Beading Stitches: Square Stitch

Another post on beading stitches!  This stitch, the square stitch, works really well for cuff-type bracelets, because you can pretty much make the piece as wide you want it to be.  Just keep adding seed beads until you have your desired width.  I've also just learned that you can do a tubular square stitch, which I really should've figured, since you just work in a circle, basically (for a fairly basic and straightforward tutorial on square stitch, go here.)

I also like the square stitch because, while it is very time intensive, it creates a very nice base on which you can add your embellishments.  Because with a square stitch you're really just creating a fabric (well, really it's more of a ribbon for me) to add pretty much anything you want to!

So, you can go relatively simple  and just add a focal in the center, like this:

Dolphin Dreams; hand-painted focal (by me!!!)

Or you can go a bit crazy like this:

Pretty in Pink

Or you can go REALLY crazy like the bracelet you can see here from Etsy seller StickLizardDesigns (FYI--this is gorgeous and I wants it!!)

Thanks!

End of Term Mania

Well, the end is nigh. the end of the session, that is.  And as usual, I can't get motivated.  So instead, I started working on a beading project!  Cuz, you know, I don't have ENOUGH work, let's make more! I mentioned in my last post that I had finished the piece for the Art with Heart contest, but the piece I ultimately created wasn't AT ALL what I had originally planned.  Normally, I'm okay with that.  But this time, the idea of the original design just will not leave my head! The original plan was to have the cab-and-filigree focal hanging from a beaded arrow-shaped bib-type necklace thingy... I can see it in my head, I promise. And it was awesome!  But as I worked on that piece, as will often happen, I just kept changing my mind and redesigning. So I ended up with the crazy cuff-type bracelet instead (speaking of that piece, I still need to name it.  I suck at names...)

So, this idea is stuck in my head, and I'm trying to realize it in actual beads.  I've started with a square stitch, done in sections to make it good and tight.  It's about 4 inches long, and every few rows, I'm decreasing it by a few beads.  The kinda fun part about this one, though, for me, is that I'm literally using every color seed bead in size 11 that I have.  All of them.  Even the black.  Initially, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but the more I play with it, the cooler it looks. Now, to consider the focal.  I have a vague idea that I'd like to play with the skulls (I have a lot of skull beads.  I love them... apparently, it's kinda my thing...), but I really want to do all the shades of pink with my little wooden skulls.  Another project I can see in my mind, and let me tell ya, it looks cool.  But what to do with this one?  Since I'm totally not sure, and I have a feeling this will be an ongoing, evolving project, I'll just have to keep pondering. In the meantime, I have a request for a lanyard I need to ponder, and several sets of essays and whatnot to grade over the next week.  Oh, and lets not forget getting ready for summer session! oi....

RLW