Main Bead Embroidery Kit Milady

“Milady” is a retro portrait in the spirit of an old postcard: a smiling blonde with waved hair holding a red feathery boa in her arms.

What the picture shows

She wears a black dress with a textured pattern, a necklace with a large stone and long earrings. Her face is turned to the viewer, the look direct and cheerful. The portrait sits inside an arched window, surrounded by a brown-ochre field of old map, cartouche and compass rose, framed by golden openwork ornament. There are only eight bead colours, so the piece rests on three large areas: the red boa, the black dress and the gold of the background. Beads cover the boa, the dress, the jewellery, the frame ornament and the corner inserts, while the face, the hands and the map stay as print on the artist canvas — the skin stays smooth while the fur and fabric gain relief. The red boa is worked in the brightest beads and lies as a dense wavy band across the lower half of the portrait.

What is in the kit

• Artist canvas with the full-colour pattern printed on it — no chart to follow on a screen
• Czech Preciosa beads, 8 colours
• Beading needles
• Instructions and finishing guide

Specifications

• Finished size: 300×470 mm (11.8×18.5 in)
• Beads: approx. 5,929
• Bead colours: 8
• Difficulty: average
• Base: artist canvas

The piece is vertical and modest in its colour count, so it suits anyone starting with retro subjects; together with “Bonnie” and “Dolly” it forms a set of three portraits. Gallery finishing is possible.