Holidays | 6 Seed Bead Techniques Dustin Wedekind tablecontents Holidays | Dustin Wedekind Since August 2005, Dustin Wedekind, author of Getting Started with Seed Beads, has offered brief illustrated lessons Febr uary in seed beads in every issue of Beadwork. Dustin goes beyond basic beadweaving techniques, offering creative stitch varia- 3 Chains of Love tions and combinations that are guaranteed to build your seed Beadwork February/March 2008 bead confi dence. Most lessons focus squarely on technique rather than fi nished projects. Once you’ve mastered these lessons you’ll be more than ready to create your own original March seed bead wonders. 5 Shamrock Pin Beadwork February/March 2006 In “Holidays” we’ve collected 6 seasonal and holiday-themed techniques. From hearts formed by a right-angle weave varia- tion through double spiral stitch candy canes, these seed bead May techniques are sure to brighten your year. 8 Daisy Chain Beadwork August/September 2006 July 11 Spangled Stars and Stripes Beadwork June/July 2008 Decembe r 13 Fleur Russe Beadwork December 2006/January 2007 15 Double Mint Spiral Beadwork December 2007/January 2008 Chains of Love, page 3 Holidays originally published in Beadwork Online, 2008. ©Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved publishers of Beadwork magazine…join the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects! page 2 RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR projectstore Chains of Love Dustin Wedekind Originally published in Beadwork February/March 2008 Samples shown in size 6° and 11° Japanese seed beads. Chains of Love originally published in Beadwork, February/March 2008. ©Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved publishers of Beadwork magazine…join the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects! page 3 Chains of Love seeds | lessons in seed beading Dustin Wedekind Here is a right-angle weave variation that expresses sentiments stronger than the daisy chain. Working two additional passes in each right-angle unit magically causes the beads to lock together and form heart shapes. When choosing beads, I fi nd that the width of Japanese seed beads makes a fuller shapely chain of hearts. MATERIALS Seed beads in 2 or more col- ors (A and B) Beading needle and thread Figure 3 Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 1: Use 3' of thread to string 4A; pass Pass through the next through them again, leaving a 4" tail. 3 beads of Step 1 to exit the top of the Pass through the next 2 beads so that heart (Figure 5). As a technical editor, illustrator, and designer the tail is at the bottom and you are of all things beady, Dustin Wedekind con- tinuously seeks the simple structures within exiting from the top right bead (Figure 4: Begin the next heart by stringing 1B; complex configurations. Find such things in 1). pass through the top of the heart and his book, Getting Started with Seed Beads the bead just strung (Figure 6). String (Interweave Press, 2007) or on his website, 2: String 1A and pass through the next 3B; pass through the 1B and the fi rst www.bedesman.com. (top) bead; string 1A and pass down bead just strung (Figure 7). Continue through the next bead (Figure 2). from Step 2, changing colors for each Continue around to exit the fi rst bead 8-bead heart. ✦ strung in this step (Figure 3). 3: String 1A and pass through the next (top) bead; string 1A and pass down through the next 2 beads (Figure 4). Chains of Love originally published in Beadwork, February/March 2008. ©Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved publishers of Beadwork magazine…join the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects! page 4 RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR projectstore Shamrock Pin Dustin Wedekind Originally published in Beadwork, February/March 2006 Shamrock Pin originally published in Beadwork, February/March 2006. ©Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved publishers of Beadwork magazine…join the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects! page 5 Shamrock Pin Dustin Wedekind Brick Stitch INCREASES AND DECREASES Increases and decreases in fl at brick stitch form neat diamonds; passing through the edges of the diamonds will cup the work, making excellent leaves, or in this case, shamrocks. This increase adds 1 bead to a row, half a bead at each end. It happens at the start of a row by stringing 2 beads and passing under the fi rst loop of the previ- ous row; the fi nal two stitches pass under the same last loop of the previous row. The decrease stitch skips a loop of the previous row, shortening each row by one bead. MATERIALS of thread and back through back through the bead just row (Figure 8). Pull taut to Seed beads (A and B) the bead just strung (Figure strung. Repeat from * twice, cup the leaf slightly. Thread 3). Secure this last stitch by passing under the same loop SHAMROCK ASSEMBLY Pin back passing through the last 2 for the last 2 stitches. Secure Repeat Rows 1–11 for a second beads of this row; this will the last 2 beads of this row. leaf. After passing through the TOOLS hold the loop of thread in Row 6: Repeat Row 5 (6B total). edge beads, connect to the pre- Beading needles place as you begin the next Row 7: Repeat Row 6 (7A total, vious leaf by pass up through Scissors row (Figure 4). Figure 6). 3 of its edge beads, then down Row 4: String 2B; pass under through the last 3 of the current the thread between the last DECREASE leaf (Figure 9). Repeat to make 2 INCREASE 2 beads of the previous row, Row 8: String 2B; pass under more leaves. For a stem, string 12 Rows 1 and 2: String 1A and 2B; pull tight, and pass back the second-to-last loop of beads, alternating A and B, then pass through them again, through the last bead strung. thread of the previous row, skip the last bead and pass back leaving a 4" tail to hold onto *String 1B and pass under the pull tight, and pass back through the others. To make the while you work. Pass through next loop and back through through the last bead strung stem bend, skip one of the beads the fi rst 2 strung; the 1A is the the bead just strung. Repeat (Figure 7). String 1B and pass as you pass back through. Pass first row, the thread should from *, passing under the under the next loop and back through a few beads of a leaf and be exiting between the 2B same loop (Figure 5). Secure through the bead just strung; attach a pin back. ✦ (Figure 1). the last 2 beads of this row. repeat to the end of the row. Row 3: String 2A; pass under Row 5: String 2A; pass under Row 9: Repeat Row 8 (5A total). Dustin Wedekind is senior editor the thread between the 2B of Beadwork magazine. If you the thread between the last Row 10: Repeat Row 8 (4B and pull tight. Pass back have seed bead insights, requests, 2 beads of the previous row total). or inquiries, please e-mail through the last bead just and back through the last Row 11: String 3A and pass down [email protected]. strung (Figure 2). String 1A bead strung. *String 1A and through the beads along the and pass under the same loop pass under the next loop and opposite edge to exit the fi rst Shamrock Pin originally published in Beadwork, February/March 2006. ©Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved publishers of Beadwork magazine…join the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects! page 6 Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 8 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 9 Shamrock Pin originally published in Beadwork, February/March 2006. ©Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved publishers of Beadwork magazine…join the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects! page 7 RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR projectstore Daisy Chain Dustin Wedekind Originally published in Beadwork August/September 2006 Daisy Chain originally published in Beadwork, August/September 2006. ©Interweave Press, LLC Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved publishers of Beadwork magazine…join the online beading community at BeadingDaily.com Visit the Project Store at shop.interweave.com/beading for more great projects! page 8 Daisy Chain This classic stitch can be brought into today’s styles simply by updating the colors of beads used to make a fl owery chain. Daisy chain works up quick to form fringe, straps, bracelets, or Dustin Wedekind special trimming on a host of items. Try a loopy variation to make an honorifi c marigold garland in celebration of summer fl owers. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 b a Figure 6 Figure 7 MATERIALS Closed Chain Seed beads (A, B, C) 1: Use 5' of thread to string 8A; pass through 4: String 6B and pass through the last 2 beads Beading thread all the beads to form a circle. Pass through 2 passed through. String 1A and pass back beads (Figure 1).