Doll: Part 4 of however many it takes to finish her

Today, we're still beading. Just because it's easy once you get the hang of it, doesn't mean it's speedy. Threading individual beads into a woven pattern is time consuming, but the effort pays off eventually.

 One quite important thing to note, and I probably should have said something sooner, is that this is one activity you don't want to start if you don't have a lot of thread! When you've still got several inches of thread, say 6 or so, it's time to tie off. The reason for this is that you have to weave through a few beads after tying off in order to hide the tail.

Tie your knot around the thread in between beads so that it helps to disguise it. You can also dab a bit of clear nail polish or craft glue on the knot to help secure it. For this project, I'm skipping that step simply because there shouldn't be any load on the beading, and quite frankly, the knots are pretty secure anyway.

 Just a quick reminder, too, that at the start of every row, you have to go through the bead from the previous row and the first bead of the current row in order to begin on the next row.

 In this picture ----->
The previous row is light blue, the current row is dark blue, and not pictured- the next row is also dark blue. Not sure if that helps, but hopefully you'll work it out.

I had a sudden realization while working on this today that whereas I don't really have a favorite color, I do have strong preferences for combinations of colors. Quite probably, everyone feels the same, though there may be certain differing opinions on what colors look good together. Though, since I've never run a full study on the human psyche and how color combinations influence personalities, I really can't tell you if there is in fact a correlation to color preferences and, say, psychopathic tendencies. But I would not be surprised in the least.

For instance, I'm quite drawn to both these combinations. Light blue, dark blue, purple and white has a very cool feeling to it. On the other hand, gold, green, red, and white is very warm. And although I do admit that the latter is very much Christmas colors, I'm currently in the mind of fall since, here in the southern hemisphere it is autumn, but no where to my knowledge is it Christmas.

Oh look, pretty foliage.

 My point, though poorly made, is this is how the mixture came. All the colors together. To me this is too much. It's jumbled, busy, and I just don't know where to look! The colors are competing against one another instead of working together to showcase their individual strengths.

I apologise, I'm listening to deep and meaningful music to try to drown out the sound of electronic warfare coming from the other room.

You may also notice my unusual bead sorting tools. A hand- mine actually, a metal coaster, and a gladware container that used to house oregano. I do not own a bead tray. It isn't because I have a moral opposition to bead trays, I quite like them to be honest. I've even gone to my local craft store with the intention of buying one several times. There's just one problem- the store puts the drab, grey, boring bead trays right next to the colorful, gorgeous, enticing beads and charms. When confronted with choosing something useful as opposed to something fabulous, I almost always go with fabulous. Once in a while I get lucky and both are wrapped up in one stunning, useful package. Like my husband. But usually it's one or the other. And I find that very unfair.

Anyway, if you are a planner and you have drawn out your design before beginning your beading extravaganza- good on you! Once in a while, I follow a pattern, but this is not one of those times. So, if you're like me and you're making up your design as you go along- good on you, too! And, it's a good idea to stop every now and again, study what you've done so far, and decide where you want to go next.

I've decided I want to continue with symmetrical elements in my design. Much easier with beading lines rather than drawing them!






This is what the peyote stitch turns into.

Pretty amazing that this doesn't take much time. Well...more than opening a can of coke, but less than cooking a seven course meal or having a baby.

 I'm now at the bottom of the neck, where I want to stop the peyote stitch. So to prepare for the next bit, I string 5 purple beads onto my thread. I'm using smaller beads for this step for several reasons: 1. I like the way the smaller beads curve better, 2. the difference in size sets the pattern apart, and 3. I'm almost out of the larger size, but I have lots of the smaller. Sometimes it's not so much design as bad planning.

 Next, I thread the needle back through the white bead forming a loop with my purple beads.






Then, through the white bead in the row above and the next int eh current row to continue making loops.

 When I've gone around the entire neck with my purple loops, I thread the needle through the first loop coming out at the middle bead.

 Then stop.

This is another "where to from here moment."

If the paint on the body wasn't quite to tatty, I'd probably leave it as is. That looks awesome!

But the fact remains, the paint job is pretty scuzzy, so I must press on.

Notice something strange?

Yeah, that whole lack of planning thing is either biting me in the tuckus, or creating quite a stunning effect.

Lets go with the second option. Because otherwise I have to undo a LOT of work.

 While deciding what my next move should be, I glued the top of the head back on with some seriously strong adhesive.

Looks like Frankenstein. But since it's going to be disguised by hair, I'm not too worried.

By the way, if you've never seen Young Frankenstein, you should be ashamed. Go rent it, watch it, enjoy it...the glue needs at least an hour to cure completely, so I'll wait.

 Funny, huh?

The next row is a version of the one before it. This time, 10 purple, 1 white, 10 purple through the white bead in the row before.

 And again.

You can see the gap in the middle where my screw up lack of planning ingenious design work is really showcased.

And here's how she looks now. I'm a bit stumped as to where I want to go next, but, it's time to make dinner so I don't need to make a decision yet. I can stew over it for hours.

Or, forget about it until tomorrow when I'm more rested and the boy child will be at school.