Successful Experiment

I've been running an idea around in my head for a while and finally gave it a shot.  I bought a new bead loom almost a year ago and it was still in the box.  I put the loom together and warped it a little different than usual for a bead loom. 

I knew I wanted to make a bracelet so I started with a ladder stitch 12 cube beads long and 2 beads high for each end of the bracelet.  The length of the loom is 7" so that is just about the right size for a bracelet.  I attached the ladder stitched ends to the loom.  By doing the ends like this I didn't have a bunch of warp thread to deal with when I was finished. 

I warped the loom with a very long piece of 8 pound smoke fire line.  I attached the line to the loom in the usual way by attaching it to the body of the loom.  With a #12 needle on one end of the line I ran the line through the first row of cube beads.  Then I broke out the container of mixed beads that has grown with every project I've done in the past.

I strung random beads on the line until it was long enough to attach to the other set of ladder stitched cube beads.  I ran the line through the corresponding set of cube beads on the far end of the loom.  I tied a knot around the line running through the cube beads and ran it back down through the next set of cubes.  Again I strung random beads until I reached the other end, knotting each time and pulling the line snug.  That was repeated until I had a line for each set of 2 cubes.

Since I started with a very long length of line I knotted the line next to the last set of cube beads and was able to continue stringing beads for the weft of the loom.  This time I used only seed beads on the line and kept stringing beads until I had enough to go back and forth across the bracelet several times.  Instead of the usual beaded loom work of beads fitted between each line I decided to weave over and under the warp line like I was weaving material.

I worked each weft line as close to previous row as I could.  The warp lines had big, little and tube beads that made the texture very random.  I really like the look of the weave.

 

Once I finished the weaving I cut the cube beads loose from the loom.  Goofed a little there and managed to cut a couple of the warp lines.  Had to do a quick repair and restring a few beads and tie them off.

I hadn't really thought this all the way through since it was an experiment.  It was time to figure out the clasp.  The first clasp I tried was sterling silver wire worked through the last two cubes on both sides of the bracelet.  To anchor them I made a swirl on the ends and wire wrapped the wires together for strength.  The clasp was a piece of hammered sterling bent into a hook.  I hated it when it was finished. 

The "well duh" moment came when I walked away for a while.  Time to fall back on the very versatile peyote stitch.  On one end of the bracelet I attached seed beads two at a time across the end of the cubes by running the line back and forth through the cubes.  From there I worked in peyote stitch to make a tab with an opening for a button.  On the other end of the bracelet I again attached beads and stitched a plain tab.  I ran the line back through the beads on the tab for strength and attached a button I found in my button stash that is almost as bad as my bead stash.  Viola!!!! A closure I liked.

The whole thing took about 18 hours including the repairs and sterling clasp and replacement.

Upcoming Events

Fall Art Fairs are coming soon.  So far I've registered for two.  The first fair is Labor Day Sunday, September 4, at Benld Park in Benld Illinois.  This fair is part of the annual Croation picnic.

The second fair is the Staunton Art Fair in Staunton, Illinois.  That fair is at Duda Park and for the two days of September 24 and 25. 

I've been working hard to get many new items made for fall fairs.  If you're out and about, looking for something to do please stop by one or both of the fairs.