Just can't get enough of peranakan-style beading. I call it '-style' because I believe the true peranakan pieces use teeny tiny cut beads (15/0), I think called Charlottes or Czech beads. I heard in one YT video about kasut manek (beaded shoes) that cut beads are used as it allows the bead to lie flat, therefore giving a uniform look to the finished item, and elsewhere I read that cut beads mean extra sparkle. Also, true peranakan beading uses designs involving peonies and other flowers, birds, dragons and sometimes diagonal lines for the background. The designs I'm using don't fulfil this brief.
I bought several tubes of 15/0 beads earlier this year, my problem is finding a thin enough beading needle to use with them! Not difficult in our online age, but I haven't got rough to it yet. They are so tiny I don't know if the naked eye could even see/tell they've been cut. They look round. Well, they look like the specks that they are!
My work so far... I am pleased with it all, especially the 2 "snowflake / flower" ones on the bottom row in the middle & left. I think those colour schemes are practically perfect. The designs for the 5 pieces above are all from maneknya.com
The above photo is what I'm working on right now. The design was one I found when I googled peranakan designs; it came up with this Hmong pattern below:
I transcribed the pattern... Is that the correct word? For every cross-stitch I coloured a dot onto squared paper. I used yellow & orange pens but I think I'll use green beads instead of orange. Contrasting colours may look better. The squared paper I'm using now is smaller (!) than what I used for the 5 finished works above. It could take a while..
Thank you so much for reading. I appreciate this small army of regulars.
Much love,
Lingling
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