Designer Profile – Wawanna of Dazzling Ornaments
Wawanna is the talented designer behind Dazzling Ornaments, which makes beautiful and useful tools for needleworkers. Throughout the profile, you will see pictures of some of her products.
One of the things which intrigues me about your line is that the idea came from your needs as a stitcher. Can you tell me more about how your items reflect that?
When I first began to create the chatelaines, I had spent several years looking for one which would meet my needs. I looked at the internet, needlework shows, needlework shops, and in needlework magazines. The things that I found were mostly for scissors. In other words the product slipped over the neck, was usually constructed of a cord with a few beads and an attachment for one tool, a pair of scissors.
One day I was casually talking with a non stitching friend, and she suggested that I get some beads and try my hand at making exactly what I wanted, for myself. Great idea, I thought, so that is precisely what I proceeded to do. I constructed several prototypes, using each one for a while and then making the changes to it and proceeding on to the next one with the appropriate changes. After about 6 months, I had exactly what I was looking for. A hand beaded, very pretty, chatelaine with a way to attach five different needlework tools (including scissors)!
After that, I couldn’t stop making them, and gave several to friends, including a shop owner. She went nuts, and requested I make some for her to sell through her shop! That endeavor went quite well! Over the next year I became obsessed with the idea (since they were so beautiful) that I should find a way to make them so that the chatelaine pendant could be detached and the client could wear them as jewelry with their favorite outfits, when not using it for needlework. That is the way in which they are constructed today –which led to making the earrings to match! And now to the chatelaine sets! The products can be custom ordered, with half down as a deposit. I have also created special orders for needlework teachers with special needs and desires to use in their classes. Nonstitchers just want a unique handbeaded necklace or bracelet for themselves or for a gift, and I will create these too.
Now literally every one makes scissor fobs! However no one makes a scissor fob set. My scissor fob set includes a “Little Helper”. The little helper was created because of a great need I had. Let me explain.
I am 65. My eyes are not as good as they once were for needlework. I use readers in front of my bifocals, or sometimes various kinds of magnifying lenses to help see the smaller stitches.
Now I know how to thread the needlework needles! But many times I just can’t get that darn needle to thread easily. (That is why needlethreaders are made, isn’t it?) As a result I have several kinds of needlethreaders on my table next to where I stitch, just in case. But none of us always stitch in the same place, right? We go to classes, stitchins, guild meetings, friend’s houses, even stitch in the car, on a plane or train, and etc. Ant at the time you really need a needlethreader for some reason, you can’t find it.
In addition, perhaps you have to do a little frogging. You are using one of your tapestry needles, and all of a sudden it flies out of your hands, oops!
Now you want to have these little helpers right at your fingertips, so searching is not one of the things you enjoy doing! The little helper, as I call it, has at least two of your favorite needlethreaders for those times when you just can’t seem to get that #26 or #28 needle threaded – or that metallic thread to go through the eye of the needle easily. What a pain!
Perhaps you need to do a quick counting of your ground fabric, or some frogging – the attached needle at one end is a great help! It can even serve as a do-lolly with the aid of a needlethreader for tucking those short threads on the back of your ground fabric. At the opposite end of the little helper is a tiny magnet and a hook. The hook will go through a needlepoint canvas easily, the magnet will cling to a needleminder that one has attached to her work in progress. So there are two ways to keep the little helper handy and right at one’s fingertips (without all that searching)!
You can see how this and the chatelaines were created directly out of my needs as a stitcher! That’s how the little helper was created, and there as well several prototypes were tested and refined.
The laying tools came from an idea whish developed as a result of putting together over 800 laying tools for our local ANG guild which sponsored the seminar at Indian Wells. I volunteered for that assignment, it was right down my alley! As I was putting all those laying tools together I started thinking about how to beautify and make them more durable.
The stitch markers I’ve used in the past always were needles with the beads attached by thread through the eyes. Yours are straight, does this make the hole which is marked easier to find.
I create several types of stitch markers. The ones you see on my web store are made with a stick pin base – which means they will not bend! For purposes of creating them with a chatelaine set, that is the most stable way of constructing the counting pins. This method also leaves adequate room for a groping of beads at the top, which renders a more dazzling look. All other types of counting pin sets are available if desired, including those which have a tapestry needle as their base, or a headpin as a base. The stitch markers with a headpin as a base can bend, so I don’t particularly like to create the counting pins in that manner, though many people do. My goal of course is beauty, but the construction is just as important, it has to be done using the best materials I can afford. Quality, durability, ease of use, longevity are all uppermost in my mind as each new needlework tool is developed, created, and added to the product line.
I love that your collections have names and that all the pieces in a collection use the same colors. How do you pick the colors and the names?
I LOVE color! And the combinations of colors are endless. My ideas come from as many different sources as there are stars in the sky! Nature is of course a great inspiration, but fabrics, quilts, various needlework books, pictures in magazines, color combinations on the net, stitching blogs, designs in needlework; the list just goes on and on! Sometimes when I bring out my beads and am working on a custom order, I see other combinations that I want to try. The ideas seem to just flow! I keep a list of clever names, and add to it whenever something new is triggered. Then I just go to the list and choose a name which seems appropriate to that particular chatelaine (set).
The laying tools are so wonderful. The base for them is wood, right? What kind of painting techniques do you use to get those wonderful finishes?
As I stated above, since the base is either wood or bone, painting them seemed like a great way to add color. Remember color is my thing! So I started doing some research on paints, finishes, different effects and started experimenting. I wanted to use really great products; because if you use cheap, cheap is what you get! It took me about 6 months to come up with the right combinations of technique. Each Laying tool receives approximately 32 steps to completion. I try very hard to give them a nice point, without making them so weak they would snap! First they are sanded and shaped, then 3-4 coats of primer, 3-4 coats of the base color, 2-3 applications for the special effects, and at least 12+ coats of an acrylic sealer- as many as are required until each one is as smooth as glass. There is a lot of sanding with an extremely fine paper that goes on between these various layers. At last the beads are attached. I search for very special beads and bead caps for these. Balance is very important in determining the type of bead I use, its weight, and the number of beads. The Laying Tool must feel balanced in your hand, and they cannot be too heavy! They measure approximately 7 ½ inches for the wood (including beads) and 6 1/2 inches for the bone (including beads). Any length in between can be special ordered, if one is one is willing to wait for about 8 weeks for the construction. The paint has to thoroughly dry between layers.
Again, the sky is the limit on colors, combinations of colors, and special effects. Plus I am always experimenting with new ideas for the special effects. As with all my products, no two are EVER alike! These are artisan tools, and never cookie cutter construction!
How long are the laying tools? Does having the bead on the make them harder to use or are they both beautiful and useful?
I strive, and I mean strive to make all the tools with as quality materials I can afford while keeping them reasonably priced and affordable for everyone. Some balk at the prices, however I make only a very small profit for myself. This is one reason I am very reluctant to sell wholesale! Most of the cost is in the beads, beading wire, and findings. My goal is to make a treasured heirloom, one that is beautiful, user friendly, and high quality. Each design is entered into the Dazzling Ornaments Archives, never to be exactly duplicated! The slightly higher priced chatelaines (sets) are because of the freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals and Swarovski pearls,(these beads are constantly increasing in price). These are really stunners, and sparkle like the stars at night!
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