Beading Stitches: Spiral Rope

Okay, so I've been bead weaving for about a year, a year and a half, now, and I have to say, some stitches are pretty easy, while others are fiendishly difficult.  But my favorite, as I've said before, has GOT to be the spiral rope.  It's a very easy basic stitch, but is so, so, SOOOOOO versatile!  The basic stitch is a 4-4 loop, and you add one bead to the core for each new stitch.

There's a pretty good video tutorial of this stitch here by Andrea from Beadaholique

So, now that you've seen a basic tutorial, I just wanted to show how you can step this stitch up.  I have several different pieces, all bits of jewelry I've made, using this stitch, and embellishing it in different ways:

The basic weave, using the 4-4 ratio, but just changing up the colors as I went on...

A complete spiral set! 

4-4 spiral attached to a hand-painted piece...

A teaser pic!  using a 4-7 ratio.  Gave it that nicely lacy look! 

using bicones--a 4-5 ratio.  because of the size of the bicones,  though, it doesn't end up quite as lacy as the above...  kinda cool and chunky!

a 4-4 weave, with evenly spaced embellishment rounds...  I actually began this bracelet in the middle, by accident (that's the other nice thing about the spiral--it's very forgiving in length issues, and you can work in either direction from your beginning stitch...)

My latest piece!  a 4-7 focal with the three teardrops, moving to a 4-5 ratio for the length of the necklace...

with turquoise rounds alternating with solid sand-colored seeds.  The Beachcomber! Oddly chunky and delicate all at the same time... 

Just a pretty, simple bracelet with the center focal.  One of my favorites! 

There you have it!  All the same stitch, and yes, some obvious similarities, but such different and gorgeous pieces (if I do say so myself...)

Thanks for reading!

What's been happenin'?

Well, I haven't done much specifically jewelry-related lately, but I have been playing.  I've decoupaged a table and a box, my iPhone's case (twice, actually) and I made a whole bunch of cards.  Plus, you know, there's that pesky "real job" business that I've been trying to take care of.  And, speaking of that, I just got another class!  woot!

So, what's in store for Definitive Designs?  Well, I have this multi-chain earring idea stuck in my head, and I'm dying to try some steampunk-y stuff... And, I want to try making frames for some of my work, so they can be displayed on the wall. It's something I've been pondering for ages for the pieces I have in my own collection, and Melody, over at Brave Girls Club blogged on it a few days ago. So I'm feeling inspired!

I also joined Creating the Hive, and have been very much enjoying getting to know people over there. And thanks to all of your help, I won the Viewer's Choice portion of Beads-n-Blessings' Art with Heart Contest.  So, you know, go me! (and you!!) Cycle 3 of that contest will be starting soon, and I'm very much looking forward to working with that kit, as well.

So, that's just a quick update for you!  Hope you're all well!

R.Wilson