And the problems shall be 3, there shall be 3 problems

One of my favorite stores to poke around in is a local second hand shop called SaveMart. It's a giant warehouse filled with fabulous treasures just waiting to be discovered.

Not everything is fabulous, of course, and sometimes it's just fun to go laugh at some of the items. However, I can't tell you how many times I've come out having paid $6 for a shirt that still has the price tag attached saying $75!

Also, while thrift hunting, you're not always successful. For instance, my last trip was for the purpose of finding a waist coat and/or suspenders for Steve's Burlesque outfit for this coming Friday night. No waist coats. No suspenders. I did find a nice shirt for him that may or may not work for his outfit, a porcelain baby doll that has been dubbed the ugliest doll in creation (I quite like her, though), and a stunning pashmina scarf. I'm not telling how much I paid for said scarf because I haven't decided yet if I'm going to sell it or keep it for myself.

 As per standard, it had skinny little tassely bits at the ends. Not bad, of course. But I know, and you know, that they could be so much more!

So the first step is to tie a knot at the base of each one. I'm not sure if the material would unravel without these, but it's too gorgeous to take a chance!

I used a straight pin to help guide the knots as close to the fabric as possible.

 Next, cut the tassels off close to the knots.











Then, with my beading needle and a piece of black thread (or color of your choice), I tied the thread onto one corner of the pashmina and started stringing on the beads.

Black, gold, and turquoise is the color scheme in the pashmina, so I choose similar color beads to continue. I would have preferred wider spacing than this, but I'm following the knots where the tassels used to be.

The pattern I used was: 1 black bicone, 5 gold seeds, 1 turquoise, 5 gold seeds, 1 black bicone. At every knot, I pushed my needle and thread through the knot, into the edge of the fabric, back through the knot, through the black bicone, and started the pattern again with the 5 seed beads. Sewing through the knots should help to secure them, without the use of glue.

 Continue the pattern to the end of the pashmina.

I'll bet you're trying to figure out the title of this post, aren't you? Problems? There doesn't seem to be any problems. Let alone 3 of them.

And you'd be right. Up to this point it's a very easy project. But if everything were easy, we'd get complacent, wouldn't we?



Problem number 1: I've run out of the black bicone beads.
Problem number 2: I've run out of gold seed beads.
Problem number 3: I've run out of turquoise beads.

I've only done one row on one side of the pashmina. I still have the other side to do, and I'd like to do one more row, but with no beads, it really limits what I can do.

Luckily, it's Easter weekend, and that means SALES! I'm now heading out to the craft shop, which is having a one day sale today, to hopefully get some more of the beads I need to finish this stunning piece.

Of course, you know that if they do have the beads I need, they won't be included in the sale. Isn't that how fate works? Or is that just my pessimism? Wish me luck!