The other bead project

While I wait for the spectaculars, I have been slowly working on the other bead project. It sort of got put by when I started finding it difficult to see a year or so ago. With the up-lighter, the room light, the sunshine and some times the positional light, I can see enough to work on my bead and hand stitching projects

So I finally finished last section on the Captured/Abducted dress.

I have 20 more days of beads to use to fill in here and there to even up some of the edges.

Now to cut about 6in from the hem to use for straps and possibly to make lacing in the upper section of the back.

The marks are representing the girls and women continually being captured and abducted in Nigeria. There are the situations where schools are attacked and large groups of girls abducted. But even in various villages throughout Nigeria, girl and women are often taken as they go about their daily task or on the way to school. I wanted to do something to raise awareness.

When I started the project, the numbers I read worked out that from 2011 approximately 30 were abuducted each month! Like one each day! So, each mark (bar and gate) has not only the usual |||| / (5) but 2 more||. One set of seven (7 years from 2011 to the end of 2018) for 365 days.

I am considering putting a line of single beads along the hem to represent families whose lives are so drastically changed because of these abductions.  Practically, it will help with the hang of the dress.

The other bead project - 5

I got behind a bit with the 'other bead project' * because of the work needed to be done during May.
But I have had a chance to catch up

Week 21

Sorry for the blur.

...well I miss counted and I am ahead, which is useful!
I have been working with much smaller beads, so I may look for some larger ones again, as I had envisioned the dress pretty much covered. I don't mind small at the top back though.
The front is unchanged. I think soon I will do something to the bottom of the dress.

*scroll down after clicking the link to see the progress posts.

the other bead project - 4

I went to my friend's exhibition today, but forgot the camera. Oh well.
But you can get a glimpse of things if you go to their Facebook page. Creative Xpressions

This is how the marks made of beads have progressed on the dress.
Week 15

While the dummy was at my exhibition at Lady Sew and Sew, I stitched without checking the direction. So, I will need to centre the 'point' at the bottom at some time.
I have come to the end of that type of black bead. So now that March is over, 1/3 of the way through, I have begun to stitch at the back to get some balance in the weight. The front is very heavy at the moment.

I haven't showed the back before. It will be laced, probably by shortening the dress and making ties from that, but I will figure that out when the time come. I wanted more fit options should the dress ever be modelled.

The other bead project - 3

This is how the marks made of beads have progressed on the dress.
Week 10

I have also taken the dress off the dummy and stitched up the darts and so on that I had draped. Still marked with pins in the photo. I need the dummy for display at my exhibition at Lady Sew and Sew in Henley.

The other bead project - 2

I told about the thoughts behind this other daily bead project I am doing on another post.

And progress report Week 5.

I am intentionally having these marks made randomly.

7 lines in the usual bundle of 5 + 2. 7 abducted women or children in Northern Nigeria. This is the 7th year with approximate 1 per day/ 31 per month. This means that by the end of the year, they will be commemorated by a little line of beads. But imagine, if you will if you extended this to other African nations where this happens - especially the neighbouring countries who are also affected by Boko Haram.

The other bead project

I gave you a sneak peek with the dress on the dummy and then some of the beads being stitched on.

There is a big story that involved a lot of number crunching. But basically, I was inspired by the 70273 Project with the Red X's Jeanne Hewell-Chambers is using to commemorate disabled, elderly and sick people murdered by the Nazi regime in the days before they started the Holocaust pogroms. I really felt I wanted to do something similar to mark the individual women and children of Northern Nigeria who have been captured or abducted. As you recall, I mentioned this in the wearable art piece Tears for the Daughters of My People, though it's main focus was the abducted Chibok girls.

So after crunching quite a few numbers, I worked out that from 2011 the numbers came to something like 31 a month. (All of these numbers are approximates and I can't possibly tell you how I came up with the daily numbers I am commemorating because I can't remember!) As these tragedies still carry on now, this makes the 7th year. So, the jungle dress will have 7 marks per day throughout this year; the marks being like the crossing off of days seen on prison walls.

Rather than posting the progress every week, I will post a photo every month to show how the dress is eventually covered.

So, this is the first week. I expect to post the new photo near the beginning of each month.
And I will stitch it up, too!

Sneak Peek

of the project on the dummy.

New Ideas - Looking ahead

As I was thinking about things and doing sums yesterday, this jungle fabric suddenly decided to be a project.

So, here is your first glimpse. And if it goes like it seems to want to, you will hear more about it very soon.