Marla Helton's small show of gourds is up at LibertyTown for the weekend. I took her class last night where I learned to stitch the cording around the top of the gourd with embellishments. I didn't finish it, so no picture here of My First Gourd, but I will show you my finished work as I get pictures. The "gourd" above is not actually a gourd, as you can see, but is a woven, shaped piece.
This is one of Marla's Wild Women. They are made from pieces of gourd with beads and fiber and beads and wire...and more. They are fabulous and fun! My pictures of her pins did not come out, but some are wild women faces with hair and features. I'll try to do a better job with the photography later this weekend.
The starting gourds come in all kinds of amazing shapes and sizes.
Here's a gourd shoulder bag. She has several on display. She orders the gourds to make these from California.
I love the shape and elaborate weaving on this one.
I thought the beading on this one was beautiful. This is a sample of the technique I was learning about last night, only more elaborate in decoration.
The piece in the center of these three gorgeous things is a woven gourd using a pottery structure around which ribbing of vine is constructed so that ribbons and other things may be woven around to make the round shape of a gourd--without actually being a gourd. That will be Sunday's workshop! We still have openings if you want to join us today and/or tomorrow from 10-5. Descriptions on the LibertyTown website--see link to the right.
Stay tuned!
