Silk on Velvet Purse

The Art Piece

As I started this design, I had in mind that it eventually would become a purse.  I was given a gorgeous piece of burgundy velvet [my friend Alex bought it at an estate sale for 50cents], I had some tiny cones of silk yarn, some iridescent seed beads and an idea.  I had never done any couching before, but this silk begged to be put with this velvet.  The FFF challenge was " chiaroscuro".

I first put a piece of velvet and stabilized in a hoop.  I could not get that under the foot of my machine.  Then I stay stitched the velvet to the stabilizer.  That seem to keep the velvet in place.  Velvet seems to have a life of its own as it slides and frays all over the place.  As I began to couch the silk yarn to the velvet I loved the look.  It is lush!  I had absolutely no idea I was stitching the shape of an onion cut pole-to-pole; I just liked the shape.  It wasn't until I took a break for a dinner of my Oven Roasted Onion Soup,  http://designerann.blogspot.com/2009/05/oven-roasted-onionsoup.html , that I realized after peeling and cutting over 4 pounds of onions, that shape was definitely in my mind.

After dinner I added the seed beads to bring out the dimensions of the velvet-polyester batting-satin layers.  The beads are dark, but just the right touch to fulfill the challenge.  Today I finished making this work of art into an Arty Purse.  I plan to use it New Years Eve at a wedding rehearsal dinner.

The Arty Purse Hanging on My Design Board

The Arty Purse Sitting on a Table