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What Inspires Your Work?

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As I wander the World Wide Web looking at the interesting work of all of the different glass artists out there I wonder what inspires them and motivates their work. For myself it can be a mood or color or sometimes the prodding of a special order or upcoming show. A deadline is very motivating and gets the creative juices flowing. Where do you get your inspiration?

For the last glass show I participated in my motivation and inspiration was the glass I had fallen madly in love with. Some of you may know it…Double Helix Aurae and Kronos and Gaia. So beautiful! When properly worked in the flame it gets the loveliest metallic sheen to it. The jewelry I made with those beads were a hit and I couldn’t be happier. The beads shown below are made with Triton. I think I love this glass the best…or is it Aurae I love more? It’s all wonderful!

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I’m curious about what inspires your work. Is it the sunset you saw the other evening? How about the smell of some flowers you encountered on a walk in the park? Let me know. For the first five inspirational comments I’ll send you a set of the very glass beads that have been firing up my creative juices for the past couple of months. Send me your address to my email at [email protected] and I’ll get them right out to you. Have a great day! Be inspired!

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Learn All About Sewing Velvet Fabric

 

I’m always tempted by the pretty velvets at the fabric store.  So much texture!  And the way the fibers catch the light!  But sewing on velvet is trickier than you’d think.  That nap that lends beautiful texture also likes to slip and crawl.  That nap can also spell disaster if you cut a piece the wrong direction.  That isn’t to say you shouldn’t use buy that velvet and sew it into something gorgeous, you just need to go into your velvet sewing project prepared.  And Melissa at Melly Sews has a post that takes you step by step through sewing on velvet. 

Velvet is such a luscious fabric, especially for winter sewing projects.  Of course there are velvet Christmas sewing projects – stockings, tree skirts, santa hats – but velvet is beautiful for all winter.  Think of all the gorgeous velvet dresses, evening bags, hair accessories, even pillows and other home décor that you see all winter long. 

Melly Sews’ post gives you the tips and tricks you need to know in order for your velvet sewing project to end up a success.  There are types of projects better suited for velvets, and kinds of projects to avoid.  She describes the different types of velvet available.  And she also tells the best way to lay out and cut your pattern pieces from velvet fabric.  Her tutorial also covers marking, pressing, and of course sewing that beautiful fabric.  There’s also a video included in case that’s your preferred method for learning.

Head over to Melly Sews to learn how to sew on velvet fabric. 

And if you want to learn more about that lovely blue velvet dress shown, she has a post that tells more about it including 2 ways to style it depending on if you want to be more dressy or more casual.

[photo credit: Melly Sews]