Margaret wanted to make some beaded lavender to decorate a purse. I'd found Miyumi Nishi's free pattern for lavender, so we used that as a basis for our flowers. One of things I really liked about the pattern (besides its being freely available on the web, and easy) was that it incorporates triangle beads. Up to now, all the french beaded flower patterns I'd seen used exclusively round, or possibly bugle beads. I thought this was a really clever way to introduce texture to the flower.

2 stems of lavender. Seed beads, triangles, 30 gauge red-coated copper wire, 9" 1/16" mandrels, floral tape and/or waxed linen. Overall length: 9". Flower length: 1-1/2 and 2". Completed April 2006.

I provided only the floral tape and bent mandrels (french-beaded flowers are so perfect for using up bent mandrels); Margaret has these ginormous (as in, several pound and possible several kg spools or wire) and many many beads, which she made freely available—good thing too, since I don't own any triangle beads—whereas she had two different kinds. Perhaps her very favorite color is the one used in the leaves. I suppose I could've just asked, but instead wasted some time with online research that suggests that it's mebbe matsuno 326 variegated turquoise matte. (Any excuse to look at beads, right?)

photo 22apr (stuff probably made that day as well); file 14may08.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.