Seedbead Tutorial - Spiral Weave Rope Chain

This beautiful pattern can be used in short pieces with larger beads in between (see my Aqua Lampwork bracelet in previous post), or in greater lengths for an entire bracelet or necklace (see my Bronzite Pendant necklace in previous post). It’s very versatile, and once you get the basic pattern mastered you can experiment with different sizes of seedbeads within the pattern to give it a different look.

You will need:

Beading Thread – Nymo or Fireline will work well

Thin Beading Needle

11/0 seedbeads – in 2 colours, I’ll refer to them as “A” and “B”

1. Cut a 4 foot length of beading thread and thread needle.

2. Tie a stopper bead (any 6mm or larger bead will do) about 8” from the end of the thread. Tie it so you can get the stopper bead off at the end of the project…you will be weaving the 8” of thread back through your rope chain after the clasp is added.

3. Decide which colour you want for the “core” of the spiral…you will use fewer of these beads. The other colour will be for the outside of the spiral. I will refer to them as:

“A” = core colour beads

“B” = outside colour beads

4. String 4 A and 3 B beads onto needle. Slide them down to lie next to the stopper bead.

5. Go back and pass needle through the 4 A beads. (I enlarged the picture to show detail).

6. Now string 1 A and 3 B beads. This pattern will repeat and form the spiral rope as we proceed.

7. Go back and pass needle through 3 of the previous 4 A beads from step #5, and the new A bead (for a total of 4 A beads...3 old, 1 new). Do not pass the needle through any of the B beads.

8. Continue in this pattern, adding 1 A and 3 B beads each stitch, then going through only the last four A beads in the core part of the rope chain each time. The B beads will spiral up in groups of three as the core of the chain is built.

9. Here is a close-up of the finished rope chain...

You can see the white "core" forms the backbone of the spiral, and the silver-lined aqua beads in groups of three wind around the core.

10. Continue in this pattern for the length desired, whether it's for a bracelet or necklace. I'll show you how to attach the clasp in the next posting.

Enjoy...

Working with Seedbeads.... A Love Reborn

I've rediscovered my love of seedbeads. These tiny little marvels were my introduction to jewellery making when I was a mere 8 year old at summer camp, back in the 1960's when Flower Power ruled. We would make flower bracelets with thread and tie the bracelets on each other's wrists.

Over the years I've come back to seedbeads, first as an embelleshment for the bodice of my wedding gown, which I made with pewter grey satin, overlaid with organza on the bodice.

Then it was beadweaving in the Ukranian Mesh style...this necklace is still one of my favourites:



Lately I've been working with a spiral weave in the form of a rope, and I love the texture and flexibility of this technique.

Here's a necklace I just finished. The spiral weave forms the "chain" of the necklace and I used a bronze and ivory palette for it....tiny little 15/0 delicas and 10/0 metallic bronze seedbeads. The pendant is a bronzite rectangular cabochon set in a bronze-finished polymer clay frame, made by the very talented Nathalie Girard of Canadian Rockies Art.





I've also been combining my lampwork beads with seedbeads, as in this gorgeous aquamarine blue bracelet listed in my Ruby Lane shop.





Tomorrow I'll post a tutorial with instructions to make a spiral rope using the spiral weave pattern...it's so versatile.