Diamond Burst Lady

There is everything to like about this Lady of the Evening. She's a stunner!

First, the shape. It's a modified heart. By now we all know that a heart will catch my attention every time. She measures eight inches at the widest point, and six-and-a-half inches from the top of the bag to the top of the fringe. The fringe adds another two inches.

Second, the colors. The base of the evening bag is a wine colored velvet. The seed beads are iridescent with a base of the wine color. The bugle beads are solid, rather than iridescent. Then there's the gold braid that undulates as it forms the diamond shapes.

The bead pattern on the front of the bag is wonderful. Bugle beads form "petals" around center clusters of coiled and knotted seed beads. Each bugle bead ends with a single seed bead. This gives the impression of bursts (or flowers) within each gold diamond. Between the gold braid are rows of seed beads, facing in the direction of the braid that surrounds it. Where the braid intersects, there are four sets of two bugle beads which each have seed bead tips. Those intersections look a bit like butterflies.

I've mentioned before that my Ladies of the Evening are often beaded only on one side. For this lady, even her backside is covered, though the pattern is not as elaborate as the front.

Instead of the diamond shapes and bursts, the back is covered in seed beads, grouped in sets of five, and applied in a random pattern. This photo gives a good look at the texture of this velvet and the many hues and tints in the iridescent beads.

The fringe extends from the bottom of the bag and up the sides about two-thirds of the way to the top. It appears to be one long strand of seed beads which were formed into two inch loops, then sewn into the side/bottom seam. This photo also shows the various tones of the beads as well as some of the oddball shapes and irregular sizes of the seed beads. That variety adds to the beauty of this piece.

The side/bottom seams and the top of the bag have two additional lines of beads covering the seams. The handle is quite long -- about 42 inches.

It is made of strands of seed beads that are formed into a tight simple braid.

Here you can see the two lines of beads that cover the top seams. This lady is fully lined in satin and has a small pocket. She keeps her contents safe with a snap closure.

My Diamond Burst Lady doesn't have a very interesting purchase story. I found her on Amazon.com and fell in love. I rarely buy new Ladies of the Evening. I simply couldn't resist her, and bought her as a Christmas gift for myself four years ago. She only cost $17.00!!

I so appreciate the craftsmanship in my Ladies and think about the hands that created them every time they are used and admired.