A word about couronne sticks

Here's a pix of a WIP that I've resurrected. I abandoned it in April but have found it inspiring again.

I've been catching up with reading my favourite blogs and on one of them, the author posted pix of her purchases at the Knitting & Stitching Show, which brought back fond memories, including a pic of a "stepped" couronne stick.

Here is a pic of the couronne stick I use, which I find works much better because you simply have to do the initial wraps further up or down the stick to get different size couronnes, and you can slip your needle underneath the wraps much easier because the "steps" don't get in the way. Also shown is my first "stepped" couronne stick.


This pic shows detail of a piece called "Sea Fans" in which you can see how I sprinkled the couronnes onto the embroidery.

Finishing BJP2009

Here are the last Bead Journal Project pieces for 2009. I fell behind in April when we went to Normandy to visit B's family because I was upset to see his brother ill (he's a bit better now). Then we had non-stop visitors all summer and we are only now getting back to normal. Anyway, here's April - wisteria.

May is B's roses growing against the wall with the neighbour's olive trees in the middle distance and the Montagne Noire in the far distance.

June is the lavender in the front garden.

July had to be fireworks for Bastille day, but it also represents courgette flowers that I love so much - their form, colour, taste...


Finally, August returns to sunflowers but more the feeling of them than an actual representation. Apologies as usual for the quality of these photos - they don't really show the true colours and textures but c'est la vie...

I also made these two cushion covers - B's nieces chose the materials from my stash when they visited and one chose a theme - love, friendship, fireworks - while the other just chose the colours and beads.


I enjoyed doing the BJP this year but felt pressured once I'd fallen behind, so I won't be joining in this year. I didn't look at the blogs once I'd fallen behind so I now have the happy task of catching up, which may take some time.