Spice up your Square Stitch
By using variations in square stitch, you can add Texture, Pattern, Movement and Shape to your projects.
If you are unfamiliar with the stitch, check out Square Stitch Basics in the Bead Weaving 101 series.
Once you have become comfortable with the basics and the thread path, you will be able to master these variations with ease.
The variations we are going to talk about today are:
- Odd Count – Even Count
- Multiple Beads per stitch
- Varying Bead Sizes and Shapes
Many of the variations, I will share with you today, can be found in the Bead & Button 2019 Bead Stitching Handbook.
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Tools and Materials
A variety of Beads
- 11/0 Seed Beads
- 11/0 Delica Beads
- Bugle Beads
- 2×3 Crystal Rondelle Beads
- 2 hole Tile or Tila Beads
I added my affiliate links above to the items I prefer to use when beading.
You can use any size or color beads you prefer. Gather a small variety of your favorites.
Odd and Even Counts
Unlike Peyote Stitch, using an odd or even number of beads per row, does not vary the thread path.
The design will dictate whether you need an even or odd count of beads on the first row.
If your design needs a center point, like a diamond for instance, you will start out with an odd number of beads.
Bead choices can also influence the number of beads you will need in your first row.
This bracelet was made with 8/0, 11/0 and bugle beads.
In this bracelet, I used only 11/0 seed beads and bugle beads.
Adding Movement ~ Texture and Pattern in Square Stitch
Using variations in square stitch can add movement, texture and patterns to your bead work.
Varying the number of beads per stitch creates sections of loose beads that give the effect of movement within the bead work.
By using different sizes and shapes of beads, you can add texture and pattern to the bead work.
In the video tutorial, I demonstrate the both of these concepts for you in detail. By the time you work through the tutorial you will be able to use Square Stitch variations in your own designs.
The variations you can use in this stitch are practically limitless.
I hope you have found this tutorial useful and it helps you with your own designs.
In the next video, we will explore the use of Increasing and Decreasing add even more dimension to your bead work.
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