Author: Ruth O'Leary

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 2: leaves

The second tambour-beaded parasol panel is coming along – I’ve both outlined and filled in the leaves. For the smaller ones, this is easiest to do all in one go, rather than doing an outline and going back to it later. As such, here’s the upper leaves, mostly just in outline but with one small…

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 2: flower outlines

As promised, here’s where I’m up to with the second tambour-beaded parasol panel. I’ve outlined all four flowers (and the green band): And added the stamens: So I have been busy, even if I’ve been quiet! I’ll do the leaves next.

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 2: the design

I’ve got very behind again, but I’ll try and bring you up to date. Having finished the first tambour beaded parasol panel (out of 10), I’m starting straight on with the second. It’s a bit faint (it’s clearer in real life, fortunately), but here’s the design marked up on the fabric, ready to go: I…

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 1: red hibiscus

The final flower!  This is tambour beaded in deep red beads, for a good contrast with the yellow and green used elsewhere.  I used variegated reds for shading at the centre of the flower: Then filled in the rest with plain red beads: Here’s the finished panel: I’m pleased with how it’s turned out, which…

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 1: yellow lily

Time for a bit of colour!  The yellow beads in particular are pretty bright, but then strong, bold colours are what I wanted for this, so that’s alright.  I don’t want the entire flower to be a solid block of yellow, though, so I’m using the variegated beads to add some shading at the centre…

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 1: green band

Just a short post this one, to show the lower band worked in tambour beading with variegated green beads: That’s all the green done, so next time I’ll be working on one of the flowers.

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 1: leaves

The outlines of everything else are done, so time to turn to the leaves. As I mentioned before, these are pretty fiddly, especially the lower one. I did each leaf of the bunch separately, but I outlined and filled them all in as I went, rather than going back and doing them in stages: I…

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 1: outlines

I’m going to get the outlines in first in tambour beading, and then fill in the rest. The first flower to be outlined was the hibiscus; this is going to be in a deep red – mostly plain but with some variegated beads to provide shading: The flower outlines in the plain red beads: The…

Tropical Blooms parasol, panel 1: stamens

Slow progress on this, as I’ve had work done in the house and everything had to be put away due to dust, but I can get going again now. I’m keeping a fairly simple colour palette for this, but I have to start somewhere, so I’m starting with the flowers’ stamens. And here’s the first…