The finished piece

Last night I had an entire post written about the final step and the completion of the piece.  Somehow I lost the post and have no idea what I was waxing on about.  I think it had something to do with me being sad about the Ebay auction I had just lost or something.  Nothing you really want to hear about anyway.

So without further ado; the finished piece!

Yeah, so you kind of have to look hard to see the fact that it is on a hair comb.  Here, this will help:

I posted the image of it photographed on black first just because I think it looks better that way.

We decided to go with the hair comb because of the way that she was planning to wear it.   Her hair half up and the feathers coming down over it.  Like this:

I am so excited to see the pictures of her wearing it on her wedding day!

Wedding hair clip continued!

Part three is where the sparkle happens.  The bride's dress includes some rhinestone accents, and I wanted to carry that over to her hair piece as well.  

I had originally planned on finding something at a local bead store or one of the craft stores, but I had the idea to turn to my vintage button collection first.  My stash of vintage buttons that include rhinestones is pretty well stocked.  It was fun to bring them out and pair them with my new project.  

I selected the buttons that I felt fit the best and put together a "mock up" package that included a stand in motif, the feathers, and a selection of awesome vintage buttons.  I presented them to her and we worked out the vision of the perfect piece.  We narrowed the selection down and decided that the piece itself would dictate the final selection.  

I believe that step 3 turned out quite well.  

Next: wrapping it up tomorrow with step 4!

 

Wedding hair clip

I started this post sitting in my work space, creating one of the most beautiful and important things I have ever made.

It is important for two reasons.  First because I have never pushed myself to do something so awesome before, and as it unfolds in front of me, I have been nearly overwhelmed by how amazing this piece has become.  Second, in just over a week, an exceptionally beautiful bride will be wearing this piece on one of the most important days of her life!  Which is even MORE overwhelming.

I was moving from step one to step two of this project when I decided that I really wanted to document it.  It has been a labor of love that I want to put down in this blog.  Maybe not as much to share, but to look back upon later to remember how I feel right now, being so proud of what I have made.  Plus, this thing photographs SO well!

When I started, I wasn't really thinking of what this could become, so I have no pictures before the stage 2 part.  Pictures of stage 2 satisfactorily represent what the first and second step involved anyhow.

Well, except the part where I had to make the crochet motif 3 times.  The first time involved an over-site I should have caught.  I was working with some vintage crochet thread that I did not take the time to verify as being the correct size.  It wasn't.  The second attempt was perfect.  It was without technical error, it was without blemish, it did not even have the slightest hint of dirt (which is reeeeeeally hard because it is white and everything else in your whole entire world is not).  When I sat down this morning to start stage 2, I removed the pristine white motif from it's protective box, settled in to attach the motif to the feathers, and spilled my coffee on it.

I had a deadline.  There will be a wedding with or without this hair accessory.  I would really like it to be with, and I am pretty sure the bride would prefer it that way as well.  So, I tried not to panic.  I  poured another cup of coffee, took a deep breath, and started again.

I did try to touch the piece up, and I do think that it could be saved in the end, but I had no time for crying over spilled coffee, or blot-blot-blotting with what ever it is that my Martha Stewart guide to housekeeping would so correctly advise me to use.  I had a deadline.

I crocheted as fast as my fingers could go and motif #3 was completed.  It was on to step 2.

I had been brainstorming this project for a while when I found this amazing beaded white half hackle of feathers.  I had no idea what a half hackle of feathers even was before this.  Never once had I used feathers in a project before.   I have to say the whole project came together when I saw that package of feathers.  I had the whole design in my head.

After buying the feathers, the design of the finished project would change slightly, but stay mainly the same, and the feathers were the perfect thing.

Step 3...Next time.

Working in tiny stitches

Today I will be spending my time on Hair pins and clips.  Including a very special one for a friends wedding!  Time to don my glasses, add some extra light and pull out my tiny hooks.

I wanted to debut the items a while back, but I ended up placing them all in a shop instead.  The opportunity was just too good to pass up.

You can find the pieces at Mag-Big on Hawthorne.  A wonderful shop if you have never been!

Hopefully I will at least get some pictures of the new ones before they find a new home.

New listings!

I am feeling rather accomplished today as I finally posted some new items on Etsy.  I am not super happy with one of the pictures, but since it is a step up from my past pictures and I really wanted to get something new up, I decided to go with it. 


First one went up yesterday and I like the title I chose for it.  


Posted two more items today:


Spinkle of Color Crochet Headband  and Recycled Cotton Fall Color Crochet Headband


I find that the headbands were harder to create a title for.  Hopefully the simplicity of them works.


I would love it if you stopped in to take a look!  The shop is pretty well stocked right now with lovely items that are perfect for this fall and the cooler weather coming!


Cheers!

Boutique Bound!

I was just realizing that I failed to mention the newest place you can find Nuala Clothing and Accessories: Modo Boutique.  I loved the layout of the store and was drawn to the array of the colors displayed. They have swoon worthy clothes that will keep me coming back again and again! The whole store is lovely and striking!

The newest addition to their selection? Necklaces by Nuala Clothing and Accessories! Several unseen pieces are now available exclusively at Modo Boutique!

Please stop by their wonderful store and take a peak at some of the newest pieces in my necklace collection!

Modo Boutique
729 E. Burnside St #103
Portland, OR 97214

Wednesday-Sunday 12-6
Monday & Tuesday Closed

Super Rad PDX!!

Super excited about this next upcoming show. Super Rad PDX at Portland Nursery 9000 SE Division St is THIS Sunday July 17th! There will be 60+ of some of the best local NW crafters and artisans, as well as live music and FREE beer from Hopworks Urban Brewery.

There will be a silent auction benefiting Snowcap.org, a non profit created to provide food, clothing, advocacy and other services to the poor.

I am busy trying to expand my inventory for Sunday. Summer products are coming out at a slow trickle, but I hope to at least have more than 2 hairpins to choose from this weekend! Summer Bracelets are also now available. Brighter colors and lighter yarns to bring the feeling of summer to your outfits! New crop of garlands are now available as well! With many of the originals now being sold at Mag-Big on Hawthorne, I had to make a whole new batch to take on the road with me!

Hope to see you all at this event as it is sure to be a RAD time! I mean free beer? RAD.