The Story Of The Exuberance Necklace

 Once upon a time... after the big bang anyways... there was a sketch of a top for which I wanted to use  contrasting colors. Or maybe I bought the fabrics and then made this sketch... in any case, mesmerized by these iridescent shades of purple and green I took 2 m of each - let's call them gred and purpink. But the flow of this silk cotton and the idea of my top didn't really get along or I lost enthusiasm somewhere along the way, anyways after some time I was left with 2 m in bits and pieces of purpink and of course gred.

The contrast inspired me however to try something twisted both literally and figuratively- and it implied thick cotton fusible canvas and machine embroidery on the edge- which seemed like a tough task for my sewing machine from the very beginning but it wasn't enough for me to give up:D. In the virtual museum of the exuberance necklace this would be Exuberance Neanderthalensis ---------->

 

Each side was made out of 2 pieces so next I made a compact design and worked on a feasible "how-to" which should still be somewhere on this blog. Experiments with paper helped in testing the design.  

Immediately after the necklace I made an 'Exuberance Top' which I offered eventually as a prize in a PromoFrenzy giveaway (the one for facebook likes in our legendary Handmandeology -related contest).

        The special lady customer who bought the first Exuberance Necklace in my shop started a trend among her friends so I got the amazing chance last year to make more than 30 necklaces in different colors for them and it gave me the perfect opportunity to expand my color palette.

I could write a book about this necklace- the numerous tricky chapters, special aspects that need special attention, all the variations - you wouldn't believe what a full universe I discovered in what appeared to be just a fabric "necklace".

        My small Singer sewing machine put up gracefully with my necklaces for a while -or better said put up with me, but when we received an order for 17 necklaces she said- ok, that's it, we need help! That's when Rani came in - an industrial zig-zag embroidery machine, high speed stitching and powerful motor- the better I got to know her, the more I got to like her! She still has plenty to show me, one day we'll do free hand embroidery together!

      
        2011 was surely an "exuberant year":) One morning's restlessness, fabrics bought for other purposes, the challenge of stitching double layers of thick canvas and many other details made it so. I am still not done with all the exuberance, I am still happy to work on new variations with hand painting, hanging pendants or abstract embroidery and I love the challenge of discovering new shapes for the same design with every photo session!