This mouse is made from a floral I quite liked that has been kicking around for a long time, so I decided to string it up, in both colours and a length to suit myself. It's clearly in process in a photo taken 08April22, so it was definitely complete within the 4 day window between that picture and the record shot, shown just below:
Dead mouse featuring floral trailing with thompson enamel background, roughly 17x19mm; assorted hollow stripeys, czech, chinese, and swarovski crystals; seed beads; malachite; base metal. Strung on beadalon with 316 stainless wirewrap, bicycle presta valve ring, length overall approximately 9-5/8". one plus phone camera, 12apr2022:10:56; f/1.7, 1/100s, ISO 200
In a lot of ways, the boring, flatly lit phone pic gives the best idea of the piece's true colors, but the sony pix are way more handsome:)
26apr22, sony ILCE-7C, sony 90mm macro, godox flash: f/7.1, ev 0, 1/160s, ISO 100 Cloning, cropping.
Also, I thought the uranium yellow disk near the bottom of one tail (the one with the faceted green czech next to it) was another pressed bead... which it is, but I made it:) I used a stamp to make the pattern in the center. (It actually has a holepop, which is face up in the first image, but unless you know what you're looking at, it's not at all obvious.)
2nd view, 26apr22, sony ILCE-7C, sony 90mm macro, godox flash: f/7.1, ev 0, 1/160s, ISO 100 Cloning, cropping.
UPDATE, 2025: This page was made in 2022, and then sat in the archives, as the mouse itself sat in storage. But I really liked it, and it was about the right weight to serve as counterweight for disk kumi, and I wanted something handsome to show during my trip to Japan. And it was a good thing too, because one of the places we stayed, the owner arranged for my sister and me to take sashiko class! We were specifically taught a northern hitomezashi style; it looks a bit like bargello or counted cross stitch, except all the stitches are horizontal, laid out in geometric patterns.
I really enjoyed this mini-workshop, and evidently sensei enjoyed me, because when I asked her where to get a good quality palm thimble like hers, she gave me one. And practise fabric. And the book we learned the patterns out of. And a bunch of threads, including two that were naturally dyed with indigo and, um, cherry? f2tY was in agonies, because of the etiquette of gift giving in Japan is very complex, my US manners are tactless, never mind the Japanese ones.
However, I really do think we just bonded over being textile/embroidery nerds together, when so many people who take these little mini-classes just come to have a good time without the actual craft being all that important; but when you get a student who gets it —well, that joy is universal, so while I was sad to see a beloved mouse go, it was for a very worthy cause, and I hope it's bringing as much joy as all the stuff given me has—what lovely reminders of a delightful time!
Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.
