Accessorising the Accessories

I gave into an impulse to pick up some gold jump rings last week and got a project done that's been a year waiting!

When competing in the Realm of Venus Italian Renaissance Costume Competition two years ago, the very competition that started this blog!, I made a little embroidered flag fan as one of my accessories. I love this little flag. It's bright and lovely, and actually functions both as a flag and a sun shade. But when it was out, it always had to be in my hands. I needed a chain.

I dedcided to make up some rosebud chain maille as the focal point of my chain. It's a very simple technique that looks quiet elegant, and it easy to put together, so I've taken some pictures to show just how it's done.





For my rosebud jump rings, I used 8mm rings, prepurchased, so I'm not entirely sure of the guage of the wire. For each bud you'll need three rings, two of which are opened, and one which remains closed. It's easier if all the rings which need to be opened are opened before you begin.




Take one ring and slip it through the closed ring. Close the open ring. The third ring needs to go through both rings, then close it up. Lay the rings down together, and they all fall into a lovely little circle that ressembles a rosebud.

The only thing left to decide is how to join them together. I wasn't sure, so I experimented with a few looks. The top pair of rosebuds are joined by two 6mm rings, the next set by two 8mm rings and the bottom pair by three sets of 6mm pairs. The bottom style won out and I got to making. It all, the chain took about 100 8mm rings (allowing for the few inevitable escapies) and about 2/3's of a pack of 6mm rings.


The finished chain allows the fan to hang from my waist to about knee length, and is long enough that I can easily fan myself without pulling the chain taut. It's a little too short to be a sun shade without being detached, but it gives plenty of scope for playing with it, all the better to show off the bling.