An Embroidered Jewel
Design And Inspiration
Some years ago (in fact long before we were married) my husband the Australian bought me an Australian Opal Triplet pendant. It’s really stunning, and when it catches the sunlight it takes people’s breath away.
At about the same time, I received a Framecraft pendant blank with a magazine I’d bought, and found myself thinking it might be fun to create a sort of Homage To The Opal.
I still have, somewhere, a whole sheet of coloured design ideas that never made it to a chart, but anyway, here is the final result. It combines a swirling spiral (inspired by the simple gold wire setting he designed for the stone) with some basic “flower” shapes intermingled to create the effect of the changing colours of the stone. The colours were picked to echo the colours in my opal triplet – naturally each opal is different.
The embroidered version is worked in counted cross stitch on 18hpi aida using variegated silk threads, and although I know I am not exactly an unbiased judge, I think it is lovely, and I very much enjoy wearing it!
I think it’s lovely too….the real thing though is exquisite.
What a lovely idea – and beautifully done. The opal is really stunning, very unusual.
Love both the embroidery and the opal.
ooooo…lucky you – you have a real opal! I’ve been to Cooper Pedy and seen them all for sale – lovely!!! I have two pieces of ‘potch opal’ (rubbish opal) that I picked off the ground there, and they both pick up the fire of sunlight – they are two of my most treasured possessions.
And to make a piece in homage – what a great idea! And a great story to tell! (And I love the swirly bit in particular – nice curve on such a low count fabric!)
What a brilliant idea! Your embroidered opal is superb! (And how gorgeous the stone one is too.)
Love your interpretation…just as gorgeous as the real one!
Oh, I agree! This is a wonderful adaptation of the opal. Enjoy!
Mmm, that’s lovely. :o) I really like the transition from the swirl to more abstract patterning ad I imagine the sheen of the silk really lifts it in real life too.
They’re both lovely!