Blog posts of '2018' 'May'

For beginners, the great thing about the flat brick stitch is that it is easy and versatile. It has in common with the peyote stitch that it stacks the beads nicely on top of each other, especially if you work with Delica beads, but it differs in the following :

• the bead's direction is vertical, meaning the hole of the bead is vertically and not horizontally lined up
• the same stitch applies as well to an even number as an odd number of beads
• the beads are attached by weaving your working thread around the thread of the preceding row, so you do not needle through the beads to affix them

and yes, you are right in thinking that this type of “wall” of bead-bricks needs a strong foundation, that is why you start with the ladder stitch and build up with the flat brick stitch.
Do not be scared off, whether you go through a bead or beneath and around a thread, in both cases the strength of your work depends on the sturdiness of the thread.

Challenge:

• As your workpiece is held together by thread, controlling the thread tension will be paramount.

Supplies for a striped bracelet in flat brick:

• 11/0 Delica beads in 3 colors: color A, color B and color C
• OR 8/0 Japanese seed beads in 3 colors: color A, color B and color C
• needle, thread and scissors
• toggle and beading mat.

Weaving instructions for the ladder stitch:

• the foundation in ladder stitch in color A: pick up and string two beads, leaving a generous tail thread to hold your work and stitch in later
• hold the two beads side by side – top and bottom vertically - and pass back through the first bead, this is the one closest to the tail

• to add a bead you have to go to the outer edge of the next bead and that is why you pass the needle down through the second bead

• pick up the next bead, hold the beads vertically side by side, pass the needle DOWN through the top of the previous bead and back UP through the bottom of the bead you added
• as a consequence, you are forming a circle to attach each bead

• pick up the next bead, hold it side by side to the other beads and pass the needle UP through the bottom of the previous bead and back DOWN through the top of the bead you added

SEE - part 2

CONTINUATION: the flat Brick Stitch

• to summarize, depending the end position of your thread, you alternate and go down through the top and then up through the bottom OR up through the bottom and then down through the top
• continue till you reach the desired width of your bracelet, in this case 7 beads
• as you work with an odd number of beads, you end up with the tail thread facing down and the working thread facing up

Weaving instructions for the flat brick stitch:

• round two: continue in color B, pick up a set of two beads and pass your needle beneath the thread in between the two beads below

• pass your needle up the bottom of the second bead of the set you just added
• note : you only add two beads at the initial of each round,

• pick up a bead and pass your needle beneath the thread connecting the two beads below

• pass your needle up the bottom the of bead you just added
• add a bead, pass your needle beneath the thread connecting the beads below
• tighten your thread, pass your needle up the bottom of the bead you added
• continue till the end of the row
• round three: turn your piece and continue in color C, pick up a set of two beads, pass your needle beneath the thread connecting the two beads below
• pass your needle up the bottom of the second bead of the set and tighten your thread
• continue adding one bead at a time till the end of the row
• round four: turn your workpiece and continue in color B
• round five: continue in color A

• play with the stripe pattern and possibly widen or change the stripes

• if you work with bigger beads, you may want to firm the edges of your workpiece by circling back through the first and second bead you added
• have fun !