Copper Chain Maille Bracelet

March 28, 2009 - Although it took a few weeks, I prepared copper jump rings for my next creation. When the wound spring of copper was cut, I noticed that several burrs were created. I had to spend a lot of time tumbling the rings, using a cup de-burrer, tumbling again, before I couldn't even begin to create the bracelet below. This is the standard Byzantine pattern, with a clasp easily made from the same copper wire.

More rings are on the way. We are trying some new cutting techniques in an effort to avoid burrs. In the next piece, I hope to use some stone druks.

New Amulet Bag Completed

While I am working on customer orders and new designs, which are the types of work that go quickly, I try to have a long term project going. If I don't, I make mostly bracelets, or my customers wait too long for their orders to be fulfilled. Worse yet, new patterns don't get written up!

Below is one of my long term projects. I break the project down into parts and that helps me finish the project instead of creating a UFO (Unfinished Object) I complete maybe three of these big pieces a year:

Aten's Disk and Ankh

Like most of the bags I make, this one has a pattern on both sides. I was going to do a different strap until I saw how well this modified herringbone stitch went with the design.

The purple iris Delicas provide great contrast to the gold plated beads. With that finish widely available, I was able to use twisted Miyuki bead bugles and Czech daggers for the fringe. This fringe gives the piece a fluid movement.

My next bag will have spring flowers. Hopefully, the long winter months will allow lots of time for beading!

I also did a matching bracelet. Simple and quickly done, the bracelet complements the necklace when worn together, yet is beautiful enough to wear alone.

The bag has the same clasp shown in the bracelet. Even though the strap in the necklace is long enough to just put it on, I used a matching clasp so the strap design went in the same direction. This carries forward the V-shape design of the fringe on both sides of the necklace. Another reason for using a clasp: The pattern used for the strap would not connect the beginning pattern to the end very well. The clasp solved both issues!

I did manage to design a few new bracelets using my favorite stitch, which is bead crochet. Below is one that uses Miyuki drops and this shows first the side view and then a closeup of the bracelet from the top, or how it looks when worn:

Gail H. Devoid, Ph.D

Need For Beads, Inc.

http://www.tarnhelm.com/NeedForBeads

Mailto:gdevoid@tds.net

New Bracelet from Need For Beads

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.