EMBR1003: Heirloom Jewelry Organizer
fiber arts
A knowledge of sewing and basic embroidery stitches is helpful, but not required. If you do not know, you will be taught these in class.
The Heirloom Jewelry Organizer is probably one of the most interesting crafts I have ever constructed. A friend of mine who is in the fabric business was in need of something for his mother to store her collection of silver broaches. It just happened to be approaching Mother's Day, and oh what a wonderful gfit to give to the very one who had started the fabric store many years ago. Of course, that meant that the inside must have a lining of the cloth that keeps silver from tarnishing which happens to be a dark brown color. Finding a two tone lace to go around the edges of the dark brown helped to keep the edges of the piece from looking so dark.
Next I explored what her favorite color was. It appeared to be a beautiful light avocado green in silk dupioni. Being a collector of laces, trims, buttons and beads I knew that this was going to be fun. I have just now completed my third organizer and each one has been different. Because I liked the first one I made I wanted it to look similar since I was blessed to have some of the English Net Lace left that I had previously used for her organizer.
Your organizer can literally be made out of whatever you want. Yes even those funky cottons that are so popular with purses and skirts. Let your home decor be your guide. If you are making it to lie on the corner of your dresser, your dressing table, or the powder room, then certainly you must decide what fits your life style.
Perhaps your mother or some other relative left you a wonderful collection of laces, trims, and buttons and you would like to use them to pass down in the family. Just remember that this piece is going to be a labor of love. The amount of time you put into the piece will be determined on how fancy you want it to be. This organizer may be a very inexpensive piece to construct or be the elegant piece you won't part with because you put the very best in it.
Basic stitches in silk ribbon embroidery taught.
Embellishments with beads and finishing taught.
Design suggestions presented in class.
5-6 hours, 2 sessions
(2nd session schedule set between teacher and students)
1. The first session will be spent on purchasing supplies, unless you are brave enough to do so before you get to class. We will also talk about what you are going to use the organizer for. Perhaps you are mostly a necklace and earring person. Your organizer may take on another shape. Now that the popular flower pins are in, you may even want to put one of those on top.
Purchasing, designing and cutting. If time permits, some of the trim will be arranged on the fabric.
Homework may consist of sewing some of your embellishing on if you are doing it by hand.
2. We will next begin to add the jewelry pockets to the lining. More time for adding more embellishing. Next, final construction of the organizer. You will be adding batting and the ribbons to tie the corners together.
2-8
$40.00 fee ($40.00 deposit reserves space)
Yes, some supplies
CENTER FOR BEADWORK & JEWELRY ARTS
EMBR1003: Heirloom Jewelry Organizer
Instructor: Sandra Walker
$40.00 instructional
fee ($40.00 deposit reserves space)
Learn to create a work of art. Create a showpiece organizer for your necklaces, brooches, bracelets or earrings. Great piece for the dresser or dressing table. Great piece for traveling. Great piece for showcasing your jewelry, when selling it to shops and boutiques. You will be able to place your jewelry in an individualized pocket and still be able to view each piece. This will definitely be a piece that you will want to pass down in the family.
**Please note: If you do not sew and want project completed by someone else you will be given a price on an individual basis.
For more information, please visit our website at:
http://www.landofodds.com/beadschool/sg
/curr/electives/fiberarts/fiberarts.htm
SUPPLIES:
Silk Dupioni, Linen, Moire, Drapery Fabrics, Velveteen, and Cottons.
**Please note: If you do not sew and want project completed by someone else
you will be given a price on an individual basis.
Shopping Trip: you may bring 1/2 yard of fabric with you, or choose to go on a shopping trip to Textile Fabric. The clerks there are familiar with what the project looks like. They can assist you in selecting the fabric and trims. Choose according to your lifestyle and desired colors.
There will be some things you will need to bring from home. By all means, bring any of those hierloom beads, laces, trims, etc. They may be vintage or from your own collection. Of course we shall utilize whatever makes sense to the piece.
1. Approximately 1/2 to 2/3 **(see starred note below) yards of fabric at least 45 inches wide. You may use cotton (not too thin), linen, silk dupioni, denims or anything you feel is suitable
2. 1/2 yard quilt batting. A nice soft one, not too thick and not too thin.
3. You will need about 1/2 yard of a sheer type fabric for the jewelry pockets. Crisp sheer fabrics work best. Don't get a flimsy fabric. Look in the bridal section.
4. You might like to have your lining look different than the outside. You will need another 1/2 yard of fabric for that. If not, **you will need to purchase 1 yard of fabric for the outside and the lining.
5. You will need scissors, rotary cutter if you prefer, small trim scissors, beading needles the appropirate size for your beads, regular embroidery needles, silk ribbon needles if you want to embellish with silk ribbon embroidery, long glass head beads but no heavy quilting T pins. Any pins will do as long as they work on that fbaric. You will also need thread to match your fabric. I like to use machine embroidery thread or one strand of embroidery floss to add beads. Be sure your thread for the beads is close to that color. If the embellishment needs invisible thread then please bring that. Depending on what type of embellishing you are doing you may need about a 5 to 6 inch embroidery hoop. You will need an iron on stabilizer if you plan on doing much embellishing. Iron, ironing board, and cutting boards will be provided in class. You may want to bring some sort of small containers to put beads in.
6. If you have wing tip needles and want to do some fancy work, you may also bring those.
7. If you ave a machine that does embroidery and decorative stitches that would be great; however that is optional.
8. Laces -- you may want to spray some light sizing or light starch on the backside of the lace to give it a little body. If you are using an English net lace, it is not necessary. Double scalloped laces work nicely, but any kind is a start. Craft laces are not suitable for this type of project. You will need either English Net Lace, or the regular Friench Heirloom laces. You may even use Venice trims. You will find that larger fabric stores have a wide variety of trims. If you plan on suing Silk Ribbon for Ribbon Embroidery that must be purcahsed where they sell that type of ribbon. That would be places like Metamorphasis in Green Hills, Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Jo Ann Fabrics. Metamorphasis has the largest assortment of ribbons.
9. You will lastly need some double sided satin or silk satin, or organdy ribbon to use as the corner ties. You may need as much as 1 1/2 yards.
Sandra Walker