ETRUSCAN
SQUARE STITCH BRACELET
About the Kit...
This
is a fun bracelet project, using the square stitch. This general
design – square stitch with an open window – has appeared
in many variations over the years, including one variation developed
by Shelley Nybakke. This Etruscan Square Stitch Bracelet is influenced
by Shelley’s version of the piece, particularly in the choice
of the 3mm faceted brass cube beads.
The
Square Stitch is a very basic stitch. The beads line up along
a grid of parallel rows and perpendicular columns, where each
square represents one bead. The Square Stitch can utilize patterns
developed for Cross Stitch, Loom, or Knitting patterns.
Design
Elements Discussed: boundaries, frames, negative spaces, shapes,
textures.
In
this example, I created a 7” bracelet for a woman to wear.
The beadwork was 6 ½” and the clasp assembly added
another ½”. The bracelet was 8 – 3mm size beads
wide (about 7/8”), and 67 – 3mm size beads long.
My
frame-borders around the window were each 2 – 3mm beads
wide. My window (negative space) was the equivalent of 4 –
3mm beads wide.
I wanted
to have my frame constructed of one type of faceted bead, and
to create a simple pattern of larger square beads along the window
space. I always like to bracket or frame my focal beads, so I
put an 8/0 seed bead on either side of my focal square beads.
I imagined
that my bracelet could be worn casually, as well as a “little
dressed up,” which is why I chose to use the metal and gemstone
beads on the piece.
In the Etruscan Square Stitch Bracelet project...
LearnToBead.net Goals:
- Planning a bracelet design with a negative space
- Translating bracelet measurement goals into the construction
plan
- Understanding construction and structural issues, such as areas
of weakness, using the Square Stitch with this design
- Discussion of Design Concepts: boundaries, frames, negatives
spaces, shapes and textures
- Adding a clasp assembly
|
