>Door Handle

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Here's what the back of my bead-embroidered British bus looks like today. This piece is quite large, measuring 14" wide x 8" tall. So far, I have used one entire spool of Nymo, and I'm already well into a second spool= :0

I am in the middle of beading the section around the windows, which is time-consuming because the felt that I have to stitch on is quite small. But, before I go any further, I thought it best to try and solve my door issues. The first thing I did was cut a piece of 20-gauge sterling silver half-hard wire. Then, very carefully, I used my scissors to poke 2 tiny holes through the felt in between the stitches. Next, I slid the wire through the fabric. I used my Xuron pliers to bend the shape of the door handle, as well as 2 loops on the back to hold it in place. After I was satisfied with its shape, I stitched the 2 wire loops down in the back. Now, it is secure. Below, is a side view of the beaded door. The handle measures 1/2" long, and it stands 1/8" above the beads.

I have been thinking about how to make my beaded door an actual working sliding door, and I think I have come up with a solution. But, first, I must bead the rest of the door, and stiffen it with matte board... Also today, I'm going to try bead more of the bus, maybe add some more dimension to the front fender, as well as maybe create some more custom parts - particularly the side view mirrors. We'll see what there is time for... Wish me luck...