Finished! Kate McKinnon's recent posts challenging beaders to attempt working with Cone shapes from CGB Volume 1 lit the fire beneath my curiosity, so I picked up needle and thread and started to play. My cone grew into a brooch and I’m very pleased with it, but I’ve discovered that Cones are my least favorite of all the geometric beading I’ve worked in thus far. I prefer working with angular shapes in Peyote stitch. And I definitely prefer working with 11/0 Delica beads, 15/0 seed beads, and 15/0 Charlottes. It’s not that I’m opposed to working with 11/0 seed beads…many of my non-geometrically beaded designs call for that size seed bead. Rather, I love the precise shape that the Delicas afford. You’ll notice that I’ve used Delicas and 15/0 seed beads in the Cone with only a few 11/0 seed beads thrown in for accent. The stem of the brooch is composed of 15/0 Czech Charlottes, which are far smaller than True Cut™ or Japanese 15/0 Charlotte beads. A tiny fresh water pearl adorns the tip. Green ribbon wrapped upon itself and accented with bronze-tipped painted edges sprouts from the top of the cone. Hand-hammered 18 gauge brass wire is wrapped around the stem and forms the clasp. I’ll enjoy wearing this piece, but I probably won’t revisit Cones for a while, if at all…it’s back to angles for me!
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