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To the right is a Shisha which I surrounded with beads and then added Bead dangles to it.
Below is a rushed ribbon stitched on with Beads and sewing charms.
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|  This first shisha is still very much in experimental phase…
I was playing around with the idea of needle lace surrounding the shisha…
I will need to do more experiments with threads and with working onto a firmer base thread…I worked this sample on one of the beaded samples which are stitched with a thin thread that fitted through the beads and it broke when I pulled on the needle lace web.
 The other idea that I have been playing with is using a spider type web to hold the shisha in place…The first sample is a simple experiment to see how the spokes of a Spider Web would hold the shisha on…it works…
 For the second one I made an odd number of spokes and wove the thread in a spiral, it was a bit hard to keep the tension of the spiral this may not work with other threads because the threads want to slip into the middle and I think the metalic thread catching on itself helped keep this one in place.
Covering the shisha with organiza (the gold spots are part of the fabric), as I have done in the last detail enabled me to stitch the Spider Web much the same as I do them directly to fabric…
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|  On this shisha I was playing around with a different combination of stitches that would give more shape interest to the edge of the shisha.
For this shisha I have stitched 3 buttonhole stitches under the threads of the shisha…I have then done one buttonhole in the reverse direction so that it sits over the first 3…then one more buttonhole going in the original direction and putting the needle into the middle of the group of stitchs already there…pull the group of stitches away from the shisha so that it stretches out like a petal…seal the end by putting the needle through to the back…
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| tonight I did one seam of the TAST Week 36 cable chain Stitch before persueing more…
 …Shisha ideas and started experimenting with adding beads.
For the first one I attached the shisha and then stitched the beads into the attaching stitches.
I then played around with using the beads to attach the shisha…limiting factor with adding beads is that the thicker threads don’t fit through the beads but I overcame that by using a thin thread to attach the beads and then going to a thicker thread for the surrounding stitches…
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|  This shisha is a 1/2 inch square mirror…to attach it I came up at the middle of the bottom edge, down at the middle of the left edge, up middle of top edge, down middle of the right edge, that gave me 2 diagonal lines across the corners of the square…from there I finished the square and kept working around the mirror with straight stitches till I got to the corners which I finished with colonial knots…At the bottom I made a tassal from a few straight stitches.
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| My second page of visual journal ideas has led me off in a different direction for tonights shishas…When I am putting down ideas in my visual journal, I make a note of anything that crosses my mind, I then look at each idea, ask myself can it be done? How? Some ideas are undoable but it is always worth thinking about because sometimes what might be a problem does have a solution and when it does…
 When I got to the witch flying in front of the moon, the problem was How do I attach a charm to the shisha…I would need to have something to stitch it to, something that wouldn’t block the mirror, something like the fine net that some laces are made on…Tulle would be worth an experiment…I have used a miniature dragon because I didn’t have a witch charm and it worked, I had a solution…
…When the problem does have a Solution it can be very exciting because it can open the way for other possiblities…If I can cover the shisha with Tulle, what else could I cover it with?…Organza…It works too and below is a red moon memory of the luna eclipse last week…and there are a few more ideas that are percolating through my brain.
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| Clusters are a good way to experiment with shishas….They allow you to play with different threads, shapes and design ideas…CrazyQstitcher has blogged a lovely cluster of shishas that not only shows how different threads stitch up differently but also shows a variety of the different objects that can be used…and my cluster, for which I have used only a DMC varigated #5 cotton perle thread, shows a variety of different ways to attach the shisha and different stitches that can be used to surround and decorate the shisha.
The first of the shishas in this line was anchored to the fabric from Sharon B’s instructions with the surrounding stitching done from my instructions with the stitches spaced out to create a lacey look.
The second and third shishas were already on the fabric, the second one has very close surrounding stitches and is surrounded by Colonial knots the surrounding stitches on the third shisha are not as widley spaced as #1 nor as close together as #2
 The 4th shisha is a 1.25 inch diameter mirror that Sharon B gave me to play with….I used its size to experiment with embroidering on top of the shisha, after anchoring and stitching around it I used the surrounding stitches as a base for a row of Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch which I chose because of the loop that the thread makes between the stitches.
 I anchored the last shisha with a Star which holds the shisha in place so the surrounding stitches don’t have to attach to the shisha, it is there to soften/protect the edge of the shisha. I surrounded it with a row of Portuguese stem stitch but it was a thick mirror and the first row wasn’t deep enough so I did a second row of Portuguese stem stitch on top of the first row.
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| Cutting shishas from old CD’s makes a good substitute if you don’t have access to the real thing…Cutting shishas from old CD’s also enables you to cut different sizes and shapes.
 Draw the shape you want to cut with a permanent ink pen and
Soak the CD in warm water to soften the plastic so that it cuts rather than shattering…I have also found that sitting the CD beside the heater softens it enough to cut and I daresay that putting the CD out in the sun would work in summer.
Use large sized scissors and make short cuts using the bit of the blade nearest the pivot point of the scissors.
You will find the cutting easier to manage if you cut a wedge from the CD and then you can nibble bits from the side…I seldom bother but you can smooth the sides with an emery board…and don’t worry if your edges are a little jagged, they round up when you stitch them on and they are probably more authentic if they are a little jagged because the original shishas (on the right of the image) are small chips of thin mirror and are very odd shaped and jagged on the edges.
Expect a few cuts to shatter as you get the hang of cutting them, you will have to experiment to get the right temperature water to suit your climate and the season of the year. And try a few different brands of CD, I think the composition of the plastic may vary because I am sure some shatter easier than others and they must be made by different processes because the label side peels of some but stays stuck on others.
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|  I have stitched a golden Shisha Sun to Celebrate that today is the first day of spring.
I drew a circle the size of the shisha and stitched the fly stitch sun rays on the fabric before attaching the shisha because it is easier to get long spokes at the right angle when the shisha isn’t in the way.
I have made this shisha into an ATC so that I can send an overseas friend a little Aussie sunshine.
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| When I read Elizabeth’s post on the hazard of shi sha dust I was moved to write this post, thankfully no damage done and alls well now but I was reminded of the OH&S module that I studied as part of my Diploma of Visual Arts and Crafts, Until then I had never thought about it and was surprised to learn that my Gentle Art of Needlework could Actually be a dangerous occupation.
When you do think about it we work with pins, needles, scissors and rotary cutters, all sharp objects, irons are hot and burn, fabric sheds dust, poor light causes eye strain, then there is RSI and cramps from sitting in the one place for to long, back ache from working at bad angles and lugging heavy sewing machines and bags to workshops/classes, then there is the toxic elements of some of the products we use, even financial stress when we overspend our sewing budget…sounds a bit doom and gloom but that is not my intention, it is just that Health and safety for needlework studio’s is not often talked about and I think that it should be because I believe that we need to be aware of the hazards in order to prevent or at least minimize their damage.
I would like to invite readers to comment with any tips they have for good work practices that could help make all our studio’s healthy, safe environments to be.
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