I saw a great pattern in the Dec. 2007/Jan. 2008 issue of Beadwork Magazine written up by Michele Anderson and decided to give it a try. I used my loom made especially for Delicas, and the warp threads were long enough to knot the end of the fringe. But since I used fireline, knotting the ends was just as difficult and took as much time as sewing in the warp threads would have. The picture below shows the results:
Shimmering Tapestry Bracelet
I also changed the toggles on this. I saw Party Girl Necklace by Robin Cowart in the same issue of Beadwork Magazine, and knew I could modify the beaded bead to my project. I used 4mm Swarovski crystals, Japanese Delicas that match the pink beads in the band, and sewed up a beaded bead. It collapsed. So, I opened it back up and put in a black faceted 6mm glass bead, and the bead fit perfectly. Now I had a toggle that matched the band and was sturdy.
Here's the bracelet flat so you can see the pattern of the band and the beaded beads better:
Shimmering Tapestry Bracelet with Beaded Bead Toggles
The next one I am going to do with the pattern of the band will be in a different color, and I will use a no-warp threads method. I'll do this using the Versa Loom by Sova Enterprises. Although I will fold over the ends and embellish on top of the loomed band, I want to create a closure that brings the embellished ends closer together. I'll probably do that at the Bead Society of New Hampshire's March Bead Retreat.
Meanwhile, I am working on my Aten's Disk and Ankh amulet bag pattern, as well as getting ready to replenish my stock of finished pieces.
