These are our newest bobby pins made from shisha mirrors. I chopped these ones off an old fairtrade velvet blouse I had donated to my fabric stash. Shisha is Persian for 'glass' and the technique is said to have originated in Persia in the 13th century, it is now most popular in India.
Normally, the mirrors are incorporated into embroidery designs on clothing and other textiles. A small hoop, usually made of plastic is often covered with a blanket stitch and then stitched to the embroidery piece, holding the mirror in place underneath. Skilled embroiderers can attatch the mirrors using stitch alone, in a variety of beautiful decorative stitches. Here's a how-to on The Embroider's Guild website
http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/stitches/shisha.html
To make my bobby pins I've used two hoops covered in blanket stitch and have stitched them together in metallic thread with the mirror in between. The size is perfect for the pad on a bobby pin to slot into the centre of the circle of stitch on the back and I'm really chuffed with them. I have an urge to wear about 20 at once! There are a few in our Etsy shop now. http://www.etsy.wychbury.com/
Paula x
Well we don't blog very often do we? And when we do it's Tudors again! Following on from the swashing buckles post we have been included in a sumptuous Tudor treasury on Etsy. Brisingr from Norway has included my new many metalled Tudor Clips in their collection so thank you very much to them.
