Wednesday, May 15, 2013

A Time to Stitch 3

Today is the reveal for Therese's and Christine's blog hop, A Time to Stitch 3.  This time around the girls chose flat stitches and spiral stitches.  I love spirals, I don't like flat stitches!  I keep trying to like them, but I only use them if I have to.  So, this was a good opportunity to show off the one bracelet I made with square stitch.  Yes, it's not a brand new bracelet, but I have to say that I enjoyed making it. 

 
 
This is it.  It was in a magazine a few years ago and I can't remember which one.  But, I decided to create a bead soup out of size 8 Hex beads in the matte metallic colors that I love!  I had gotten several colors to use in the bead knitted cuffs I like to make and I had left overs.  So, I decided to make this bracelet. The fact that it's a zigzag pattern didn't bother me.  It actually made it interesting to stitch.  This picture doesn't do the colors justice.  It really is much richer in color than it looks here.  
 
 
So, while I didn't make a new bracelet using the flat stitches, I did take the opportunity to do something I 've wanted to do for a long time with the spiral stitches.  I love spiral rope best of all the spirals and I've wanted to combine variations of spiral rope in one necklace.  So, this was my chance to try it.  Here's a picture of the necklace.
 

 
 
I started with the section on the bottom of the picture.  It's from Jill Wiseman's book Beautiful Beaded Ropes.  You start with a plain spiral rope and then you peyote back along the beads that create the spiral.  I did 7 inches of that and then moved on to double spiral rope for 7 inches.  I finished the necklace with 7 inches of a variation of one of Carol Wilcox Wells variations on spiral rope in her book The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving.  I'm very happy with the way it turned out and I think I'll try this idea again with different variations. 
 
I'll leave you with a couple of close up pictures of the different spiral variations.
 
Double spiral and Wells variation
 
Double spiral and Wiseman variation
 
 
Thanks to Therese and Christine for coming up with this idea and hosting the hop.  Enjoy checking out all the other participants' creations. 
 
Here's the list, so have a good time looking at all of them! 
 
 





 



13 comments:

  1. I love both of these! This was great fun and I love your color choices too!

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  2. Love that zigzag bracelet. I think the bead choices you used gave it a more dimensional look than most flat stitches. Was that your own pattern?
    Great looking spiral rope. Your color choices really show of the stitches well. I've been wanting to do Jill's necklace, and this is a good way to show off the stitch.

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  3. I can tell that zigzag bracelet does have a wonderful deep, rich color to it ... I would wear that everyday! And your spiral variation is so fun ... wow that looks so cool how you've done this pattern! really loving that

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  4. I am with you on the flat stitch...was not my favorite. I love your spiral...WOW!! My nose was glued to the screen trying to see the patterns. Love it!

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  5. That spiral is so beautiful and very interesting and feminine. I really like how you blended different style you learned. That zigzag is IT as far as I am concerned!!! I love the flow and the bead choice and the style and the whole vibe~based on that bracelet alone, I would never guess you were not a lover of flat stitches. This would be on my wrist every day :-) Thanks so much for being a part of this Maryanne. I always look forward to seeing what you are working on :-)

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  6. The bracelet is really eye-catching! It's too bad you don't enjoy square stitch, because the final result was lovely, but I completely understand having stitches that just don't feel good to do. And nice job on combining the variations of spiral -- it makes a fun necklace to look at, and I'm sure it'll be fun to wear!

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  7. Hi Maryanne,
    First let me say the square stitched zigzag bracelet is beautiful, but I fully understand about certain stitches that you just do not like to do. If you have to force yourself to do a project with a stitch you do not like it takes a long time for the piece to get finish if it gets finished at all. I love the spiral variation necklace you made it is gorgeous. I have Jill's book and have every intention one day of doing a few of her ropes. Thank you so much for participating in round 3 and hope that you will come back again for round 4.
    Therese

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  8. I am not a bead weacver AT ALL, so I am in awe of both your pieces! Very cool bracelet...but that necklace is just fabulous! The colors are perfect and have me craving an Orange Dreamsicle! The fact that there are three different weaves/stitches in one necklace makes it that more special! Beautiful job!

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  9. I would never have thought to combine different spirals, but I really like the result. I just added Carol Wilcox Wells' book to my collection, and now I know which project I'm going to start with!

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  10. I agree with all the previous comments - the zigzag bracelet is beautiful and I can imagine it's metallic shine in the daylight! And the necklace is beautiful as well! I like very much how you combined different stitches, it makes it much more interesting and eye catching! I love orange, so ... :-D

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  11. Maryanne, the zigzag is such a beautiful bracelet and with the AB finish of the beads I bet it sparkles like crazy in the light! And the necklace, those two colors and the combination of stitches gives the necklace a lovely vintage elegance. Beautiful work!

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  12. Maryanne, I'm with you. I love spiral ropes. I have both of the books you mentioned and I found it interesting to see the ropes compared. I think your rope necklace is wonderful.

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  13. Wow, what fabulous pieces - I love the bracelet - and that necklace is stunning, it reminds me of coral somehow. I love the use of the lighter beads with the darker peach - it is so, so pretty.

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