Sunday, October 13, 2013

Christmas Beaded Bell.

 First make your bell pattern, It needs to be symmetrical,  so fold your paper/card stock in half and cut. Trace out the bell pattern on your felt, With felt you do not have to worry about grain as there is no grain so you can place your pattern and cut it out to make the most of your fabric.
 This particular bell had 8 pieces, If you want more honeycomb segments use more bell shapes. You are going to sew them together. I have done this bell in two pieces of 4 felt shapes together because of the thickness of the fabric. Draw a sewing line on the front and the back one to keep your stitching even.
 Hold your pieces together using clips. Sew your loop in the centre of one of your sets. (these will be sewn together to make a bell with 8 pieces.
 Sew all 8 together on the stitching lines you have done already.
 Now this is where you will be pinning to make the honey comb shape. First row. Pin the pieces together, 2 by 2 by 2 by 2.
Next row, Again they will be pinned 2 by 2 by 2 by 2  you will be staggering it making the honeycomb segment.
next row. This set of pins will follow the first row of pins..
 next row. This is the last row on the outsides of the bell. this follows the second row of pins, the lower tips.
This is showing the underside of the bell. The tips have been pinned and now the inner segments are being pinned.
When you are happy with the placement of where you want to sew, one at a time, take out a pin, sew and add a bead, cast off, cut thread, go onto the next one.
When they are all done add a bead to the bottom centre of your bell and it is done.
If you want a fuller bell with more honeycomb, add more layers of bells at the first stage.