Blog posts of '2015' 'September'

The daisy chain (bead version) is a lovely stitch to create bracelets or anklets … and even a ring. Moreover, you can make it as playful or upscale as you wish, because you may use any type of bead, from glass to gemstone beads and from seed beads size 11/0 to 6x6 mm beads … and once you understand the stitch, you can embellish the result to end up with a very different looking bracelet that does not seem to have any flowers at all.

Idea: create the bracelet in your birthstone or the color of it – for September, see http://dunebeads.com/en/september-s-birthstones-in-blue-from-rest-to-creativity

Difficulty:

It is a stitch that will learn you to find your own perfect thread tension. You will need to keep the thread tight with equal tension to create the design, because if there is too much tension, your bracelet will not stay flat and if you do not have enough tension the center bead will not sit nicely in the middle.

Supplies for a bracelet with 4x4 mm beads:

• 4x4 mm in two colors
• 6 lbs Fireline thread or S-lon D
• size 10 needles
• scissors and beading surface

Supplies for a bracelet with 11/0 or 2x2 mm beads:

• 11/0 seed beads or 2x2 mm beads in two colors
• 4 lbs Fireline thread or S-lon Aa
• size 10 or 12 needles
• scissors and beading surface

Weaving instructions Daisy Chain with 4x4 mm beads:

• take a comfortable length of thread
• leave a long tail end, about 20 cm, to control the tension and to attach a clasp
• add a stopper bead (in a different color) and fix it with a knot
• pick up 6 beads, or 8 beads if you work with 11/0 seed beads, but always an even number

• create a loop: go through all the beads till the tail end and continue the circle till the middle bead on the opposite side of the tail end
• arriving at 3th beads past the tail end, you pick up one accent bead in another color for the center of the daisy

• now you have to go back to the tail end and thread the needle through the bead next to it in the opposite direction
• consequently, you work on the opposite side in parallel to the bead where you came from
• to tighten the structure and the round shape, pull the thread toward you (never away from you)
• as a result, the center bead sits right in the middle of the flower

SEE - part 2

CONTINUATION: the Daisy Chain Stitch

• the bead you just went through is also a connecting leaf-bead of the next flower
• therefore, you will ***pick up only 5 beads (instead of 6 beads) - always an uneven number -
• and thread back through that single bead the two flowers have in common

• pick up one center bead and go back to the middle of the circle on the opposite side
• check out the structure of the flower: it needs to have two beads on each side which do not connect with the preceding flower
• simply put the flower is made of: 1 connecting bead, 2 non connecting beads, 1 connecting bead and 2 non connecting beads
• thread through that single bead on the opposite side, respecting the parallel direction, so the holes of all the center beads are always facing in the same direction***
• repeat *** … ***
• when you have obtained the desired length, feel free to reinforce the structure and do another pass through the beads
• attach a clasp and enjoy your work

Note:

• the center bead does not necessarily need to have the same size as the leaf-beads, you could replace it by a bigger size, making it more noticeable
• the sides of the flower garland offer you another opportunity to be creative and may be embellished
• example: bracelet in embellished daisy chain with 16 seed beads size 11/0, of which 3 connect and a 6x6 mm central bead.

Thank you for choosing your beads @ http://dunebeads.com/en/czech-fire-polished-round-beads !

Do not forget: have fun, because practice makes perfect. See you soon!