>Custom Parts
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I feel a little guilty. Yesterday, I skipped a union meeting that I probably should have attended to stay home and do beadwork. (Shhhhh...don't tell anyone...) Ok, I guess I don't feel that guilty, because I accomplished a lot in that time period:)
First, I finished the set of side view mirrors for my '78 Datsun King Cab pick-up truck. Don't ask me how I came up with the idea for these, because I don't exactly know. But, I do know that I worked on these for a very long time. At first, I used different beads, and I decided I didn't like how it looked, so I ripped them out and started over using the same liquid silver tubes that I used for my chrome bumper.
Anyways, for each mirror, I stitched the tubes onto a tiny piece of Lacy's Stiff Stuff. Then, I cut a piece of silver 24 gauge Fun Wire (plastic-coated copper wire). I inserted the wire through 2 of the beads, then through the Stiff Stuff. Then I stitched on the wire. Next, I glued a tiny piece of Ultrasuede onto the back, and stitched it on around the edges. After I finished that, I curled the wire on the other end, and slid it in-between the felt layers. Then, I stitched it in place onto the felt foundation. Even though the mirrors are not exactly alike, I really like them a lot. Here's a close-up photo so you can see:
Next, I did the same thing for the rear-view mirror using size 15 seed beads. I also decided to wrap the plastic ring with wire & seed beads so the interior color is the same on both. Then, I stitched that into place.
I know that you can't tell by the photo, but I also added one more piece of felt to the back of the piece. I thought that once I started beading Moosie, that he would be too close to the windshield. So, I snipped him off of the felt piece that he was attached to, then stitched him onto the new piece of felt that I added. I think this will make a huge difference in the overall look of the piece. I also stitched the felt foundation for the bumper onto the main foundation. Finally, it is all one piece.
And now, for the next step...