Russian Beaded Crown

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from Kathy N-V :

]

oh, MY! you're one very brave lady!

[of course, i already knew that . . . but . . . ]

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

Very cool. I backtracked the URL and saw there was a Jews of Tsarist Russia link, but it was dead. :-(

Meg thinks you have an amazing project ahead of you, and offers to pick up tiny beads for you. She has amazing tiny fingers and only tries to eat them occasionally, Grover was trying to snack on them after Mom told her that beads were not for eatting. She was saying "look, look" at the headress you urled for us. Wow.. I dont know if you are brave.. but you sure must feel strongly compelled to do this tribute. I cant wait to see the results. Diana

Barbara,

Also very cool was meeting you, John and Avner, who quite possibly may be the cutest baby in the whole world. What a doll!

You were such a good influence on me, since I didn't buy anything at Crafty Beads. But then that devil, Valerie, and I went to 5 other bead stores and I bought way too much!

Looking forward to seeing you guys again next trip!

Linda2

went and scanned this picture before I looked at Kathy's link. It's the same piece, but from a different angle. They also disagree on the piece's age.

There are other kokoshniki in this book (Embroidery of All Russia, Mary Gostelow), but this one is made primarily of beads.

Arondelle

On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 19:19:02 -0500, Diana Curtis wrote (in message ):

Because I am not well, I want to leave something behind that will honor the art that I love so much. The crystal kimono was the first piece, and I plan to make a whole slew of items representing the different cultures. Looking at the kokoschnik, it's probably the same amount of work or less than the crystal kimono.

Everything seems to be on hold until January, since I have gifts to make, but then -- well, watch out!

Kathy N-V

On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 20:27:24 -0500, Arondelle wrote (in message ):

Thank you, Arondelle. It's wonderful to have pictures of the piece from two different angles.

I can't wait to get started. Remind me of this excitement when I'm grumbling about the endless piece of right angle weave I'm going to have to make for the thing. :-)

Kathy N-V

I scanned the 3 other kokoshniki from the book and made a linked series of pages.

According to Gostelow, the caps were constructed over cardboard frames. I'd use Timtex, which is a thicker version of Lacy's Stiff Stuff, especially if you want to do one of the versions with the high arches.

Kathy, are you going to make your kokoshnik, full-sized, or make a miniature version?

Arondelle

wow!! That's a gorgeous kokoschnik!! Can't wait to see wht YOU do! Sarajane

Sarajane's Polymer Clay Gallery

Who? Me? Been there, done that -- many, many years ago. Although, mine was hand-embroidered in cotton floss on velveteen. Unfortunately, it got lost in the mists of time; it may have been among the things I left at home when I moved out -- and which my brother then sold (without my knowledge) in my father's estate sale. :-/

Arondelle

On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 8:00:04 -0500, Arondelle wrote (in message ):

Those are all so wonderful. Thank you!

I had heard that they were made over buckram, which is rather hard to find. I plan on using a really heavy interfacing, the kind that is used in Irish step dancing dresses. Cardboard would make me a bit nervous, simply because paper degrades relatively quickly.

Full sized. I have to find a wig head or some such to put it on when it's done, though.

Kathy N-V

Kathy, you can get bucram easily through costume shops. The place I visited in Las Vegas, Williams Costume Co. sold it by the yard or made up into lots of styles of "blanks"--hat forms ready to decorate. They have some that should work for what you are doing already made, for around $5. (just the blank--not the fancy work!!!!) They have a b/w catalog that's a xerox, but decent enough for what you are needing to see. I found 'em in the internet yellow pages. There might be something similar closer to you.

and think about decorating the wighead too--take a look at ours on the mosaics page.

Sarajane's Polymer Clay Gallery

On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 10:46:24 -0500, Sjpolyclay wrote (in message ):

Works for me. I'll give them a call.

I'll think about that. I don't want the form to take anything away from the crown -- I had considered a clear glass head.

Kathy N-V

-snip-

Oh. My. God.

You are nothing if not ambitious, woman.

On Wed, 3 Dec 2003 14:16:58 -0500, Kalera Stratton wrote (in message ):

It's not a big freakin' deal. I'm up most nights because I cannot lie down without my lungs filling with fluid. What else is there for me to do? I love beading, although by the time that netting is done for the "veil" part of the crown, I may not love RAW ever again.

DH and DD have told me that they are going to buy me a lighted glass case for these projects. That makes me very happy. I'll have to put a lock on the door to it, though, or DH will put bowling trophies in there. No lie - when we bought our first house, he brought in the boxes from his old bedroom in his parent's home. I walked in and discovered him putting bowling trophies and a "shrunken head" on the mantlepiece of our floor to ceiling fireplace.

I don't think so. I moved all the trophies and such to the playroom, right near the Coke machine and the pool table. His license plate collection fit in with the decorating scheme quite nicely, too.

I've called Williams costuming so I can get a buckram hat form, and the silk brocade is on its way. I've been making practice motifs, and think I'm ready to roll once the holidays are over. I might not be able to use real pearls for the embroidery, for one, the holes are too small for multiple passes of thread, and I can't find seed beads in the exact shade of the pearls. I'll have to keep looking.

Kathy N-V

so, Kathy--is the diuretic helping with this at all? I'm hoping it does....

Sarajane

Sarajane's Polymer Clay Gallery

OHHHH that's amazing

did any of you look at the other stuff?

these earrings are really cool...

Cheryl of DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass