't have this issue but I find glue awfully hard to handle.
Instead, I put a few ribbon stitches at the top where the loop is attached and then covered the seam all around the rest of the ornament with beads in two shades of purple and in crystal clear. I stitched a group of 2 clear beads, 4 light purple ones, 2 clear beads, 4 dark purples ones, 2 clear, etc. The four bead groups were stitched as a group and then couched, but I put the two crystal beads on my needle and stitched them as if they were one without couching. I think it looks pretty and feminine without overwhelming the ornament. Hope my mother likes it!
I'll wrap it and put it away for her birthday for now. Then I need to think about what project I should start next....
Jane/Chilly Hollow
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow
