braced petals

The wedding is getting closer. I'm a little farther behind than I wanted to be at this point but there isn't much I can do about it except keep working steadily. These are images of the stage I most recently completed.

What you see below are a stack of my tiger lily petals and a roll of 32 gauge copper wire.

The wire is very thin and flexible. It is not overly strong but it is perfect for bracing lage petals and giving them more strength. I use a large holed needle on one end of my wire strand which makes it easier to weave through the petals beaded rows.

I choose a spot close to the middle of the petal to place the wire bracing. Then I weave the wire through the rows pulling it out a few inches and leaving a few inch tail. The next step is to weave the in the excess wire on it's corresponding side. I usually try to make the two strands meet in the center back and then twist them together and cut off the extra.

Here's a close up of my needle woven through the rows.