a tale of three necklaces: part II

In lieu of my recent post “Do What You Love: A Tale of Three Necklaces” — in which I detailed my return to jewelry-making, fueled by a growing exasperation with the finicky job market — I have found myself spending more and more time truly wanting to make jewelry. After creating those first three collar necklaces a few weeks ago, I felt a need within me to create more things. Stemming from a lack of materials, I turned to DIY home projects and painting on canvas. But I wasn’t satisfied with that. I wanted to make something to be worn and to be admired, for what good is a painting if it only hangs on the wall and can never venture into the light of day?

My first three necklaces

That’s when inspiration struck. Browsing through Pinterest, I came upon this glorious necklace in the Missoni spring/summer collection — a wine-toned fringe choker, dangling down at least a foot and a half. The texture looked so rich and soft, you just want to run your fingers through the strings. I decided I must have it. Then I looked at the price… four hundred and ten dollars.

So after my initial shock, I concluded that maybe, in fact, I did not need four hundred dollars worth of fringe, no matter how luxurious and pettable it looked. Instead, I took a trip to JoAnn’s Fabrics and found a spool of rich maroon fringe — equally as luxurious and pettable as Missoni’s. I intended to simply recreate the gorgeous choker, but once I brought the fringe home it took on a life of its own. After a few hours of measuring, sewing, and hand-painting, I had produced two one-of-a-kind statement pieces:

I love how the fringe lays against the skin and becomes a standout part of the outfit. Also the garnet color is the perfect jewel tone to transition into the fall season. Let me know what you think 🙂

As always, my pieces can be found on Etsy:

First necklace: https://www.etsy.com/listing/101348525/fringe-necklace-maroon-and-gold-tribal?ref=v1_other_2

Second necklace: https://www.etsy.com/listing/101554490/fringe-necklace-maroon-and-chartreuse