>Washers for Wheels

>

Last night, I worked on the wheels for my beaded M1 Abrams military tank. I really liked the washers that I had shown previously because they were the perfect size for the piece, so I decided to just bead right over them using lazy stitch.

I am using tiny size 15 seed beads, so it is taking awhile. Also, due to the weight of the hardware, I must stitch through each row of beads twice to make sure the washer is secure.

Semi-beaded M1 Abrams main battle tank. Bead embroidery on f elt.

17" wide x 5.5" tall (40 x 13cm)

You're probably wondering about the colour of the wheels. Real military tanks have no metal showing - they are painted almost entirely in camo colours, but since this is art, not an exact replica, and I want this piece to look a bit edgy. I really like the look of seed beads over metal. I am hoping it will remind the viewer of the power of the vehicle itself even though mine is made mostly from tiny glass seed beads. Guess I won't know exactly how it will look until I'm completely finished, so I'd better get back to beading! :D