Talitha is a design with a sweet history. I made the silver and black version a few years ago, and wore it a lot. In class my students asked to learn the pattern. Trouble was, while they loved the idea, no one wanted to sit and french knit the cord which is an integral part of the design texture. It took me many many months of searching to find a cord I liked enough to offer in class, and one which I could get in a good range of colours. The cord I finally unearthed is a gorgeous waxed cotton, finely braided cord.
The next and gratifying part of the story is that I offered the class and it sold out, and filled up, and is set to become one of those lovely classes that people seek out time and again.
As designers, we create for all kinds of reasons.
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| original Talitha |
When I stop to think about how my designs happen., the process is hard to pin down, but constants are; that the work I do is progressing me creatively and helping my students explore new beading ideas, that it's telling an interesting story. But first and always, because it is something I really want to wear or own myself. We have no idea which of the designs will grow ever more popular and which will be set aside quietly, that's just the creative lottery of putting it out there.
So, cord acquired, I had to sit down and fathom how I made the original piece, make sure that it was repeatable in easy to follow steps, and test it in different colours to make sure it held true as a design.
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colour variations, class samples... current favourite
Astral pink and pewter, far right |
As part of the symbols and trinkets series, Talitha is an 'Eye for Scrying', inspired by dowsing pendulums, stones with wishing holes through the centre and traditional circular motifs used for meditation and divination.
