The Finishing Touches
As can happen from time to time, this project turned out a little bit more detailed than I first envisioned it to be.
In the last post, Embellishing and Finishing, we left off right after finishing the ends of the bracelet and adding the clasps.
Today we are going to add the remaining accents, which are relatively simple to do.
First I will demonstrate how to add the 4mm crystals or Firepolish beads to the inner edges of the peyote bands.
As mentioned in the Intro, you will need 20 in total for the bracelet as designed. If you bracelet has more than 9 Superduo Components, you may need a few more.
Plus you will need both colors of your 15/0 Seed Beads.
You will use less than a wingspan of the beading thread to finish both sides of the bracelet.
But you will use a little bit more when we finish the Embellishments on the top of each Superduo Component. For these embellishments, you will also need your 15/0’s and a few of each color of 8/0 Seed Beads as well.
On my bracelet, I substituted hex cut beads for the 8/0’s but you can use whatever beads you like, they just need to span the distance between the needle entry points.
The Starting Position
Sew into the first Delica on the inside edge of the band.
I need to admit that I kind of goofed on the crystals in the four corners of the bracelet but it looked okay so I went with it.
We only need to concern ourselves with the 7 Delicas on either side of the working pairs we used to connect the bands to the center section.
The Crystal Accents
For each accent I picked up a three bead sequence in like colors:
- 15/0 – 4mm – 15/0
For the corner accents, I sewed down the very first Delica on the closest side of the working pair.
What I should have done from the current position is to sew down the third from the working pair.
As you can see from the photo, that I jumped over a lot of Delicas.
You can get by doing it like I did, or move back two Delicas toward your staring position.
No matter which way you proceeded, the next step is to weave up and down through the Delica beads until you are exiting the third Delica from the next working pair.
Here is the simplest way to think about it. As you come to the working pair, you will know this by the 11/0 SB used to connect to the component above.
I am working from the left and the first bead of the working pair is passed through towards the outer edge of the band.
As I pass through the second bead of the working pair, I am always passing towards the inner edge.
This is the same for every working pair if you accent placement is correct.
This is where I will place the next three bead sequence.
As you can see from the layout photo above, I alternate between the colors.
In this accent I picked up green 15/0’s and Firepolish beads.
I count back three beads from the left side of the working pair and this is where I sew down.
The steps are the same for the remainder of the process for adding the Accents, with the following exceptions:
- At the center, I added red accents on both sides of the center Superduo Component then worked the opposite side as a mirror image of the first half. (See Above.)
- Make sure to follow the same thread path as you chose for the remaining three corner accents so that all four corners are identical.
When you reach the end of the first side, you can sew across the beadwork or you can end the thread and tie onto the opposite side to embellish the inner band on that side.
End all your threads when done.
The Superduo Component Accents
For the final accents, I sewed into each component, added that beads and then knotted the thread before ending it and moving on the next component.
You can choose to sew through to each component, but remember that we already have quite a bit of thread in the Superduos and you run the risk of breaking a bead.
Enter the Superduo on the tip of the component, through the lower hole of the bead. Leave a 2 inch tail.
Pass back through the upper hole in the reverse direction, holding onto the tail.
Pass back through the lower hole again plus the next bead in line.
Pick up five 15/0 – 8/0 – five 15/0.
Sew through the three Superduos on the opposite side of the component as shown.
PIck up five 15/0s and sew up through the 8/0 bead only.
Pick up five 15/0s and sew back through two Superduos as shown.
Come back through the upper hole and tie two overhand knots, pass through a few beads and end the thread.
Repeat for each of the remaining units.
Note that I used green accents on the green components and red on the red components.
If you remember that my center section had the odd bead center component (should have counted the Superduos before I started).
On the center unit I used a Crystal montee in place of the 8/0 seed bead.
The bead count is the same, you simply stitch back through the second hole of the montee on the way back through.
I want to wrap this series up by sharing with you the things I like about the project as well as things I would consider changing.
The first thing I would change is the color of my center Superduo component.
Pros
Cons
Beautiful Drape
Unique Bands
The Firepolish Accents
The Component Accents
The Superduos are too bulky for my taste.
The colors of my Superduos
The width of the center section.
The color of the Delicas washed out.
If I were to correct this bracelet with the same design, would redo the center section with Miniduos and Tile beads.
To accomplish the same design, the addition of 15/0 seed beads would be needed on both sides of the Tile beads so that points still line up with the working pairs on the bands.
It is really hard as a designer, to admit that a project isn’t quite right. If you can objectively look at a design and make changes, you will be much more satisfied with your work in the long run.
If I decide to make any changes to the design, I will be sure to update you here on my blog.
I hope you enjoyed the project and will put some of the design elements to work in your own beading work.