necklace - Madame Pompadour choker

Madame Pompadour - handmade vintage style choker

Award Winner handmade Choker (CC81)

This is my first win ever in a competition so am very happy with how this has turned out. Until this year (2010), I have not had a lot of time for jewelry making and never entered competitions and never thought I would. However I have found that they can be a lot of fun, that one can learn a lot of unexpected things during the research phase as well as the making phase. And most of all, they literally stimulate the mind and one ends up trying out things one would never have otherwise attempted.

This competition was over 3 months ago but I just never got around to listing it. It was the Year of Jewellery challenge held at Australian Beading Forum (YOJ5-27) and I was overjoyed and very surprised when I won.

The theme was Madam Pompador. I started off with some over-ambitious idea but I ran out of time to attempt it. So I settled for what I thought would be a simpler technique and am glad I did because it turned out better than I could have hoped for. A vintage style choker with ribbon ends that fits perfectly and snugly - free size. It is gently finished on the inside so that it is extra comfortable during wear. The central flower is a handmade crocheted beaded flower with matching dangles. The choker itself is from a genuine vintage braiding from the 1950-1960s.

As you can see, there are a lot of photos for this piece. I find that taking photos for me is like pot luck. Some days the photos come out just right. Other days leaves with looking unhappily and strangely at the camera wondering why it takes such lousy shots. Obviously for this piece, the camera just loved it!

Some Construction Notes

Crystal AB bugle beads strung onto strong white silk string and crocheted. Matching beaded dangles attached to vintage braiding and then flower is attached. Ribbon clasp ending is sewn onto braiding. Braiding is folded over on back side and sewn down, providing both neat finishing for ribbon clasp as well as comfortable finish for wearer.

Below are some images I used as a reference base. This design seems to lend itself to being a bracelet as well which I may make one day.