Work in Progress: Daggers and Spirals

Greetings, beaders! I hope that you've had a fantastic transition into fall. I am still struggling with finding the right work-life balance, and fitting creative time in where I can. Things seemed to be going smoothly for awhile: I had some projects lined up that I was really excited about and the first one turned out great. I was working on a new spiral rope lariat with lots of different daisy patterns, and I decided to go ahead and make a second one, thinking that since I was on a roll, I might as well keep going. This was a huge mistake. I got bored with the new rope pretty quickly, and then a string of graveyard shifts threw off my whole routine and I never got around to finishing it.

I picked up a new project a few weeks ago, and found myself something new to binge-watch while I worked on it. It took some time to decide what kind of project I could really fall into, when I remembered that I had some new peacock daggers to use. Not only is black with silver polka-dots an easy finish to work with, but the size and shape of the daggers are perfect for a wide-net collar. Rather than come up with a whole new project, I recreated my last successful dagger collar and had a pretty good time with the simple pattern. The colors are pretty similar to the previous design as well, although I had a little fun adding a hint of purplish cobalt iris.

I still haven't made or added a button to the new collar. A few late nights working on Hallowe'en costume elements derailed my beading plans yet again, but I'm determined to get back on the horse and hopefully have some nice winter projects to keep me occupied. I know that if I can get back into the zone with making again, more writing will follow as well. A little extra inspiration is all I need to come up with some new tutorial ideas for you!

What kinds of projects have you been working on?

Mortira

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Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading

Beading Tutorial: Daisy Chevron Chain

Chevron chain is a surprisingly versatile stitch, considering how simple and delicate that it can be. The unique way that the beads link up allow for lots of variation, including adding two-hole beads, or creating a floral pattern. One of my favorite ways to enhance a simple chevron chain is to incorporate daisy chain stitches. It’s also a reader favorite, and a tutorial for this technique has been requested many times. To get ahead of springtime inspirations, here at last is the method for adding daisies to a chevron collar.

You don't need to be familiar with chevron chain to try this technique, but some practice with classic daisy chain might be helpful. It's important to make sure that the daisy stitches are as snug as possible to get a smooth, cohesive look in the beadwork.

For this tutorial, we’re using 11/o seed beads in classic white and yellow for the daisies, and turquoise blue for the chain. Once you’ve mastered the basics of the stitch, you can add additional patterns to the chevron chain for a variety of looks. Don’t be afraid to mix up your floral colors, too!

1. Attach a stop bead to a comfortable length of beading thread, leaving about an 8 inch tail. Pick up 19 blue seed beads. Slide them down to the stop bead, and stitch down through the first 3 beads again. Pull snug to form a teardrop shape.

2. Pick up 11 blue seed beads. Skipping the 3 beads that you just stitched through, and the previous 3 beads in the teardrop, stitch up through the next set of 3 beads and pull snug. (These are beads 16-14 from the first step).

3. Pick up 10 blue seed beads. Stitch down through beads 6-8 from the previous step and pull snug.
With any variation of chevron chain, it helps to think of the pattern as having 6 segments. In the first stitch we set up these 6 segments, then add 3 more with each additional stitch. Every segment in this project contains 3 beads, except for the top and bottom edge, which contain 4 and 5 beads, respectively.

4. Pick up 1 blue and 6 white seed beads. Slide them down to the beadwork, then carefully stitch back up through the 1st white bead added. Pull as snug as you can to form a small loop of white seed beads.

5. Pick up 1 yellow seed bead. Carefully stitch up through the 4th white seed bead picked up in the previous step. As you pull the thread snug, let the yellow bead click into place in the center of the white ring.

6. Pick up 7 blue seed beads, and stitch up through the center 3 beads of the last downward stitch in the chain.

7. Repeat step 3 to add 10 beads in a downward stitch. Add 11 blue beads in an upward stitch, followed by another 10-bead stitch. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to add a new daisy.

8. Continue the pattern, adding a daisy on every second upward stitch, until your chain reaches the desired length.

The daisy chain segments roughly match the length of the plain 5-bead segments on the bottom row, because the center of each daisy contains 3 beads, and we're adding a blue on each side. With only 4 beads in each of the segments of the top row, this will create a gentle curve that is perfect for collars. To eliminate the curve, use 11 beads in every plain stitch – you could also alternate daisies on both sides of the chain for a pretty bracelet.

Mortira

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Tutorial: Vintage Marble Pendant Project

I was recently screening beading videos for my Excellent Beading Tutorials Playlist when I spotted a thumbnail for a wrap bracelet project that I couldn’t resist. I was pleased to find that the tutorial itself was actually really excellent – one of the best I’ve seen – but it was really the materials that intrigued me. The instructor was using the most marvelous palette of multicolored glass rounds, and I found it instantly inspiring.

The mixture of opaque and transparent glass reminded me so much of vintage toys, especially those pictured in search-and-find books like I Spy. I wanted to capture those elements in a necklace, using little more than a handful of colorful druks. For this project you can use any found object or toy-themed focal that you like, such as a drilled die or domino tile. Since I didn’t have a suitable toy pendant, I made my own bead-covered bead with a classic rubber ball pattern.

For the druks I combined the most marble-like colors that I had including: opaque red, white, black, and yellow; transparent brown, purple, green, and blue. You’ll need about 48 druks. For the beadwork I used amber horn rondelles, lustered rootbeer 8/o’s, and transparent medium topaz 11/o’s - all for a golden look to represent old clockwork toys, but any metallic-looking hue will do. Last but not least you’ll need some beading thread and a button of your choice.

1. Attach a stop bead to a comfortable length of thread, leaving a 10 inch tail. Pick up one 11/o, one 8/o, one rondelle, your focal, one rondelle, one 8/o, and, two 11/o. Add one 8/o, one 11/o, one druk, and seven 11/o.

2. Stitch up through the druk bead again, and gently pull snug to wrap the last seven beads around the outside of the druk. Pick up seven 11/o, and stitch up through the druk again to add a second loop of beads around the outside.

3. Pick up one 11/o, one 8/o, one 11/o, and one druk. Repeat step 2, and continue the pattern to add a total of six druks with double loops of seed beads.

4. Pick up one 11/o, one 8/o, four rondelles, one 8/o, one 11/o, and one druk. Repeat the druk pattern again, adding seed bead loops and rondelles until the strand reaches half of your desired necklace length, less one inch. Be sure to add at least one druk with loops at the end of your strand to make a secure finish, ending with an 8/o seed bead.

5. Pick up enough 11/o seed beads to make a loop for you button. Stitch back down through the last 8/o added, and through the following beads to exit from the bottom of the last druk added. Weave up through one of the seed bead loops and back into the clasp area. Pass through the clasp loop at least once to add strength, then weave any remaining thread into the chain and trim.

6. Remove the stop bead from step one, and pass up through the 8/o, rondelle, and focal bead. Weave the thread into the chain and trim.

7. Attach a stop bead to a new length of thread, leaving a 10 inch tail. Skipping the 11/o, stitch up through the bottom beads and the focal, and exit from the topmost 8/o. Repeat the steps above to add a second chain of druks and rondelles. You can make a mirrored pattern, or go freeform –either way looks great! Attach your button with a few seed beads at the end, then weave in all remain thread and trim.

Though the palette would be a little less gold, you could also make this necklace with stringing wire and crimps for a super fast gift project. A single strand design would also allow for a side-drilled pendant. If you're working with a found object that can't be drilled, you could give it a wire-wrapped a bail.

Do you have a favorite found object theme for jewelry?

Mortira

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Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading

Work in Progress: Chevron Daisy Chain

I’ve been soaking up some summer sun these past few weeks, and although I’ve been doing a lot of relaxing, I have managed to get some beading done, too. Right now I’m working on a new variation of the Potawatomi chains I was playing with awhile back, with some new chevron patterns that are rapidly becoming a personal favorite. One thing I really like about this stitch is how quickly it all comes together, even with a bit of pattern thrown in.

I find that work and summer vacation have scrambled my creative side a little bit, so I’m not sure exactly what I’ll be working on when this piece is complete. I do know that I’ve been missing just getting out the beads to play, so hopefully new inspirations will strike soon.

What are you making right now?

Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading
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Work in Progress: Stripes and Rainbows

This week I’m working on two very different but equally fun projects with nothing but seed beads. One is an experiment with patterns in Potawatomi chain, starting with some simple stripes and hopefully getting even more elaborate from there. The palette is pretty simple with black, white, red, and turquoise, which makes playing with the patterns really fun. I’m always thrilled with the way this stitch comes together – it seems so complicated at first but reveals itself with just a few stitches.

I’m also making a new bracelet with some rainbow panels and a lot of lovely transparent mint. Since I don’t have any opaque purple – they tend to be coated and never stand up to wear – I’ve used turquoise and cobalt for the final colors in the pattern and it has pretty much the same effect as your average rainbow.

What are you making this week?

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Beading Tutorial: Valentine Heart Potawatomi Chains

It’s always exciting when we discover a pattern hidden within our favorite beading techniques – such as daisies in peyote stitch, or chevrons in herringbone weave. Like a sculptor bringing the statue out of marble, sometimes all we have to do is sit back and let the beads do their magic. One of my favorite pattern discoveries is the shape of tiny hearts within connected lengths of Potawatomi daisy chain. By adding short diagonal rows of color into the beadwork and then doubling up, a row of pretty hearts will emerge.

If you’re not already familiar with the Potawatomi chain technique, I highly recommended using it a few times with daisy or vertical stripe patterns to get a feel for the stitch. Once you’re comfortable with the motion of the thread path, it becomes much easier to implement the somewhat lengthy heart pattern. It can be worked with most seed bead sizes, and you’ll need at least two colors to create the pattern. I’ve used red and white here for the full effect, but any palette will look great!

How to Weave Valentine Heart Patterned Potawatomi Chain

On a comfortable length of beading thread, pick up 3 white beads and 2 red. Leaving about a 6 inch tail, stitch up through the 1st white bead picked up and pull snug to form a teardrop shaped cluster.

*Pick up 1 white and 1 red bead. Making sure that the tail thread is facing to the left, stitch down through the 1st red bead added in the previous step, and pull snug.

Pick up 2 white and 1 red bead, and stitch up through the red bead added in the previous step.

Pick up 2 red beads, and stitch down through the 2nd white bead added in the previous step.

Pick up 3 white beads, and stitch up through the 2nd red bead added in the previous step.

**Pick up 1 red and 1 white bead, and stitch down through the 2nd white bead added in the previous step.

Pick up 1 white and 2 red beads, and stitch up through the white bead added in the previous step.

Repeat from * until the chain reaches the desired length, and finish with the 1 red and 1 white bead stitch (**) to complete the pattern.

Next you will stitch a new chain onto the first, sharing the raised beads at the edge. This will be similar to adding a second row of beadwork to right angle weave or particularly St. Petersburg chain; however, you will stitch from the end of the finished chain, rather than the start, to work a mirror image of the pattern.

Cut a new length of beading thread, and pick up 5 white seed beads. Stitch up through the first bead again, and pull snug, leaving a 6 inch tail.

Turn the original chain so that the diagonal rows are pointing to the left, as shown.

~Pass through the nearest red bead in the side of the chain and pull snug.

Pick up 1 red bead, and stitch down through the 4th white beaded in the starting cluster. Pull snug to form the base of the new chain.

Pick up 1 white and 2 red beads. Stitch up through the red bead added in the previous step, and through the nearest red bead in the side of the original chain.

Pick up 1 red bead, and stitch down through the 1st red bead added in the previous step.

Pick up 2 white and 1 red bead. Stitch up through the red bead just added, and the nearest white bead in the original chain.

Pick up 1 white bead, and stitch down through the 2nd white bead added in the previous step.

Pick up 3 white beads, and stitch up through the white bead just added. Repeat from ~ to complete the chain.

Once you’re familiar with the technique, you’ll be able to see where your next stitch should go without thinking about it. Although in Potawatomi chain the beads are added in clusters, the chain forms a visible pattern of vertical rows with 2 and 3 beads each. The pattern for adding new beads also repeats. When adding 3 beads you will stitch up through the topmost bead of a vertical 2-bead row. When adding 2 beads (or 1 in the second chain) you will stitch down through what will be the lower bead in a new 2-bead row.

After you’ve mastered the stitch, you only need to remember the color sequence to get the pattern to emerge. For quick reference the pattern for chain 1 goes: AB, AAB, BB, AAA, BA, ABB. The chain 2 pattern follows: B, ABB, B, AAB, A, AAA

Adding additional chains is easy – just repeat the pattern, making sure to share beads from the previous chain.

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