Circles in a Circles
We are closing in on the last of the Brick Stitch tutorials in Bead Weaving 101.
In the last few posts, we have learned a lot about Brick Stitch on a Frame, and we made the Beautifully Boho Turquoise Hoop Earrings.
Today we are going to learn how to add another concentric frame inside a larger one using Brick Stitch.
This a another fun technique that you can use to add more texture, contrast, cohesion and interest to your bead weaving projects.
This technique is not limited to bead weaving either. It is easily adaptable to wire wrap projects.
The skill level for this tutorial is advanced, as you need a solid understanding of the structure and the thread path of the stitch.
Tools and Materials
- 8/0 Toho Seed Beads – Rose Gold Permanent Finish
- 11/0 Toho Seed Beads – Rose Gold Permanent Finish
- 15/0 Toho Seed Beads – Silver Lined Opal Transparent Amber (Fusion Beads)
- 2 x 3 Crystal Rondelle Beads – Coral (Cherry Tree Beads)
- 2 each – 16 mm and 28 mm Textured Components (Joann’s Fabrics)
- Black Satin Fireline .006
- Size 10 Beading Needle
I have listed all the materials used for this tutorial and have included my affiliate links, where available.
A few items are from Fusion Beads and Joann’s and I added the links as well for your convenience.
If you would like to make the Concentric Coral Earrings, which will be published soon, you will need to make two of the components.
For this you will need 29 Crystal Rondelle Beads per earring for a total of 58 beads.
I added lovely bright Copper Ear Wires and Oval Jump Rings to finish my earrings.
Feel free to use Rose Gold Filled or plated findings in you prefer.
Row 1
For this lesson, we are going to start our first row on the inside of the larger component.
We will be working from back to front, similar to the technique we used in Brick Stitch on a Frame Part 3.
The main difference between the two techniques, is that today we will wrap the thread around the outside edge of the frame.
Pass the tail end of your thread though the center of the larger frame and tie two tight overhand knots.
Position the knots on the back side of the frame.
With the working thread behind the frame, pick up two 11/0 seed beads and drop them to the inner edge of the frame.
Bring the needle and thread under and around to the front side of the frame.
Pass up through the second bead and pull the thread through.
Straighten the First Bead
Still working on the front side of the frame, pass the needle down through the first bead.
Step back up into the second bead from the bottom and pass the needle through the frame center to the back once again.
The Remaining Beads
The remaining beads are added one at a time.
Pick up an 11/0 and drop it down to the frame.
Bring the needle under and around to the front of the frame and pass up through the new bead.
Pass the needle through the center to the back again as you work the step up.
Repeat these steps to add beads to the inner edge of the frame.
The objectives are for the beads to line up along the edge, with no noticeable gaps between beads.
Keep your tension even, so that there are no loose thread bridges along the top of the beads.
Check your work often, to insure the beads are on the same linear plane as the frame.
We do not want to see beads bulging out to either side of the frame.
If you do, you may be pulling too tight on the thread as you step up.
Once you have added the last bead of the round, it is time to close the bead work.
To do this, we will connect the last bead added to the first bead of the round.
Closing the Row
The working thread is exiting the top of the last bead.
Make sure your thread is on the front side of the frame.
Pass the needle down through the first bead.
Still working on the front of the frame, pass the needle back up through the last bead once more.
Now the bead work is closed and the two beads are connected.
Next we are going to add a round of crystals, but we are going connect the smaller ring to the bead work at the same time.
This time we will begin in the front of the larger existing frame.
Row 2 Connecting the Smaller Frame in the Center
For this portion of the tutorial we are going to need to use the decease method to fit the rondelle beads along the top of the smaller 11/0 beads on the base.
With each stitch, we are going to pass the needle through the center of the small inset frame first.
Then we can either stitch from behind, or pass the needle between the two frames, before we step back down through the 11/0 seed bead on the base.
Let’s take a close look at the thread path.
With the working thread in front of the larger frame, pick up a rondelle and drop it to the base.
Position the smaller frame in the center behind the working thread.
While holding the small frame in place, pass the needle through the center to the back.
Working from the back to the front, pass the needle down through the rondelle and the 11/0 on the base, and out on the front side of the frame.
Working on the front of the frame again, step up into the next 11/0 bead on the base to get into position to add another crystal.
This is the basic path we will follow to connect the small frame to the base using the crystal beads to bridge the gap.
Remember we are working from front to back.
Pick up a crystal and drop it down.
Pass the needle through the small frame.
Here is the view from the back side.
Pass the needle through the crystal and the 11/0 seed bead, on an angle to exit the front of the frame.
If you have trouble, check out the video below for another option.
As we proceed around the frame, we are going to have to do several decreases to account for the smaller diameter (working inwards to the center) and the fact that the beads are larger.
To prevent the crystals from overcrowding each other, I will decrease the next stitch.
When I step up, I skip over one 11/0 on the base and pass up through the nextx 11/0.
I have picked up my third crystal and passed through the small frame.
As I stitch from the back through the crystal, I pass through the same seed bead and exit to the front of the frame.
As you add this round, check your position by passing part of the needle through the 11/0 seed beads to gauge the space for each crystal.
The goal is to minimize the gaps between the crystals without overcrowding them on the base.
Keep working until you have added the last bead and the working thread is exiting the 11/0 on the base to the front of the bead work.
Now we need to close the bead work just as we did in Row 1.
Closing the Row
Again we will work these steps on the front of the bead work.
- Pass the needle up through the next 11/0 on the base and the last crystal.
- Pass the needle down through the first crystal of the round.
- Pass the needle back up through the last crystal again.
- Finally, pass the needle back down the first crystal of the round and the 11/0 seed bead below.
That concludes the basics for adding a second concentric frame within a frame.
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and will find many creative ways to use this technique in your own designs.
Join me next time, for the Concentric Coral Earrings Tutorial and we will embellish our new components and finish the project.