Clearly Helena: Picture Beaded Crochet Purse: Moertel Fairy

The Moertel Fairy Purse is a quirky beaded picture crochet purse, inspired by the whimsical work of lampworker artist Melanie Moertel.

MOERTEL FAIRY PURSE – BEADED PICTURE CROCHET (CH0368)

The back has been designed with a retro geometric pattern.

The sides have been embellished with Swarovski sequins (lochrose – magma red)

Inner Retro lining; top-edged with O-beads (champagne) topped with 16/0 seedbeads along the edges.

The How-To of Beaded Picture Crochet Purse: Behind the Scenes

Some behind the scenes steps which hopefully will provide the reader with some interesting ideas of their own.

Needless to say, a beaded crochet sample must be done to get the gauge and then determine the width and length of the project. I was inspired by the beautiful fairy bead by Melanie Moertel. With some digital graph paper, I graphed the design to the requisite number of stitches and rows.

Once all that preliminary work is done, the fun begins!

Start with a crochet finger cord to which closed jump rings are worked into the center spine. The picture below shows silver jump rings. I later decided to use gold jump rings. But the method is the same.

BEGIN WITH FINGER CROCHET CORD, WORKED WITH CLOSED JUMP RINGS

Using the finger crochet as the demarcation for the bottom center line, start crocheting upwards. Front and back are done separately using the finger crochet cord as the foundation row.

Sidenote: remember that for beaded picture crochet, you need to thread on the beads (according to the graphed design) before crocheting. And that you might have to do that in batches otherwise there might be too many beads strung on to work comfortably.

Once the front and back are done, you can start laying out the embellishments and then sewing them on. As shown in the earlier photos above, the back of this beaded picture crochet purse was done beaded in a retro vintage pattern. The preparation with graphing, gauging, sizing, and determining stitches and rows are as mentioned previously.

Here, for the front (the Moertel Fairy design), I have embellished with some tatting around a Swarovski Sew-on (in Crystal Luminous Green), Czech Drops (mint green), Swarovski pearls in neon orange, Swarovski filligree findings (rose), Miyuki drops (black), vintage plastic cup discs, Swarovski lochrose sequins (tangerine). (The main beaded crochet body is worked in Toho 11/0 seedbeads including metal gold seedbeads.)

EMBELLISHMENTS FOR THE MOERTEL FAIRY PURSE

The bottom of the purse (on either side of the jump rings) is embellished with O-beads (luster rose/gold topaz) topped with Miyuki 15/0 Galvanized Gold.

EMBELLISHING THE BOTTOM WITH CZECH O-BEADS

The bottom fringe dangles are made antique bronze chain and Red Adventurine gemstone and Swarovski bicone crystals (Palace Opal Green). (The Swarovski crystal dangles not shown in photo but are made and added later on.)

Lining

From the finished beaded purse, create a paper template with a seam allowance. Use template to cut out lining material.

With right sides (RS) facing, sew down sides. Then (optionally) sew down side seams (for cleaner and better finish). Tack and sew down curved top (to fit purse finding).

(Invisibly) sew up sides of beaded crochet purse. Insert lining and tack down (curved) top of lining to beaded crochet piece.

Insert tacked curved portion into groove in purse frame. Tack down. Then embellish as well as firmly secure. Here I have used O-beads topped with vintage 13/0 charlotte cut beads.