TONI MCCARTHY DESIGNS
  • Home
  • Necklaces
  • Earrings
  • Bracelets
  • My Muses
  • How I Do Things/Events/Contact
    • Events & Galleries
    • Contact
  • BLOG: Courting My Beading Muse
  • Look Book
  • Home
  • Necklaces
  • Earrings
  • Bracelets
  • My Muses
  • How I Do Things/Events/Contact
    • Events & Galleries
    • Contact
  • BLOG: Courting My Beading Muse
  • Look Book
Search
Picture
Meet ANNIE, my muse.  I photographed her on a sunny February day on our deck just up from the woods.  She's sporting a tank, a my husband's tooled leather belt , a big silver buckle that my dad used to wear, and lots of new "cowgirl"-style jewelry.  She's looks pretty good, right?

It all started with my "need" for a figure like hers to be the stage for the new western-themed jewelry I had in my head.  Once she arrived, Annie seemed the right name (just enough sass), but she needed some clothing.  Well, lo and behold, I found the perfect garment on Junk Gypsies website:  "Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History"--one of my favorite sayings.  

Well, ever since I partnered up with Annie, my full-size (although headless and legless) jewelry model, I have found a wealth of jewelry ideas that just keep coming.

This is one of my FIRST BLOG POSTS from 2013. Several of my original posts are available below.  Enjoy them.  Things have changed, and I will add and update things soon.

Courting My Beading Muse

I think about beads, metals, and jewelry a lot.  
Maybe not constantly, but almost.  
So when my muse is with me, I must court her so she stays
and provides me with inspiration.  

Project #2:  Tie One On/Men's Up-Cycled Neckties

3/28/2020

1 Comment

 
This was originally going to be my first sewing project, but then I found all that thrift shop denim, took a detour, and went off on another tangent.  That adventure is the post just below this one.

​So, how this began is with a project by Kim Montagnese (It's Sew Easy) called "Necktie Upcycle" that I found on-line.  In her project she attaches a necktie skirt to a vest, but she uses about 15 silk neckties.  I didn't have that many, but I did have the collection from my sons' high school fancy dances and events.  I'd, of course, kept them lo these many years for something, as we do.  So I deconstructed them and learned a ton about how they are made.  Pressed them, sewed them together using both pointed ends and alternating them, and fashioned a skirt to attach to my closet raid, a black waffle-weave vest from years ago.  

I removed the vest zipper (just snip-snip, no problem at all with weird edges), then gathered the length of tie-skirting to fit the vest hem, and hand-stitched it on the inside of the hem so it would lay flatter.  Then I put the whole thing on Annie, my muse, stepped away, and saw right away that it needed something else.  After I ran it by my friend Shawn through a flurry of text photos,  she suggested something was needed to "funk it up" like another tie point going the other way.  Luckily I did have one extra tie so I cut it up, gathered it, and sewed it to the bottom front.  Equally luckily, I had leftover bias strip from the same tie, so I bound the right front and collar.  Much better.

​All in all I spent several days between this project and making jewelry.  On to the next one.
Picture
1 Comment
Hand Fetish in Nevada link
2/11/2023 11:04:19 pm

This is a greaat blog

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About Me . . . 
    I am a beader, a designer, and a maker. And . . .

    I love it. . . all parts of it: planning projects; buying beads and metal; accumulating tools; reading everything;  organizing my studio; auditioning designs; researching other artists; collaborating in creative groups; working on my website and social media; and hopefully inspiring myself to continue courting my beading muse. 

    I have been designing and making handmade jewelry since about 1995,  and always my focus has been on What Women Buy for Themselves  (although I have LOTS of customers who are men too!)

    My two "styles" are BOHO (mainly glass/gemstone beads in chunky designs) and MOJO (metal, chains, clays, and more in neutral designs). However, my styles have evolved throughout the years.


    All pieces are designed and made by me in my studio here in Camas, Washington.
    Czech glass in bold colors is one of my main "fabrics."  In addition, metals play a huge part in my designs.  Copper, brass, silver, gemstones, pearls, vintage glass, handmade lamp work beads, and wirework are mixed with metals, gemstones, pearls and found objects in one-of-a-kind designs.

    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some or all of the links in my blog posts are affiliate links.  This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission and we are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.  As always, our heart is to encourage you to use what you already have and, when we suggest products, we only share supplies that we use and endorse.  

    Categories

    All
    2013 Posts
    My Studio

    RSS Feed

A Toni McCarthy Production

What Women Buy For Themselves . . . since 1995
​
dba Beads & Threads

www.tonimccarthy.com
Camas, Washington USA
  • Home
  • Necklaces
  • Earrings
  • Bracelets
  • My Muses
  • How I Do Things/Events/Contact
    • Events & Galleries
    • Contact
  • BLOG: Courting My Beading Muse
  • Look Book