Favorite Etsy Shop: Patrick Ober, The Armourer

My current favorite Etsy shop is that of local artist Patrick Ober,
chain mail and metal artist. My husband and I have taken a couple of classes provided by Patrick, who has been a student of chain mail and metalworking for fully half his lifetime. His careful study of the techniques of many cultures and eras has inspired wonderful, wearable modern designs for men and women. Patrick also makes entire shirts and suits of chain mail like
the ones they wore in 1066. Those aren't available in his Etsy shop. I've learned a lot from Patrick and have been inspired after the classes to begin making some simple pieces of my own.

A loop in loop bracelet made of fused fine silver rings

A European chainmail bracelet made of titanium with handmade lobster clasp


Delicate sterling silver earrings made of Byzantine chain

Written by Anne of AtelierAdornments

What I'm Working On: Atelier Beads

Quilted with love for a bride and groom.



From June to November of 2009, I spent some time away from my beadwork to work on a very special project. I created an Album Quilt in honor of the marriage of my son, Gregory. His bride-to-be, Erika, approached me earlier in the year to ask if I would make a quilt block to
embellish their chuppah, or wedding canopy. In the Jewish tradition, the chuppah symbolizes the couple's home, their hospitality to guests, and the presence of God above them. The marriage ceremony is conducted beneath it. One quilt block seemed a bit skimpy to me, so I set about designing the entire canopy--a six-foot square. The quilt can also be used as a counterpane on a double bed.


I chose two very old traditional applique blocks and designed two of the blocks myself. I abandoned the traditional Nineteenth Century vivid colors (red, green, and yellow) in favor of lighter shades of the same colors (rose, pale yellow, blue-green). The quilt is entirely hand stitched and hand quilted. The first block is an old design called the
President's Wreath. It was often used in presentation quilts and is symbolic of the importance of the occasion.



The second block is the traditional and very complex Rose of Sharon. This pattern is found in more variations than any other American quilt block. It honors the bride with a verse from the Song of Songs (I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley...). The third block is my own design and is intended to honor the groom. It depicts a thistle, national flower of Scotland.


Because it is so plain, it is the most heavily quilted of all the blocks, incorporating old Scottish and Irish love tokens. The fourth block is also my own design, featuring a wreath of tulips. It's intended to evoke memories of the couple's honeymoon in Amsterdam.


The final picture shows the chuppah in place awaiting the bride and groom.

Written by Anne of Atelier Beads

Creative Spaces: Atelier-Beads

The top floor of our row home is flooded with light. It's the perfect
place for a workshop, and my husband and I created one for me last
year. One whole wall of the room is devoted to PegBoard storage.


I hang and store strands of beads, vials of seed beads, wire and
cable, and tools--all sorted and ready for use. I like having my
entire stash spread out, and the PegBoard helps me to do that. I have
two large tables placed at opposite ends of the room. One is dedicated
to bead work. It becomes cluttered and disorganized while I'm working
on a project, but tidying-up is easy. Everything goes back on the
PegBoard or into any one of a large number of compartmented plastic
boxes.

My second table is entirely given over to the
computers and all their electronic bits and pieces. I'm
blessed with a modest walk-in closet, and I've devoted one side of it
to mailing equipment and supplies. It also houses display equipment.


That's my vintage Singer sewing machine in the foreground.
A large system of open shelves from Ikea houses all my plastic bins,
boxes, drawers, catalogs, and old magazines.

My best buddy, Spencer-the-Beagle, has a cozy spot near the shelves where I keep my
books.



Written by Anne of Atelier Beads